Teaching and learning
Professional learning and resources to support early childhood educators with high quality teaching and learning practices.
Professional learning
The Early Learning professional catalogue provides a suite of professional learning courses developed to support teaching and learning in the early years.
Courses are available under the following topic areas:
- AEDC
- Cross curriculum
- Early childhood curriculum and pedagogy
- National Quality Framework
- Transition to school
- Young children with disability.
Resources
Early Learning resources: A suite of resources that provides educators with a range of suggestions and play based learning experiences that can be used to support children’s learning, including resources for families.
Early Learning Matters podcasts aim to inspire high-quality early childhood practice and build educator capacity. These podcasts are designed to supplement and complement other resources and professional learning. Tune in to hear the Early Learning team talk with years experts to unpack important early childhood concepts, theories and practice.
Resources to support families: Families play an important role in supporting young children’s learning in early childhood and the early years of schools. These resources provide ideas to engage in learning at home through everyday experiences.
Early childhood research
Fostering Effective Early Learning (FEEL)
The 2018 Fostering Effective Early Learning (FEEL) study focuses on the importance of quality, and how to strengthen it in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. The study addresses the need for quality improvement in ECEC by showing how a particular form of evidence-based in-service professional development can produce substantial and practically meaningful improvements in both staff practices and child outcomes.
The FEEL study was conducted by the research team from Early Start, University of Wollongong, on behalf of the NSW Department of Education.
Formative assessment in early childhood
Assessment of learning is a key component of the assessment and learning cycle, as required in National Quality Standard element 1.3.1. Formative assessment is an integral part of educators’ everyday practice, often collected through observation. It supports educators to:
make informed curriculum decisions, such as the identification of learning goals
monitor children's learning, enabling in the moment adjustments to be made to extend learning
make learning visible and able to be shared with others, for example, other educators, children, families and other professionals
evaluate the effectiveness of learning experiences and environments provided.
The NSW Preschool Assessment Study explores the ways NSW early childhood educators are using formative assessment to identify and plan for the individual learning needs of children, as well as inform transition to school.
The Formative assessment practices in early childhood settings research brief contains guidance for educators to on how research on formative assessment can be used to inform their teaching practices, including case studies.
Quality interactions
The QIS Study was commissioned by the New South Wales Department of Education to study the impact of evidence-based professional development (PD) designed to strengthen the relational and intentional pedagogy within pre-school classrooms located in areas of disadvantage.