Early Years Learning Framework

Early Years Learning Framework

The Early Years Learning Framework is part of the Council of Australian Government’s (COAG) reform agenda for early childhood education and care and is a key component of the Australian Government’s National Quality Framework for early childhood education and care. It underpins universal access to early childhood education and will be incorporated in the National Quality Standard in order to ensure delivery of nationally consistent and quality early childhood education across sectors and jurisdictions.

The Early Years Learning Framework describes the principles, practice and outcomes essential to support and enhance young children’s learning from birth to five years of age, as well as their transition to school.  The Framework has a strong emphasis on play-based learning as play is the best vehicle for young children’s learning providing the most appropriate stimulus for brain development. The Framework also recognises the importance of communication and language (including early literacy and numeracy) and social and emotional development.

Development of the Early Years Learning Framework

The Early Years Learning Framework has been developed collaboratively by the Australian and State and Territory Governments with substantial input from the early childhood sector and early childhood academics.  The Framework has incorporated feedback from an extensive consultation process, including two national symposiums, national public consultation forums, focus groups, an online forum and case-study trials.

Implementation

On 2 July 2009, COAG endorsed the Early Years Learning Framework. The Australian Government has provided copies of the Early Years Learning Framework and Families’ Guide to early childhood services across Australia.

It is expected that, following a period of familiarisation, each early childhood service will develop their own strategy to implement the Framework, taking their own unique context into consideration.

An Educators’ Guide to the Early Years Learning Framework, to support implementation of the Early Years Learning Framework, was released on 6 December 2010. Hard copies of the Educators’ Guide, along with a CD of resources, were delivered to early childhood services in February 2011.

Should you be seeking copies of the Educators’ Guide, the Early Years Learning Framework and the Families’ Guide, these are now available for download.

EYLF support and training

The Professional Support Coordinators (PSC) and the Indigenous Professional Support Unit (IPSU) networks in each state and territory are delivering training and mentoring services to Australian Government funded services to support their implementation of the EYLF.

For enquiries about training on the Early Years Learning Framework the contact details for the PSC and IPSU in your region are listed below.  

PSC

IPSU

QLD PSC
Health and Community Service Workforce Council Inc
Phone: 1800 112 585 (toll free)

QLD IPSU
Queensland Council of Social Services Inc
Indigenous Children's Services Unit
Phone: 1800 110 869 (toll free)

NSW PSC
Children's Services Central
Phone: 1800 157 818 (toll free)

NSW IPSU (including ACT)
Lady Gowrie Child Centre
Phone: 1800 450 472 (toll free)

WA PSC
Child Inclusive Learning and Development Australia Inc
Phone: 1800 783 768 (toll free)

WA IPSU
Yorganop Association Incorporated
Phone: 1800 788 520 (toll free)

SA PSC
Lady Gowrie Child Centre Inc
Phone: 1800 129 606 (toll free)

SA IPSU
Network SA, Aboriginal Resource and Management Support Unit
Phone: 1800 679 199 (toll free)

NT PSC
Child Inclusive Learning and Development Australia Inc
Phone: 1800 138 662 (toll free)

NT IPSU- North
Regional and Remote Aboriginal Children and Services Support Unit (RRACSSU)
Phone: 1800 890 133 (toll free)

ACT PSC
Communities at Work
Phone: 1800 228 772 (toll free)

NT IPSU- Central
Regional and Remote Aboriginal Children and Services Support Unit (RRACSSU)
Phone: 1800 760 036 (toll free)

VIC PSC
Community Child Care Association
Phone: 1800 177 017 (toll free)

VIC IPSU
Yappera Children’s Services Co-operative Limited
Phone: 1800 YAPPERA (toll free)

TAS PSC
Lady Gowrie Child Centre Hobart
Phone: 1800 647 718 (toll free)

TAS IPSU
Lady Gowrie Child Centre Hobart
Phone: 1800 647 718 (toll free)


Early Childhood Australia EYLF Professional Learning Program

The Early Years Learning Framework Professional Learning Program (EYLF PLP), developed for the Australian Government by Early Childhood Australia, provides ongoing professional support to services as they engage in the EYLF implementation process. The program is a national initiative and will take place in 2010-11.

To find out more information and to keep up to date with progress please visit our EYLF Professional Learning Program page.

Invitation to join the EYLF PLP online Forum

Early childhood care and education professionals now have access to an online interactive Early Years Learning Framework Professional Learning Program (EYLF PLP) Forum, where they can raise questions, share ideas and simply interact with other educators implementing the EYLF in their services. High-calibre early childhood experts and practitioners from across Australia are available on the EYLF PLP Forum to respond to questions, and conduct topical discussion—about issues raised by experts and practitioners via the Forum and the national workshop program—regarding the implementation of the EYLF in services.

The EYLF PLP is developed by Early Childhood Australia under an initiative funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) to provide ongoing support to services as they engage in the EYLF implementation process. We invite you to use this recently launched EYLF PLP online Forum to share and discuss your experiences about the implementation of the EYLF. This is a very real opportunity to utilise the capacity of the Internet to underwrite reform in early childhood services.

Be a part of the Forum at http://forums.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/forum.php.

 

Key Documents

*If you are experiencing difficulties accessing the translated Early Years Learning Framework Families Guide please contact 13 36 84.


Supporting Documents

  • Educators’ Guide to the Early Years Learning Framework ( PDF 8.7MB)
  • Early Years Learning Framework Fact Sheet ( PDF 43KB | RTF 30KB)
  • A Research Paper to inform the development of An Early Years Learning Framework for Australia - June 2008 ( PDF 735KB | RTF 1.52MB)
  • Analysis of Curriculum/ Learning Frameworks for the Early Years Literature Review
    (Birth to 8) - April 2008 ( PDF 956KB | RTF 579KB)
  • Analysis of Curriculum/ Learning Frameworks for the Early Years
    (Birth to 8) Appendices - April 2008 ( PDF 933KB | RTF 414KB)
  • Discussion paper - A National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care
    - August 2008 ( PDF 405KB | RTF 8.75MB)