CHCECE030- Unit Notes
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CHCECE030 – Support Inclusion and Diversity
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to reflect on and understand the impact of own values and biases, demonstrate respect for inclusion and diversity, and support children’s understanding of inclusive principles and behaviours.
This unit applies to all educators who work according to established policies and procedures in regulated children’s education and care services in Australia.
The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice.
No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this unit at the time if publication.
Introduction
With society and culture evolving rapidly, the world today has multitudes of cultures, communities and groups based on several factors and characteristics. These characteristics vary greatly from one another.
With diversity present in everyday society, it is crucial you know how to properly act and behave around them, especially with regards to interacting with children. Children must also learn and respect the diversity of cultures and traits of people, as this will encourage them to act and behave appropriately.
This Learner Guide will focus on what diversity and inclusions are and how to support them in the early childhood care setting. The Learner Guide will discuss several topics on diversity, discrimination, and inclusion topics. Afterwards, the discussion will shift to how you can manifest respect for diversity and inclusion. Specifically, the Learner Guide will tackle how to:
Reflect on values and biases.
Demonstrate respect for inclusion and diversity.
Support children’s understanding of inclusion and diversity.
Chapter 1 – Reflect on Values and Biases
Learning Objectives
After this chapter, you will be able to:
Identify aspects of own life experiences or history which may influence current values, beliefs and attitudes.
Identify potential impact of own life experiences on interactions and relationships with people from
different backgrounds using a process of reflection.
Identify and act on ways to develop self-awareness and understanding of how own behaviours may contribute to inclusive practice. Introduction
When supporting diversity and inclusion in childcare centres, you should first evaluate yourself. You should
possess adequate values and behaviour, so children can model upon your examples. This is why it is crucial that, before engaging with the children, you reflect on your values and biases.
Identify Aspects of Own Life Experiences or History Which May
Influence Current Values, Beliefs and Attitudes
In order to reflect on your own values and biases, you must identify the aspects of your life experiences influencing your values, beliefs and attitudes. Identify these aspects will help you recognise the influences of others and identify specific traits or characteristics and their origins. Values, Beliefs and Attitudes
The words values, beliefs and attitudes are often confused or even used interchangeably. Although they are related, these three concepts have differences that set them apart from one another. The definition of each listed below:
Attitude – A
way of thinking/feeling about someone or something.
Beliefs – An idea that is accepted as true.
Values – One’s own set of principles which is of great importance.
Attitude
Attitude is a person’s reaction to a certain person or object, depending on past experiences with the said person or object. It is a way of thinking or feeling towards someone or something. Your attitude will likely define how you assess and approach a situation. This can be positive or negative and, can change, depending on one’s experience. For example, if you have a respectful attitude towards older people, you may let them go ahead in a line, but if you had a bad experience with them, you might not let them go ahead. Belief
Belief is an idea or a set of ideas which you have accepted as true. The basis of beliefs can come from the following:
Certainties (accepted assumptions, facts, data).
Probabilities (intuition, observations, past experiences).
Faith (as in religious belief).
And sources of beliefs can come from:
Own life experiences.
Accepted cultural and social norms (e.g. political or religious).
Influence of other people or circumstances (e.g. education or profession).
Beliefs do not need to be accepted by others or verified (especially in the case of faith) as they only matter to the person accepting the belief to be true. Each person has their own ways and reasons to accept something as their belief.
Beliefs are a part of a person’s attitude, as they help assess the way you will react or respond to circumstances. Values
Values are a set of principles or standards a person accepts and holds as significant and important. These values shape their motivations and serve as a guide in decision-making.
Values are beliefs you do not only accept to be true, but you hold in high regard in your life. In turn, values shapes your attitudes as well, as your approach and decisions will be based on those values. For instance, if
you value your family an quality time with them, you may get a career that will not take extra time, to have
that time with your family.
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Aspects of Own Life Experiences or History
Now that you have a grasp of what may be your current attitudes, beliefs and values, you can focus on identifying your own life experiences or history that may have influenced them.
Life experiences are experiences and knowledge gained throughout a person’s lifetime. These experiences usually have a significant impact on the person, affecting a person’s attitudes, beliefs and values. They can be divided into two broad aspects:
Positive Life Experiences
Positive life experience are meaningful, encouraging, or satisfying in nature. These are not necessarily just good or happy events in one’s life, as even bad moments can turn into positive life experiences. An example is conquering a hurdle or facing a fear. Positive experiences usually bring optimistic and favourable feelings towards oneself (e.g. pleasure, confidence, affirmation, relief, resilience) and feelings towards other people (e.g. empathy, compassion, generosity). These feelings and emotions can, and usually do, play a role in influencing your current attitudes, beliefs and values. Examples of positive life experiences include:
Being helped in times of need.
Achieving personal goals.
Falling in love.
Negative Life Experiences
In contrast, negative life experiences are usually damaging or detrimental to the one experiencing them. Degrees of negativity can range from annoyance and discomfort to tragic or traumatic.
The effect of negative life experiences on a person will depend on the experience itself and the person’s mental and emotional durability and adaptability. The effect can go either way: it can affect the person adversely (e.g. fear, anxiety, seclusion, trauma), or it can help an individual grow as a person (e.g. resilience, refection, flexibility, understanding). Examples of negative life experiences include:
Violence and abuse.
Loss of a loved one.
Failure to reach personal goals.
Sickness and disability (especially worsening or chronic conditions).
Aspects of Identify and Culture
Aspects of identify and culture can also influence your current values, beliefs and attitudes. These aspects may also affect your perspective on diversity and inclusion. You should identify these aspects, you be able to properly reflect on them. Aspects of Identity
The aspects of identify include:
Personal Identity
This pertains to the identity you perceive in yourself (e.g. your personally and habits). This can affect your attitudes, beliefs, and especially your values, as values are closely associated with your personal identity.
Ethnic and National Identity
This relates to belonging to a specific ethnic group and/or a nation, fostering patriotic values, beliefs and attitudes. These can affect your stand in inclusion and diversity, and ethnic discrimination may arise.
Spiritual or Religious Identity
This refers to a set of religious beliefs that constitute your spiritual health. Depending on your religious beliefs, your perspective on inclusion and diversity will be different (i.e. some beliefs accept diversity, while
some religions only accept their own fellow believers or race).
Sexual and Gender Identity
This defines your sexual orientation, as well as the gender group you want to belong to. If a person is identified as a gender diverse, it is more likely that the person will be inclusive and able to accept diversity, as they themselves seek the acceptance of diversity in society.
Professional Identity
This refers to the set of principles and standards a person possesses in relation to their current occupation or education (for students). Professional identity can affect a person’s perspective on inclusion and diversity, but will depend on the work and professional culture.
These identities may coincide with or clash against each other. A person’s identity may (and most likely will) change, most likely in subtle adjustments of reidentification at first. These circumstances will affect your perspective on inclusion and diversity. Aspects of Culture
Arts
Arts include the aesthetic or creative ways people express themselves. Arts include the visual arts (e.g. paintings, sculpture), music, dance, theatre, and literature. Arts support and oppose diversity and inclusion. These depictions, when viewed, will influence your perspective on diversity and inclusion.
Economy
Economy is concerned with the flow of goods, services, and money in a large community. The current economic status can affect inclusive treatments and acceptance of diversity. For example, people with higher income will most likely have better treatments than those in a lower-income bracket.
Government
The government affects the culture of a community, as the government provides rules, regulations, and sanctions. Depending on who is in authority, the government may be in favour of specific groups of people.
Language
Language involves the method of communication between groups of people or communities. This includes written, oral and nonverbal communications. Language affects diversity and inclusion, as it may act as a barrier due to different groups not understanding one another.
Religion
Religious beliefs and practices also affect the perspective of a person on diversity and inclusion, as these customs will have a restriction with regards to certain types of diversity (e.g. sexual and gender diversity).
Social Groups and Units
Communities usually comprise various groups of people. These groups or clusters may promote or suppress diversity and inclusion.
Respecting diversity means that, the centre’s program should value and reflect the practices, values, and beliefs of families. Therefore, taking all of the discussed points into consideration will help you when reflecting.
Identify Potential Impact of Own Life Experiences on Interactions and
Relationships With People From Different Backgrounds Using a
Process of Reflection
Apart from influencing one’s values, beliefs and attitudes, life experiences can affect how you interact or your relationships with people from various backgrounds. As you have certainly associated yourself with people from different backgrounds before, those previous experiences will surely impact your interactions and relationships with them.
As discussed before, life experiences can either eb positive or negative. The type of life experiences you have with people from a certain background can predict how you will interact or form a relationship with them in the future. Impact of Life Experiences on Interactions and Relationships
As life experiences can be positive or negative in nature, their impact will be positive or negative as well. This is because life experiences influence or shape values, beliefs and attitudes, These affect how you interact and form relationships with people.
1.
Positive Impact of Life Experiences
Experiencing a positive life event with a person from a certain background will create a positive impact on you and your interactions with those of the same background.
For example, if someone from background ‘A’ saved you during a tragic accident, you will likely come to respect or admire that person and those from the same background. You will likely treat those from background ‘A’ nicely, or at the very least, will not be discriminative towards them. Other examples of life experiences that can have a similar effect are:
Being previously treated favourably by a person of a certain background.
Having a long and deep relationship (e.g. friendship, kinship, love) with a person of a certain background.
2.
Impact of Negative Life Experiences
Conversely, the impact of negative life experiences may also be negative.
Some experiences, such as unfair treatment or inappropriate behaviour from people of a certain background, may leave you to treat those from the same background unfavourably as well. For example, if you have experienced these in your workplace, you might have distanced yourself, talk badly about them or treat them or their wok critically.
For severely negative life experiences, such as violence, abuse and exploitation, a victim’s usual reaction is to avoid elements of those life events, because of the fear of a similar experience happening again. This includes people coming from the same background as those included in the negative experience itself (usually because they are to ones who inflicted or contributed to the negative experience).
Process of Reflection
Now that you are aware of the impact life experiences have on interactions and relationships with people from different backgrounds, you should identify the impact of your own life experiences on your interactions and relationships. This is important because you will be caring for children form different cultures and histories. Regardless of your life experience, you should be able to handle the children in your care in a way that encourages inclusion and diversity. This means that you should care for children no matter their background.
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Reflection is a process of thinking about your own perspectives, values, beliefs, skills and experiences in relation to other views and being open to changing your own if needed. For early childhood educators, such as yourself, reflection is used to examine how you interact with or treat the children under your care, especially those who come from diverse backgrounds. Reflection drives continuous improvement in caring for the children in your centre and identifies areas for improvement in the centre’s policies and procedures. Specifically, critically reflect on your life experiences, whether positive or negative, as there will always be lessons that can be learnt from those experiences. As life experiences influence who you are, reflect on how they affect you, particularly how you interact and relate to other people of different background, whether this is in the form of race, gender/sex, family history, or socio-economic status.
Consider asking yourself critical questions and answer them honestly. When reflecting on life experiences, it is best to ask yourself what happened and how it affected you as a person. Then evaluate yourself, by asking whether the effect or impact is being observed when caring for children in the centre.
For example, if you have experienced unfair treatment from a person with a certain background, does this have an effect on how you treat children from the same background? In this case, you might identify a situation where it is evident that it may be affecting the children, such as giving others more opportunities than. You can change how you treat them to properly interact with children of different backgrounds. As circumstances and experiences greatly differ, reflect by picking out at least one significant experience with a person of a certain background and ask yourself how your experience with that person affects your view on their background, and your interaction with people, especially children, with the same background. Try to see things from others perspectives. Ask yourself: ‘Is my interaction appropriate? Do I give respect to the person’s background?’ Your responses to these questions will help you identify the impact of those experiences on how you interact or make relationships with people with different backgrounds.
Meaningful Reflection
Reflection is meaningful when the educator is aware of their own thought process during reflection, is able to come up with potential applications for their reflection, and the conclusion or outcomes are shared with
relevant individuals within the centre. There are three characteristics of meaningful reflection:
1.
Metacognitive – Reflections becomes meaningful when the person has an awareness of their thoughts and understanding.
2.
Applicable – Reflection becomes meaningful when it results in application and action. 3.
Shared – Sharing your reflection and application with others can help you, as well as them, with continuous improvement.
Identify and Act on Ways to Develop Self-Awareness and
Understanding of How Own Behaviours May Contribute to Inclusive
Practice
Self-awareness is a way to help you grasp an understanding of your own personality and behaviour. Self-
awareness involves stepping back and performing observational analysis on your own thoughts and feelings, in this case, towards diversity and inclusion. This requires effort, as self-awareness touches on the positive and negative sides of a view. To be able to contribute to wholesome inclusive practices, you need to be able to accept all the things you have found out through self-awareness and reflection. Once you are able to accept these, you are aware of yourself and your attitude and behaviour towards the concept of diversity and inclusion. Ways to Develop Self-Awareness
These are several ways to develop self-awareness when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Some include:
1.
Journaling
Journaling is writing down what you think and feel into a journal. You can write down specific experiences that are significant to you. Journaling should be down at least once a day.
Journaling helps develop self-awareness, as the entries give you a clear record of your thoughts and feelings. You can reflect on what you have noted down and see where you can continue to grow and improve. In the context of diversity and inclusion, journaling can help you identify your perspective towards people and help you develop an attitude that fosters inclusion.
2.
Meditation
Meditation involves taking time to focus your thoughts on a particular subject. Meditation promotes mindfulness, or the state of being actively present and aware. It stimulates action, based on the outcome of the meditation. Meditating does not need to be sitting down crossed legged, as traditionally depicted. Rather, you should find a place where there are no distractions. For example, you can take a walk, listen to calm music, or even just take a few deep breaths. Some can even meditate while doing repetitive or mundane tasks, such as chores and exercising. The points is to have time, to focus on areas you want to reflect on and to become aware of. 3.
Speaking with People
Another way to create self-awareness is to talk to other people. This give you an unbiased opinion on your thoughts and actions. This usually entails views that are unfavourable to you (i.e. constructive criticism). Although this can hurt your feelings, this helps you identify actions and thoughts you can change, improve or remove. On the other end, recognition and commendation of your good attitudes and behaviours encourages you to continue them.
There are two primary types of people you can talk to in order to promote self-awareness:
People your trust
They may be your family members or friends. With their extensive relationship with you, they are able to identify both good and bad traits, which will help identify things you need to improve on and eliminate.
Counselling
You can consult behavioural therapists and counselling services as they can give an unbiased opinion and perspective on your traits and attitudes. This will help you view yourself in an objective manner and aid in identifying traits you need to work on.
Awareness of Impact of Own Behaviours
Now that you know how to develop self-awareness, you should identify the impact of your behaviours with
regards to the following:
Bias
You may be biases over certain circumstances or situations. Bias refers to unfairly favouring a thing, person, or group over the rest. This can be toward or against it, creating a one-sided case. Bias is usually more personal or social (cultural) rather than logical or rational. Bias segregates people or groups, treating some more favourably than others, further hindering the acceptance of diversity.
Behaviours can impact biases a person hold, as they influence reactions and decisions. For example, you have a young relative (e.g. nephew, niece) going to your centre. This situation may mean you behave more favourably to that child over other children in terms of care and opportunity, since you are biases on the basis that the child is related to you.
Be aware of the behaviours you have, so you are able to change them if necessary. Having knowledge about people will help you get an understanding of them and, in turn, aid in eliminating the bias.
Inclusion
Biases and discrimination do not help create an inclusive environment for children, but rather the opposite. These negative attitudes and behaviours may be picked up by children, which may result in children isolating a child due to their race or disability.
Your behaviour and conduct should foster inclusion with children, meaning to have all children participate without favouring certain people and children, without regard to their differences, capabilities, and limitations. Examples of inclusive behaviour are:
Encouraging all children to take part in activities.
Giving enough attention to all children under your care.
Providing assistance to children in need, regardless of their race or social status.
Discrimination
Discrimination, refers to treating a certain individual or group less favourably. Discrimination may affect people of a particular race, colour, ethnicity, or nationality. It may also affect non-racial characteristics, such as people who are gender diverse, with lower socio-economic status, disabilities, or unusual family structures. Discriminating against others involves a more direct or blatant attack than biases, which makes it more harmful to the people being discriminated against. Behaviour can make discrimination evident. For instance, if you ever had an unfavourable experience with a person of a certain background, you might show discrimination to children coming from the same background due to your negative association. Therefore, you need to apply self-awareness to discriminatory behaviours. As discrimination is more detrimental and damaging, you need to be more mindful of how you conduct yourself. You need to be able to identify and adapt your behaviour to avoid discriminatory acts and remarks.
Ethics
Your behaviour can have an ethical impact on early childhood education. Ethics involves the moral concept
of right and wrong behaviour. In the early childhood education context, this encompasses your appropriate
conduct to the children under your care, as well as your professionalism with fellow educators and the centre management.
Through self-awareness or reflection, you may be able to identify certain behaviours that might lead to unethical conduct. For example, talking to fellow educators about a family’s situation unnecessarily (i.e. engaging in gossip) is a bad habit and unethical, as you are likely to breach the privacy or confidentiality of the family.
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To aid in developing proper ethical behaviour, the early childhood education sector has a Code of Ethics, which states the appropriate and expected behaviour of professional working in the industry.
The intended purposes of the ECA Code of Ethics are:
To provide a basis for the critical reflection done by childhood professionals.
To be a guide for what can be considered professional behaviour.
To outline principles that can be used to inform decision-making.
Understanding How Your Behaviours May Contribute to Inclusive Practice
Be aware of the impact of your behaviour when it comes to inclusion and inclusive practice.
Your biases and discriminations will affect your behaviour. Biases and discrimination do not help create an inclusive environment for children. These negative attitudes and behaviours may be picked up by children, which may result in isolating a child due to their race or disability. Your ethical behaviour and conduct should be able to foster inclusion to children, meaning it should allow all children to participate without preferential treatment. This is done through inclusive practices.
Inclusive practices are methods applied in childcare centres, which ensure all children under your care are able to participate, learn and develop in a way that supports the children’s individual strengths and interests. Inclusive practices can be in the form of programs (from the centre or management), or the behaviours and practices of individual educators. If you, possess behaviours that promote ethical behaviour and limit bias and discrimination among the children, as well as the staff and fellow educators, you can develop practices that encourage inclusion.
Examples of inclusive practices are:
Encouraging all children to part in activities.
Giving enough attention to all children under your care.
Providing equal and appropriate opportunities to help children gain their own experiences and interests.
Providing assistance to children in need, regardless of their race, background, or capability.
Chapter 2 – Demonstrate Respect for Inclusion and Diversity
Learning Objectives
After this chapter, you will be able to:
Identify the impact of different aspects of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Use communication techniques that model open, inclusive, ethical interactions with children, families and colleagues.
Use and support opportunities that encourage and promote participation by all individuals and groups.
Use inclusive work practices that support cultural, gender, ability and other forms of safety.
Introduction
This chapter will focus on how you can demonstrate respect for inclusion and diversity. The chapter will outline methods and procedures you can apply in the childcare setting, in order for you show and model respect for inclusion and diversity for children, as well as other relevant people in the centre, such as the children’s family and your colleagues in the service.
Identify the Impact of Different Aspects of Diversity and Inclusion in
the Workplace
To demonstrate respect for inclusion and diversity in childhood education and care, you need to identify the impact of the different aspects of diversity and inclusion in early childhood education. Identifying their impact will allow you to adapt and respond appropriately and favourably as an educator. This subchapter will define the concepts behind diversity and inclusion. After, it will go through the different aspects of both and see how these aspects impact or affect you as an educator, as well as the children you are taking care of. Aspects of Diversity
Diversity is essentially any set of traits or characteristics that makes people different from one another. In childcare education, diversity it not about just identifying traits or characteristics of different people; it involves empowering these people and appreciating the traits that make them distinct. Its role is to help children be aware of the differences people have and understand their own identity. Diversity comes in different aspects or areas, each dealing with a specific trait or classification. These aspects or areas have an effect on how a person lives and interacts with other people. This section will identify how it can affect an educator, such as yourself, as well as the children at the centres:
Cultural Diversity
Culture refers to the system of social behaviours shared and accepted by a specific societal setting (e.g. work culture, national culture, community culture). Culture is often dynamic, but has defined features unique to specific groups of people. A person may have multiple cultures embedded within them to fit into
and function within a certain social environment. Characteristics of cultural diversity are the various norms,
customs, values and traditions surrounding a group.
Cultural diversity refers to the existence of various cultural groups or their certain characteristics in a setting, such as a childcare centre. Cultures found in Australia include:
Indigenous Culture – from the Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders.
Western Culture – brought by Britain and other Europeans starting from the period of colonisation.
Asian Culture – brought by recent migrations from several Asian countries.
Cultural diversity may affect educators, as the culture they were exposed to can influence the way they handle children in the centre. For example, if an educator was raised in a conservative culture, they may stick strongly to their moral and social values and even teach them to children under their care.
Children usually possess only the culture taught by their parents and other family members. Children may experience a change of culture or ‘culture shock’ when exposed to other social settings (e.g. as they go to childcare centres for the first time).
Generational Diversity
Generational diversity refers to the shared characteristics and culture found in a group of people born and living during the same period of time (i.e. a generation). Examples of these generations are:
Baby Boomers (1946 – 1965)
Generation X (1966 – 1980)
Generation Y (1981 – 1995)
Generation Z (1996 – 2010)
Generation Alpha (2011 – present)
There will be colleagues and families from across generations. There may be a range of different attitudes and customs for children and child-rearing that are common to each generation. Discrimination can occur as a result of this and is a form of ageism. For example, individuals belonging to older generations may be dismissive of younger people’s abilities, and younger people may see the older generations as ‘old fashioned’ or outdated. It is imperative to be aware of this and to treat those from different generations with respect.
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No generation exists in isolation; many traits and circumstances usually pass to the next generation. This can happen at both the cultural level and the family level. At the family level, characteristics that might be passed on include:
Socioeconomic status and class.
Culture and ethnicity.
Health, illness and disability.
Trauma from abuse and/or drug and alcohol issues.
Trauma from events such as displacement and war.
Attitudes, values, and beliefs.
The passing on of these traits and circumstances to the next generation can bring impediments or drawbacks to the next generation; this is called an intergenerational disadvantage. Examples of these are poverty, financial instability, and relocation/migration. These disadvantages should be accounted for when consulting the children’s parents. Racial Diversity
Racial diversity is the presence and interaction of multiple races in the same environment. A race is a group
or community of people that share similar physical characteristics. Examples of these characteristics include:
Height and physique (body structure)
Skin colour
Facial features (e.g. eye shape and colour, face shape, nose shape)
Hair (colour, length).
This aspect of diversity is prone to racial stereotyping (assumed image of a racial group) and racial discrimination (or racism; prejudicial maltreatment of racial group). This can influence how you might interact with people from certain races. Children and educators may find it easier and more comfortable to
engage with children or adults from the same or similar race, than a significantly different one. Diversity in Family Types
Diversity in exhibited in the family structure. Australian families are usually structured as a nuclear family (husband, wife and children, if any). In recent decades, immigrants, especially those coming from Asia and Europe, have been setting in the country. This created an increase in family size and structure diversity. For example, extended families are becoming more involved, with some families having grandparents primarily raising their grandchildren instead of their parents. Interracial families are also increasing due to immigration.
The rise of divorces and remarriage has caused a rise in single-parent households and reconstituted family (families with step-parents, step-siblings, and step-children). The growth of gender diversity and rights movements has increased the commonality of same-sex couples, with the couples forming family together (either naturally or through adoption).
This can pose a challenge, specifically teaching to children the concept of a family, especially when there are children coming from a diverse family structure. Ethical Diversity
An ethnic group have traditional traits and customs, further differentiating them from other groups. Ethnic groups share a common social identity that is deeply rooted, such as:
Race
Ancestry and history
Nationality
Language, accent and dialect
Culture and tradition
Ethical diversity is the interaction of various ethnic groups or affiliations. Australia is ethnically diverse, due to the multiple ethnic groups found across the country. They include the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (Indigenous Australians), British and European nationality, and Asian groups.
Ethnical diversity can affect how you handle children in the centre. Since Australia is ethnically diverse, chances are there will be a child coming from different ethnic roots. The more ethnically diverse, the more challenges you might encounter, such as language barrier and culture shock from children. Diversity in Socioeconomic Circumstances
In the childcare setting, diversity in socio-economic circumstances pertains to the socio-economic status of the family (and the parents), such as:
Family income level
Educational attainment of parents and guardians
Occupations of parents and guardians
The culture of Australia leans more towards egalitarianism (the ‘fair go’ attitude, i.e. fairness to all people of socio-economic background), Still, stigma and discrimination of socio-economic statuses occur. For instance, someone may unconsciously favour those with a higher socio-economic class (e.g. high-
income earners, high educational attainment and more professional job). On middle to low-income earners
usually experience more difficulties and harsher treatment in comparison. These situations can worsen when taking into account their race or ethnicity, as racism may play a part in the discrimination of social status. As an educator in the childcare setting, you should be wary of these prejudices even if, culturally, there is not a major issue. Diversity in Disability
Disability is concerned with people who possess a certain level of impairment, either physical or mental. These impairments are usually considered disabilities when they significantly limit a person’s ability to function in a societal setting. People with disabilities are often stereotyped to be weak, incompetent or pitied. Disability in children will have an impact on how you view, interact with, and take care of them. For instance, you might revise routines and activities involving physical activities, to accommodate children with physical impairments. Diversity in Sex and Gender
Sexual orientation is the classification of a person’s attraction, either emotional, romantic, or sexual in nature, to another person. This focuses on who the person is attracted to, as it can be any of the following:
Opposite sex
Same sex
Both sexes
No attraction to any sex
Sexual identity is how a person thinks of oneself in terms of sexual attraction. The classification usually includes:
Heterosexual – opposite sex
Homosexual – same sex
Bisexual – both sexes
Asexual – lack of attention to any sex
Meanwhile, gender pertains to norms, behaviours, and roles associated with male or female, constructed by society. Gender is a social concern, with respect to sex (biological). Gender identification (or gender identity) is the classification of a persons gender, regardless of their biological sex. It usually revolves around how a person see themselves based on cultural norms associated with being a man or woman.
You must be cautious when interacting with sexually diverse or gender diverse people; respect their orientation or identity. This is because there is large stigmatisation and discrimination surrounding gender and sexual identification. Aspects of Inclusion
As defined by the Early Years Learning Framework, inclusion involves taking into account all children’s social, cultural, and linguistic diversity (including learning styles, abilities, disabilities, gender, family
circumstances and geographic location) in the curriculum decision-making processes. Inclusion in the childcare setting, ensures the experiences of all children under your care are highly recognised and values. This means children are accepted and treated equally and meaningfully, regardless of the backgrounds they possess. They are given equal opportunities and attention to learn and grow as a child.
Aspects of inclusion are the main features that can be used to recognise a high-quality early childhood service. These aspects include:
1.
Access
Inclusion implies that all children in your care have equal access to early childhood education and care. This
means early childhood services and programs are planned and prepared to cater to a diverse group or community. For example, curriculums should provide a wide range of activities, so every child has access to
multiple ways of learning and development. Barriers (from physical to social barriers) should be removed, to allow inclusive access. 2.
Participation
All the children under you care should experience equal and meaningful participation, fostering a sense of belonging. This is done by creating curriculums that put every child’s abilities and limitations first. Children should be the primary agent in their own learning and development. For example, curriculums can promote active and meaningful learning through play and engaging activities. 3.
Outcomes
Inclusive early childhood education should create positive learning outcomes. The outcomes should be evident in the programs and services educators provide. These outcomes are found in the approved learning framework called the Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF) and includes:
Outcome 1:
Children have a strong sense of identity.
Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world.
Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing.
Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners.
Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators.
To further identity the impact of diversity and inclusion, you should review the National Quality Standard (NQS), as these define the benchmarks that childcare centres must meet. Complementing the NQS are the relevant legislation, such as laws and regulators concerning inclusion and diversity. The National Quality Standard
The concepts of equity and inclusion are embedded in the National Quality Standard (NQS). The NQS provides an Australia-wide benchmark for the National Quality Framework and is used to assess them. The seven quality areas of the NQS, show the important outcomes for children during early childhood education. The general requirements to meet the seven quality areas of the National Quality Standard are as follows:
Quality Area 1 – Educational program and practice.
Quality Area 2 – Children’s health and safety.
Quality Area 3 – Physical Environment.
Quality Area 4 – Staffing Arrangement.
Quality Area 5 – Relationships with children.
Quality Area 6 – Collaborative partnerships with families and communities.
Quality Area 7 – Governance and leadership.
For supporting inclusion and diversity, the quality areas to be focused on are educational program and practice (Quality Area 1), relationships with children (Quality Area 5), and collaborative partnership with families and communities (Quality Area 6).
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Quality Area 1 – Education Program and Practice
This quality are focuses on making sure the programs and practice implemented by the education and care service, are relevant to the learning and development of children in the centre. It requires educators to use
reflective practice to implement appropriate programs and activities for all children in the centre. Particularly when planning for diverse children. Below are the standards set forth under Quality Area 1:
Standard 1.1 – The educational program enhances each child’s learning and development.
Standard 1.2 – Educators facilitate and extend each child’s learning and development.
Standard 1.3 – Educators and coordinators take a planned and reflective approach in implementing the program for each child. Quality Area 5 – Relationships with Children
Quality Area 5 revolves around creating wholesome interactions and relationships with children. These relationships should aid children to freely explore and engage with play and learning activities, supporting inclusive practices in the centre. The relationships can be between the child and educator or between the children themselves. Below are the two main standards that encompass the quality area.
Standard 5.1 – Respectful and equitable relationships are maintained with each child.
Standard 5.2 – Each child is supported to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships.
Quality Area 6 – Collaborative Partnerships with Families and Communities
This quality area recognises the role of families and communities in children’s learning and development. It
emphasises the importance of collaborating and cooperating, to achieve an open, engaging, and inclusive environment for children. Below are the specific standards that concentrate on relationships and partnerships with families and communities.
Standard 6.1 – Respectful relationships with families are developed and maintained and families are
supported in their parenting role.
Standard 6.2 – Collaborative partnerships enhance children’s inclusion, learning and wellbeing. National Law, National Regulations and Other Relevant Legislations
National Law
Early childhood education and care operates under an applied law system, known as National Law. The National Law provides the objectives and guiding principles of the National Quality Framework. These shape the provisions outlined in the NQF.
Each state/territory (except Western Australia) has a corresponding Application Act that complements the National Law. Essentially, the same law (Education and Care Services National Law Act) is applied in each state/territory, with the exception of Victoria, with some provisions to satisfy the different needs of each state/territory.
The legislation followed in each state/territory are presented in the table below.
State/Territory
Legislation
Application Act
Victoria
Education and Care Services
National Law Act 2010
New South Wales
Children (Education and Care
Services National Law Application)
Act 2012
Australian Capital Territory
Education and Care Services
National Law (ACT) Act 2011
Northern Territory
Education and Care Services
(National Uniform Legislation) Act
2011
South Australia
Education and Early Childhood
Services (Regulations and
Standards) Act 2011
Tasmania
Education and Care Services
National Law (Application) Act
2011
Queensland
Education and Care Services
National Law (Queensland) Act
2011
Western Australia
Education and Care Services
National Law (WA) Act 2012
National Regulations
The National Regulations complements and supports the National Law, by laying out the relevant operational requirements to be met when running an early childhood education and care service. These details include:
The National Quality Standard (NQS) itself.
Application processes for provider and service approval.
Assessment and rating process provided in the NQS.
Minimum requirements to be able to operate an education and care service based on the seven quality areas of the NQS.
Staffing arrangements and qualifications.
List of necessary transaction and their costs.
Other jurisdiction-specific provisions and requirements.
Other Relevant Legislation
Apart from the National Law and National Regulations, there is other relevant legislation that can be applied. These usually cover specific aspects of diversity, citing their rights to the freedom to choose, in terms or a particular aspect. The table below presents relevant Commonwealth laws, with links to the full legislations.
Family Law Act 1975 – This law emphasises the rights of children and each parent’s responsibilities towards them.
Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 –
This law established the Australian Hum Rights Commission who has the power to investigate and attempt to conciliate unlawful discrimination complaints under Australia’s anti-discrimination legislation.
Age Discrimination Act 2004 –
This law aims to eliminate discrimination against persons based on aged in areas including education, access to premises, the provision of goods, services and facilities,
accommodation, and requests for information.
Privacy Act 1988 –
This law was introduced to promote and protect individuals’ privacy and regulate how personal information is handled by organisations with an annual turnover of $3 million.
Racial Discrimination Act 1975 –
This law aims to eliminate discrimination against persons based on
race in areas including education, access to premises, the provision of goods, services and facilities, accommodation, and requests for information.
Fair Work Act 2009 –
This law protects workplace rights and other rights, including the right to engage in industrial activities and the right to be free from unlawful discrimination.
Sex Discrimination Act 1984 –
This law aims to eliminate discrimination against persons based on sex, gender identity, intersex status, and marital or relationship status in areas including education, access to premises, the provision of goods, services and facilities, accommodation, and requests for
information.
Work Health and Safety Act 2011 –
This law outlines requirements and standards that must be adhered to for the protection of workers’ health, safety, and welfare.
Disability Discrimination Act 1992 –
This law aims to eliminate discrimination against persons based on disability in areas including education, access to premises, the provision of goods, services
and facilities, accommodation, and requests for information.
There are also local pieces of legislation in each state and territory you should also abide by. Some may be based on the Commonwealth laws but might contain state or territory specific provisions. It is always best to research and read about the applicable legislation based on the location of the education and care service. Use Communication Techniques That Model Open, Inclusive, Ethical
Interactions With Children, Families and Colleagues
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Interactions are considered open when all those concerned are able to confidently express their thoughts and opinions. Interactions are inclusive when they foster equal participation from all those concerned, regardless of their circumstances or background. Interactions are ethical when they are morally and legally sound in principle. To provide open, inclusive, and ethical interactions, and show respect for inclusion and diversity, use effective communication techniques. This should be evident whether interacting with children, their families, or your fellow colleagues in the childcare centre. In doing so, you will be able to further demonstrate the qualities of inclusion and diversity in your workplace.
There are four communication techniques you should apply to have open, inclusive, and ethical interactions with children, families, and colleagues, as stated below:
1.
Using cross-cultural communication skills.
2.
Showing awareness of and respect for individual culture, values and beliefs.
3.
Acknowledging both similarities and differences.
4.
Demonstrating positive attitude to differences. Using Cross Cultural Communication Skills
Cross-cultural communication is sometimes called ‘intercultural communication’ and refers to the use of messages to convey meaning between people across different cultures. This kind of communication provides a way of avoiding miscommunication or worse, segregation into groups, because of difficulty in interpreting. It helps foster open, inclusive and ethical interactions, as it presents a message in a way that is easily and universally understood, regardless of culture or any other differences in background.
Cross cultural communication, like communication itself, comes in non-verbal, oral and written forms. Non-Verbal Communication
Non-verbal communication is a way of conveying a message or meaning without the use of written or oral means. Non-verbal communication includes:
Emblems
Sign language (e.g. the almost universally recognised ‘thumbs up’ symbol).
Illustrators
Mimicking what is spoken (e.g. pointing to the wrist where a watch would be located would indicate time).
Regulators
Accepted gestures (e.g. raising a hand to convey that you have a question).
Affect Displays
Emotional cues (e.g. smiling to show happiness, crying to show sadness).
Adaptors
Involuntary or unconscious gestures (e.g. yawning to indicate sleepiness or tiredness).
Proxemics
Gesturing with the use of space.
Although some non-verbal language is universally understood, many are culturally specific and can be a source of misunderstanding, e.g. touching another person can convey trust and respect in Western culture,
but in some cultures, touching another person’s husband or wife may be taboo. It is your responsibility to educated the children, families, and even your fellow colleagues and staff on the proper and appropriate non-verbal cues that are acceptable in all backgrounds. Oral Communication
Oral or verbal communication refers to the speaking method of exchanging information and meaning. This encompasses talking and listening skills, to properly communicate a message with its intended interpretation.
Oral communication may lead to different interpretations due to the influences of different backgrounds. Cross-cultural oral communication should involve using terms or expressions that are universally understood. This can encourage others to join conversations and meetings.
For example, answering ‘yes’ or ‘okay’, conveys a direct agreement or confirmation and is easily understood regardless of language and other varying circumstances. To foster inclusion when interacting with others, avoid using jargons or slangs. Remember that these are only understood by certain groups or through context.
In terms of ethics, make sure you do not use words or methods of speaking that have a double meaning, such as sarcasm. Avoid using derogatory and discriminatory terms, especially when involving children.
As an early childhood educator, be aware of the difference in meaning and method of oral communication,
and identify ways of reducing miscommunication and misinterpretation. Written Communication
Written communication can refer to the characters people use, or symbols and pictures drawn to convey meaning. The goal is to use a level of language that matches those you are interacting with. For example, it is better to use easily understood words or expressions when writing, rather than using technical or exaggerated words. Not only does it make the latter difficult to understand, it inhibits inclusive interactions, as it makes others feel less intelligent. In contrast, the former promotes open, inclusive, and ethical communication as the message can easily be comprehended. Meditating on what you will write will
help you communicate what you want to express in an appropriate manner. You can recheck whether you are conveying the right meaning and that it is easily understood by the recipient. By doing this, you are ensuring the message can be interpreted regardless of culture and other backgrounds. Showing Awareness of and Respect for Individual Culture, Values and Beliefs
In recent decades, the world has become more diverse, in terms of people and their backgrounds, such as culture, values, and beliefs. To interact with people in an open, inclusive, and ethical manner, you need to show awareness of and respect for the cultures, values and beliefs of other individuals.
To show respect for these, recognise that individuals will have their own set of beliefs, values and cultures. These may be similar or different to your own. Rather than focusing on your culture, values and beliefs, take an interest in the culture, values and beliefs of others, so you can be aware and mindful of them. As an early childhood educator, you can do this by:
Gaining knowledge about the cultures, values and beliefs of other through research.
Talking and asking people (e.g. families or co-workers) from that culture about some of its important aspects.
Teaching and exposing the cultures, values and beliefs to children.
Engaging with people from the culture using their customs and traditions (e.g. shaking hands or bowing down when greeting others).
Incorporating some of their customers and traditions into the areas and activities in the childcare centre (e.g. providing learning materials in their language, letting the children say their own prayers
instead of leading a prayer).
Acknowledging Both Similarities and Differences
There will be similarities and differences between individuals when it comes to culture and other aspects of diversity. It is essential that as an educator, you can acknowledge these similarities and differences in background. This is important to eventually remove biases, discrimination, and segregation of people based on their background. The acknowledgement of similarities and differences, promotes a sense of belonging and association between a diverse pool of people, leading to open, inclusive, and ethical interactions with other people. It is beneficial to determine the similarities as a means to connect and interact with other people (e.g. children and their families). Sharing the same interests and principles will help them feel more relaxes and included in the diverse environment. For example, you may associate yourself with the children in your care and share interests with them, saying that even though you are older, you still share the same hobby or skill. You can also do this with the children’s family or with co-workers with different backgrounds to yours. To help acknowledge the difference in people, remember that every individual is unique and that differences are normal. This helps overcome stereotyping and discriminating, by establishing a different set
of norms and customs. As noted earlier, learning the culture itself is valuable for showing respect for individual cultures, including the differences between them. Knowledge and recognition of differences will also help you become more understanding and empathetic of others, especially since, there is nothing wrong with having differences. Demonstrating Positive Attitudes to Differences
Acknowledging differences should not just be done internally, they should be shown to bring ease and comfort to those with different backgrounds from yours. You can do this by demonstrating positive attitudes to differences. Possessing a positive attitude to differences in cultures and customs reinforces differences, presents opportunities to provide an inclusive and open environment for children and their families. When differences are celebrated rather than condemned, it provides children with awareness and sensitivity to these cultural differences and develops inclusive practices. Here are examples of how you can demonstrate positive attitudes towards differences:
Teach children a variety of cultures and customs, usually those relevant to the centre, such as the underlying culture of children or teachers in the centre.
Respect and appreciate the customs and norms that children and their families do outside the centre.
Celebrate differences through cultural activities and events in the centre, such as culture day where
children can wear traditional clothing and bring food from their culture or country.
Integrate differences to learning and play (e.g. providing activities to create awareness of differences between children in your care).
Use and Support Opportunities That Encourage and Promote
Participation by All Individuals and Groups
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To show respect for inclusion and diversity, use opportunities during learning, teaching, and interacting to encourage and promote participation – an aspect of inclusion. This is applicable not only with children, but with other relevant individuals and groups, such as families, co-workers, and centre management. Encouraging participation helps you and the centre engage and collaborate, to help provide an inclusive environment for everyone, especially the children. This subchapter will discuss how to use and support different opportunities that encourage and promote the participation of children in activities in the centre, as well as the participation of relevant people, who can contribute to an appropriate and effective curriculum for the children. Encouraging and Promoting Participation by Children
There are many opportunities for children to join or participate in activities in the centre. Look for opportunities or chances to let every child under your care take part in routines, activities and play experiences. Opportunities that aid in encouraging and promoting children to participate include:
1.
Scaffolding This involves using existing knowledge and skills that the children have, to provide activities than can help encourage the participation of children. This may include children’s interests and familiarity with certain activities or objects. 2.
Motivating and Encouraging Words This can help children gain confidence in themselves when face with new challenges, such as participation in an activity, especially when it is new to them. A simple ‘You can do it!’ can help children overcome their doubts or fears.
3.
Consultations To know more ways to help children participate, consult their parents. Parents will know what activities they are comfortable with at home or outside the centre. Ask about their child’s interest or abilities. You can then incorporate these into activities in the centre.
4.
Demonstration Showing children how to do a certain task or activity helps explain what need to be done. This will help remove any uncertainties they may have with regards to how to do the activity. Remember that you need to demonstrate and describe a task in a way that the children understand. Encouraging and Promoting Participation by Parents
Facilitating the participation of parents can help determine the appropriate activities and routines that the children can do. Parental involvement in centres provides key feedback on the skills and feelings of their
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children, so the centre can adequately satisfy the needs and wants of the children, through suitable and relevant curriculum and programs in the centre. To encourage and promote participation by parents, you can do the following:
1.
Provide information to parents.
You can educate parents on child development and care, by providing relevant and helpful information about it. This is usually done indirectly, to avoid showing disrespect to parents and children. Provide information through posting facts about child development and education on bulletin boards around the school, supplying reading materials on the topic in the centre, or sharing an online article in the centre’s website or social media account. 2.
Create a good relationship with parents.
This should be one of your primary steps, to help parents participate in their child’s development in the centre. Demonstrate respect and appreciation for what they do as parents. Encourage them to consult you or other educators with any concerns they might have. This helps create an open environment for parents to express and address any worries they may have with regards to their child or the centre. 3.
Develop the community of parents.
You can do this by creating events that let parents meet and engage with one another. This will help create
a sense of community and belonging for parents, which can make them more likely to participate in other school or centre events. You can run a fundraising or charity event, or provide symposiums and talks relevant to the concerns of parents. 4.
Communicate effectively with parents.
Apart from information on child development, regularly communicate with parents regarding updates and changes happening in the centre. You can offer a newsletter to provide up-to-date information on the childcare industry, as well as news about the centre. Use Inclusive Work Practices That Support Cultural, Gender, Ability
and Other Forms of Safety
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Another way to demonstrate respect for inclusion and diversity, is to implement and use inclusive work practices. These are work methods, policies, and/or attitudes that contribute to creating a safe and inclusive environment in the workplace. This is especially necessary for early childhood education and care as, most likely, there will be a diverse set of children, along with their families and guardians, that you will be engaging with. Forms of Safety in the Centre
Inclusive work practices should result in the feeling of safety and comfort. When these are evident, children can be more motivated to engage in learning and play activities, which will result in their growth and development. The forms of safety listed on the next page should be the outcome of inclusive work practices. These forms
of safety will be discussed one by one, and examples of appropriate inclusive work practices to achieve the form of safety will be provided. Cultural Safety
Cultural safety refers to the recognition, respect, and protection of the cultural identities of others and safely meeting their needs and expectations. A workplace’s considered culturally safe, when educators and
staff can work effectively and comfortably, regardless of their cultural roots. To create a culturally safe workplace, you must contribute to creating work practices that allow people from diverse cultures to engage in their cultural practices, without experiencing negative reactions. Examples of culturally safe work practices include:
Making policies of early childhood education available in languages understood by all members of the service.
Assigning tasks and activities to educators and staff that do not conflict with their cultural or traditional practices and beliefs.
Training educators for cultural competency and diversity through workshops, seminars, and certifications. Gender Safety
Gender safety involves actively recognising and supporting people of all genders. It is concerned with providing equal opportunities to gender-diverse people. This means, work practices should support and respect people regardless of their gender or sexual identity. Work practices that promote gender safety may include:
Accepting gender-diverse families and children, as well as educators and staff, into the centre.
Providing and participating in gender safety and sensitivity training and seminars.
Using gender-neutral words and terminologies to promote gender diversity (e.g. ‘parent’ instead of ‘mother/father’, ‘partner’ or ‘spouse’ instead of ‘husband/wife’.
Safety for People with Disability
Safety for people with disabilities, is concerned with providing physically safe and easy access to people with disabilities. This involves protecting people with disabilities, whether physical or mental in nature, from social discrimination and exclusion. This includes:
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Health and Safety
o
Providing adequate space and access to workstations and other areas in the centre.
o
Constructing and promoting the use of access ways made for people with disabilities (e.g. PWD parking spaces, ramps, elevators).
o
Conducting regular safety inspections of the physical environment of the centre.
o
Providing medical training for handling emergency situations (e.g. seizures, panic attacks).
Social Safety
o
Participating in disability safety and sensitivity trainings and workshops.
o
Accepting children, educators, and staff in the centre, regardless of their capacity or ability (unless it is determined to their or children’s health, safety, and wellbeing).
o
Incorporating lessons relevant to the needs of and considerations for people with disabilities, as well as an appreciation for people regardless of their capacity or ability. Safety Against Racial Discrimination
This involves creating awareness and inclusion of people, regardless of their physical attributes. The workplace should be free from racial stereotyping and discrimination. It should promote diversity of races and inclusion of all people in the workplace. This can be done through:
Reviewing anti-discrimination legislations applicable to early childhood education and care.
Disseminating information on the negative effects of discrimination.
Creating anti-discriminatory policies and appropriate sanctions when violated.
Providing training for racial sensitivity and diversity.
Safety for Faith and Religious Customs
Workplaces should be free from religious discrimination and should foster freedom of faith and beliefs. People in the centre should be able to carry out their religious belief and customs whenever appropriate. This can be done through:
Providing leaves of absence for children, educators, and staff to be able to attend religious events.
Letting children pray individually, when appropriate, instead of leading a prayer for them.
Providing alternative meals for those who do not eat certain types of food due to their religious faith.
Approved Learning Frameworks
To further understand how work practices in the childcare setting can be inclusive, review the approved learning framework applicable to early childhood education and care.
Approved learning frameworks serve as the primary basis for the educational programs. The frameworks help create a curriculum that address each child’s developmental needs, interests and experiences, while taking into account their individual differences. There are two nationally approved learning framework used in Australia: Belonging, Being & Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia and My Time, Our Place: Framework for School Age Care in Australia.
Early Years Learning Framework
Belonging, Being & Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework of Australia (EYLF) is the primary resource and foundation for early childhood education and care. The aim of the Framework is to assist early childhood educators in designing the appropriate curriculum for children, from birth to five years old.
The Early Years Learning Framework focuses on three main aspects of children’s learning that children should experience if the Framework is applied correctly, namely:
Belonging
Focuses on the children’s relationships and interdependence with other people.
Being
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Recognises the significance of the ‘here’ and ‘now’ in children’s lives or the present state of children.
Becoming
Acknowledges the rapid and significant change children experience as they learn and grow.
To provide these aspects to children, The Framework consists of three elements that serve as a guide for educators in creating a curriculum:
Principles
These principles reflect contemporary theories and research evidence about children’s learning and early childhood pedagogy (the practice of teaching). These principles include:
Secure, respectful, and reciprocal relationships
Educators should positively interact with children and support the development of a sense of wellbeing though secure and nurturing relationships.
Partnerships
Educators recognise the role of families as the first and most influential teachers for their children and actively collaborate with them on curriculum decisions.
High expectations and equity
Educators should believe in and assist children in learning and succeeding, regardless of their diverse backgrounds and abilities. Educators should make an effort to promote the inclusions and participation of all children.
Respect for diversity
Educators should decide on the curriculum that reflects the practices, values, and beliefs of the children and their families.
Ongoing learning and reflective practice
An educator should practice continuous improvement in early childhood education through ongoing learning (through the children, families, and communities) and reflective practice. Practices
These are methods you should carry out to promote learning in children. These practices are underpinned by the principles mentioned above. These practices include:
Holistic approaches
Holistic teaching approached pay attention to all the needs of children under their care, encompassing their physical, personal, social, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing, as well as the cognitive aspect of learning. It also integrates all of these into the children’s learning experience.
Responsiveness to children
Educators are expected to be responsive to all children’s strengths, abilities, and interests, as well as their ideas and experiences. Responsiveness helps educators to respectfully enter children’s play and ongoing projects, stimulate their thinking, and enrich their learning.
Learning through play
As play provides opportunities for children to learn as they discover, create, improvise and imagine, educators can take advantage of this and use a range of strategies to support learning and development.
Intentional teaching
Educators should be deliberate, purposeful, and thoughtful when developing curriculum and teaching children. Intentional teaching means learning should be worthwhile for children.
Learning environment
Educators should create welcoming indoor and outdoor environments, to support children’s learning and development. The learning environment should promote interest, curiosity, exploration, and discovery, especially in outdoor spaces.
Cultural competence
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Educators should appreciate and respect the culture of children and their families, through communication
and interaction with them. Educators should possess a positive understanding and attitude towards cultural diversity.
Continuity of learning and transitions
Transitions from one setting to another can offer opportunities and challenges for children and their development. Educators should guide children and contribute to successful transitions between settings. Educators should build their teachings on the children’s prior and current experiences, to help them feel secure, confident, and connected to familiar people, places, events and understanding.
Assessment for learning
Educators use a variety of methods to collect, document, organise, synthesise, and interpret the information they gather to assess children’s learning. These assessments should help plan and develop better and more appropriate curriculum. Learning Outcomes
Your application of the principles and practices, results in the learning outcomes indicated in the Framework. These outcomes, mean that early childhood education and care services and their programs are catering to the children’s learning and development. The Framework outlines five learning outcomes:
Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity.
o
Children feel safe, secure and supported.
o
Children develop their emerging autonomy, interdependence, resilience, and sense of agency.
o
Children develop knowledgeable and confident self-identities.
o
Children learn to interact in relation to others with care, empathy and respect.
Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world.
o
Children develop a sense of belonging to groups and communities and an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active community participation.
o
Children respond to diversity with respect.
o
Children become aware of fairness.
o
Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment. Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing.
o
Children become strong in their social and emotional wellbeing.
o
Children take increasing responsibility for their own health and physical wellbeing.
Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners.
o
Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination, and reflexivity.
o
Children develop a range of skills and processes such as problem-solving, inquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching, and investigating.
o
Children transfer and adapt what they have learned from one context to another.
o
Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, places, technologies, and natural and processed materials.
Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators.
o
Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others from a range of purposes.
o
Children engage with a range of texts and gain meaning from these texts.
o
Children express ideas and make meaning using a range of media.
o
Children begin to understand how symbols and pattern systems work.
o
Children use information and communication technologies to access information, investigate ideas, and represent their thinking.
Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework
The State of Victoria has developed their own approved learning framework. The Victorian Early Years Learning and Developmental Framework (VEYLDF) shares the same goal as the EYLF; it guides early childhood educators and service providers in enriching and supporting the learning and development of
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children (aged 0 – 8). The VEYLDF works similarly to the EYLF, as it also have practices and principles for educators, through they are restructured. The learning outcomes from the EYLF remain unchanged and also apply to VEYLDF.
Practice Principles for Children’s Learning and Development
The Practice Principles found in the VEYLDF aim for the following:
Promote personal and collective acknowledgement of each child’s identity, culture, and spirit.
Support professionals to act in the best interests of children.
Guide early childhood professionals as they respond sensitively and positively to each child.
There are 8 Practice Principles that will help support children’s learning and development, all of which are described briefly below:
1.
Reflective Practice –
Educators should use reflective practices to evaluate and improve their methods of teaching and supporting children’s learning and development. 2.
Partnerships with families – Partnerships between educators and families are important, as the families of children provide information and different perspectives of their child. These can help in developing and improving the learning experience and care.
3.
High expectations for every child – Children should be treated as capable or making decisions and choices, by providing high expectations for them, accompanied by encouragement and motivation.
4.
Respectful relationships and responsive engagement – Providing these aspects to children is crucial as they require support and guidance to learn. When engaged positively, children can develop confidence in performing activities in the centre. 5.
Equity and diversity – Educators should provide an inclusive environment where all children can participate, regardless of their abilities or circumstances. Educators should show respect and appreciate the identity each child possess. 6.
Assessment for learning and development – Assessments are key tools for developing and improving learning and development.
7.
Integrated teaching and learning approach – Learning come in three forms: adult-led learning, child-directed play and learning, and guided play and learning. It is important to know that these should be all integrated with one another, to help children build on their skills and interests. 8.
Partnerships with professionals – It is vital that educators and other early childhood professionals should collaborate to further refine methods of learning and development.
Chapter 3 – Support Children’s Understanding of Inclusion and
Diversity
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Learning Objectives
After this chapter, you will be able to:
Identify and use opportunities that build on the diverse backgrounds of children and families in the service.
Identify and consult with community members and follow community protocols to obtain or share knowledge of local cultural, ethnic, gender and other diverse groups.
Provide children with opportunities to learn about similarities and differences in the world around them.
Engage children in collaborative discussions about respectful and equal relations.
Observe children’s interactions and participation and identify and communicate any needs for additional support to improve inclusive relationships.
Engage with peers, mentors or others to support individual children with specific needs.
Introduction
This chapter will explore how you can support the children under your care to have a better understanding of inclusion and diversity. Specific lessons in this chapter will tackle different methods in gaining knowledge
and understanding diversity through the people in the centre and the community. The chapter will focus on how you can introduce and expose children to diversity, through activities and interactions. In particular, the chapter will help you support children’s understanding of inclusion and diversity by:
Identifying and using opportunities that build on the diverse backgrounds of children and families in
the service.
Identifying and consulting with community members and following community protocols to obtain or share knowledge of local cultural, ethnic, gender and other diverse groups.
Providing children with opportunities to learn about similarities and differences in the world around
them.
Engaging children in collaborative discussions about respectful and equal relations.
Observing children’s interactions and participation and identifying and communicating any needs for additional support to improve inclusive relationships.
Engaging with peers, mentors or others to support individual children with specific needs. Identify and Use Opportunities That Build on the Diverse Backgrounds
of Children and Families in the Service
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To support children’s understanding of inclusion and diversity, you need to identify and use opportunities in learning and development. Take advantage of and build on the diverse backgrounds of children under your care, as well as their families. These will help you not only identify diverse cultures and values, but also promote inclusion and celebrate diversity in the centre. Building on Diverse Backgrounds in the Service
Building on diverse backgrounds in the services, means using the diverse backgrounds of children and their
families to teach children about diversity in the community. When children are aware of diversity, you can foster inclusive behaviour and engagement in children. To build upon the background of the children and their families, you need to talk and consult them. It is better to consult them as a family, as parents and other family members can provide more comprehensive details on their background.
You should take note of all relevant information shared by the family regarding their background. These include cultural and traditional practices, beliefs and languages, certain restrictions, and other important aspects of their background.
In centres, there are usually policies and corresponding strategies or initiatives that can build on diversity. Ensure to review the organisational documentation relevant to service policies and initiatives, that will help
build on diverse backgrounds of children.
As reflection is part of continuous improvement and critical evaluation of practice and strategies for children’s learning and development, as the following reflective questions:
Questions of Centre Management
Does the centre have a written policy to ensure access and participation of diverse families?
Do the policies and procedures include knowledge and understanding of issues affecting diverse people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?
Do you have Indigenous, and other diverse families, represented on your committee of management?
Questions for Educators
Is there a written policy reflecting the diversity and anti-bias principles across the learning program?
Do enrolment forms have a category to identify children from diverse cultural backgrounds?
Are equity principles regarding the purchase of resources and employment of staff reflected across the program?
Are management and staff aware of Equal Opportunity Act and Anti-Discrimination Acts?
Are equal opportunity and anti-discrimination policies monitored, and are staff confident in their anti-discrimination practices?
Are families supported against discrimination in the community?
Are staff informed of and encouraged and supported to participate in cross-cultural training?
Does the staff have up-to-date information on the diversity of Indigenous groups in Australia, including access to appropriate terminology?
Does the staff acknowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children do not fit a stereotype regarding skin tones, hair and eye colours, and facial features?
Is the staff aware of the local support services for diverse families, e.g. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Centres and the services they provide?
Are diverse people encouraged to apply for employment in the centre?
Does the centre have a flexible policy for payments of fees to meet the needs of diverse families?
Opportunities That Build on the Diverse Backgrounds of Children and Families
Now that you have relevant information on the backgrounds of the children under your care, as well as their families, look for opportunities to support children’s understanding of inclusion and diversity. Policies of early childhood education and care will usually include statements and objectives that can provide
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opportunities to help children create awareness and understanding of inclusion and diversity. Such policies
can have strategies or initiatives to achieve these policies. With these policies in place, it is your responsibility to contribute to creating or looking for opportunities that build on the diverse backgrounds of children. Below are some examples of strategies and initiatives that can be used as opportunities.
Background
Opportunity
Strategy/Initiative
First language is not
English
Introduce diversity in language and communication.
Promote the use if languages other than English.
Support inclusion by helping to learn the English language.
Learn basic greetings in other languages.
Sing children songs in other languages.
Support children by providing English as Second Language (ESL) lessons.
Ancestry/nationality is
foreign or different
from Australians
Create awareness of different countries, nationalities, and ancestries.
Foster interactions of children and
adults from different ancestries.
Integrate different nationalities into play (e.g. dress-up, picture cards).
Celebrate World/Culture day, recognising the different ancestries around the world.
The aforementioned strategies help children, to experience diversity and inclusion through various activities and interactions in the centre. These activities incorporate the diverse backgrounds of children in the centre and are used as opportunities apply these strategies. Identify and Consult With Community Members and Follow
Community Protocols to Obtain or Share Knowledge of Local Cultural,
Ethnic, Gender and Other Diverse Groups
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One of the quality areas under the National Quality Standards of the National Quality Framework, is collaborative partnerships with communities (Quality Area 6). The NQS recognises the importance of the community and its members in obtaining and sharing knowledge on the various diverse groups within it. It is vital that you identify and consult with community members, while following community protocols to obtain and share, knowledge of the local cultural, ethnic, gender, and other diverse groups.
Identifying Community Members
Relevant community members should be properly identified, in order to gain knowledge of the diverse group in the community. These members of the community should be consulted, these are usually leaders or ambassadors of the diverse groups, acting as the representatives of these diverse groups. Examples of these are tribal leaders or heads, representatives of gender diverse groups, or presidents of community associations (e.g. senior citizen associations).
Other community members can be outside these diverse groups, but already have extensive knowledge about the diverse groups within their area. These include members of the government and academic sectors of the community who have interacted with the diverse groups. Following Community Protocols
When consulting community members to obtain and share knowledge, it is best to remember that there are community protocols you need to follow. Community protocols are principles on appropriate behaviours you should use when interacting with the community. Protocols may be based on the traditional and cultural values and practices of the community or the diverse groups. It is crucial that you conduct yourself based on these protocols, as a sign of respect to the community and diverse group you are interacting with, and further promote a sense of inclusivity and diversity for them.
One prime example of community protocols is for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island (ATSI) community.
The community protocols revolve around the culture and heritage of the ATSI people. As community protocols will likely vary between communities and diverse groups, make sure to do your own research into the protocols for the diverse group and community you will be consulting with. If possible, create a personal copy of these protocols, so you have a reference when you are consulting with community members.
Consulting Community Members to Obtain and Share Knowledge of Local Diverse Groups
Obtaining Knowledge of Local Diverse Groups
Once you are familiar with who to consult and what protocols to follow in the community, you can now consult the relevant community members, with the goal of obtaining and sharing the knowledge of diverse
local groups. Local diverse groups include the following:
Cultural Groups – Groups based on ancestry and history (e.g. Indigenous Australian, British, Chinese, other European and Asian ancestries).
Ethnic Groups –
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and further ethnic groups that subdivide major ancestries.
Gender-Diverse Groups – Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex communities.
Religious Groups –
Christians (and their denominations), Muslims, Buddhists, Hinduists, and Atheists.
Age Groups –
Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z.
To consult the community members, you must first introduce yourself and the early childhood education and care service you represent. This makes it clear for diverse groups who or what background they are dealing with. It also promotes open communication, which is vital in obtaining knowledge, as well as supporting inclusion and diversity.
Try the following strategies for consulting diverse groups:
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If permitted by members of the community and the diverse group, interview at least one person from the community to get information based on personal experience and perspective.
Attend academic talks and functions (e.g. symposiums, forums) that discuss information and details on diverse groups, especially when members or representatives from these groups are present.
Observe, or take part in, traditional and social events revolving around the recognition, celebration and support of the diverse groups in the community (e.g. Pride March, Survival Day, Sorry Day).
When appropriate, accompany a fellow colleague or co-worker who belongs to a diverse group (or ask them to accompany you) to gatherings or meetings with members of the group.
Consulting community members does not always mean you are going to the community. Policies and their corresponding strategies and initiatives can provide community members activities to participate in. Examples of these initiatives may include:
Family or Culture Day – These events include activities where the community can participate. These help children be exposed and aware of the diverse people in the community and foster inclusion with them. The events also give away to learning and acquisition of information on diverse
groups, specifically on how they interact with other groups.
Meeting and Consultations –
By constantly reporting to and asking for feedback from families, educators are able to gather information, to better address the diverse and varying needs of children based on their different cultures and backgrounds. The initiative helps educators to respect
and acknowledge the different values, beliefs and cultures of children and their families. Sharing knowledge of Local Diverse Groups
Once you have acquired relevant information about local diverse groups, share this with your fellow educators and the centre management. This is so the service can use the information gathered to develop a curriculum and corresponding activities that help create awareness and promote inclusion and diversity in the centre.
Before sharing the knowledge about diverse groups, get permission to share the knowledge you have obtained. Some diverse groups limit information sharing with the public. Others even have rights to the confidentiality of certain information, such as for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people. It is best to explicitly ask permission to share information about the diverse group. When not permitted, respect their decision and ensure the confidentiality of information. It is important to note that, unless granted permission, you should not share any personal information or details of people belonging to the diverse group, out of recognition and respect for their personal privacy.
Provide Children With Opportunities to Learn About Similarities and
Differences in the World Around Them
To help children become more aware of and support inclusion and diversity in the centre, provide children opportunities to learn about similarities and differences in the world around them. Expose them to diversity at an early age. Proper teaching and guidance will help children develop an awareness of and appreciation of diversity in the centre.
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Educators seek information from families and use a variety of methods to gather information about each child’s knowledge, strengths, ideas, culture, abilities, and interests, as the foundation of a child-centred educational program. The diversity of family experiences means that children experience ‘belonging, being and becoming’ in many different ways.
As children participate in everyday life, they develop interests and build their identities and understanding of the world. Learning about these unique aspects of each child and identifying their strengths and capabilities assists educators to make informed decisions about how to further support children’s learning. With support from the educational leader, educators plan and engage with children in a range of experiences, where children are active participants and decision-makers. This supports the achievement of child-centred learning outcomes and promotes children’s learning and development.
Acknowledging the identity and background of each child under your care, as well as interacting and responding sensitively to their emotional states, helps children build confidence, a sense of well-being, and
the willingness to engage in learning. Remember that a family’s preferences and requirements for their child’s wellbeing and comfort regarding everyday routines, e.g. sleep, rest, toileting, food, will vary due to a range of cultural factors. For example, in some Aboriginal cultures, many family members sleep or rest together in the same bed. This may be seen as inappropriate in mainstream Australian culture depending on the ages and development of the children. Children should be provided with food that is consistent with advice provided by families about their child’s dietary requirements, likes, dislikes, and any cultural or other requirements families have regarding their child’s nutrition. A culturally inclusive program is important because:
All children have the right to develop and retain their cultural identity.
The identity and self-esteem of all children must be supported by the services offered to them.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, children and community as well as people from other cultures, have a unique contribution to make to Australian society and to the early years learning centre.
Such a program provides a positive representation of diverse cultures at a crucial early age.
Such a program teaches and values diversity and inclusion.
Centres, in consultation with families and their local community, should develop a philosophy for their culturally inclusive program. Local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural organisations and support centres can help you make contact and support the development of a philosophy and policy.
Try to use books and pictures prepared by people from diverse cultures and/or that depict a range od different people in a positive way. Check with cultural representatives’ whether the activities you plan are appropriate and culturally sensitive. For example, dot paintings are stories of people’s Dreaming and are very important and sacred. It may not be appropriate to allow children to ‘play’ with dot paintings. Do not make value judgements about what is ‘right or wrong’ with other cultural practices and beliefs. It is essential that families and the local community are consulted, to find out whether it is appropriate for children to use some materials or resources. By regularly exposing children to a range of different experiences and ways of doing things, they will understand and accept, that although there are many cultural similarities and differences, people can all live together in harmony. Encourage children to compare and contrast different customs and cultural practices without judgement and to appreciate that all people are equal and diversity is a good thing.
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Resources and Activities to Try to Further Encourage Diversity
Make dolls that represent diverse races, cultures and genders available in the home corner or doll’s house.
Make multicultural toys and props available – for example, Australian animals and figures with a diversity of skin tones.
Include puzzles that display images of a range of different kinds of families in contemporary and everyday activities.
Ensure there are artefacts and props available from different cultures – for example, woven baskets, coolamons.
Use fabrics, cloths and material from different cultures in displays and as table coverings.
Have a special interest table with natural materials, artefacts, and other diverse cultural resources displayed.
Incorporate traditional games and activities from different cultures – for example, making footprints in the sandpit.
Include an Aboriginal nature trail.
Set up camps from different cultures – for example, an Australian Aboriginal bush camp, a Mongolian ger, or a Bedouin tent.
Provide opportunities to experience a campfire and to role-play at fishing or food gathering.
Ask a family or community member to teach children how to make crafts from their culture – for example, basket weaving and rock painting.
Add learning experiences about food preparation in different cultures – for example, the use of sandstone and grinding.
Play a variety of traditional and contemporary recorded music from around the world. This will encourage children to feel comfortable with different rhythms.
Introduce a range of musical instruments from different cultures – for example, bamboo flutes, finger drums, and clap sticks.
Ensure books are carefully selected to represent positive images of diverse roles and lifestyles. Use established selection criteria to ensure they are appropriate, accurate, and non-racist or stereotypical.
Ensure local storytellers from a range of cultural backgrounds to share stories at the centre.
Ensure resources that portray negative stereotypes or racist illustrations are removed from the centre.
Encourage family and community members from diverse cultures to be actively involved in reading and similar activities.
Include books in the children’s home language.
Expand on stories using dramas, puppets, and paintings.
Ensure that there is a wide variety of books available that tell stories from a range of cultural heritages and spiritual perspectives, including fiction, non-fiction, and picture books.
Display artwork and photographs from a range of different cultures in the centre.
Encourage children to work together on murals.
Incorporate art techniques from different cultures – for example, bank painting and cloth stencilling.
Invite local community members to share information about symbols and meanings – for example, spirals and circles from their cultural background.
Try creating a cave and painting it with rock art, an ancient practice from all corners of the world.
Share different flags and emblems.
Celebrate special national and cultural events and holidays from different cultures.
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Engage Children in Collaborative Discussions About Respectful and
Equal Relations
One of the outcomes found in the Early Years Framework, is children can become effective communicators (Outcome 5). Children can interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes. One purpose of communication is to instil respectful and equal relations with children. You should aid in engaging children in collaborative discussions on respectful and equal relations. Creating ways to discuss respectful and equal relations further aids in supporting children's understanding of inclusion and diversity. Help children be aware of respectful (and disrespectful) language and actions
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when socialising with other children and teachers. Opportunities during play and activities should be taken advantage of to help engage children to express themselves. A range of strategies can be used to encourage children to engage in collaborative discussions about respectful and equal relations. Some examples include:
Conducting whole-class or various-sized group learning sessions based around stories or activities, where children are encouraged to ask questions and educators lead the discussion.
Pairing children with a buddy from a different culture to encourage information sharing.
Involving children in shared projects, such as painting a mural or building a tower, where respectful collaboration is encouraged.
Creating meaningful situations which encourage children to communicate.
Asking open questions that encourage children to explore ideas.
Providing language support to children whose first language is not English, as required, to allow them to participate fully in discussions.
Role-modelling language and communication that demonstrates equality and respect.
Observe Children’s Interactions and Participation and Identify and
Communicate Any Needs For Additional Support to Improve Inclusive
Relationships
Once children in your centre are interacting with other children and adults and participating in learning and
development, you should watch over the children, as current activities and socialisation might pose a challenge for some children. Since every child has different levels of learning and interaction, observe for signs that children may need additional support. Observation Methods
To observe children effectively, use observation methods to help monitor and assess a child’s learning and development and identify any needs for additional support. Some observations methods are better used in
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some situation than others. Develop a familiarity with these in order to know which methods to use. These
observations methods include:
Anecdotal Records – This method involves recording events that have taken place. When recording anecdotal records, write them in the past tense as it has already happened.
Time Samples –
These are recorded for multiple occurrences of a specific activity or behaviour. These help identify what behaviours the children are showing at a specific time.
Running Records –
Running records involves recording events as they happen. This should be the present tense. It is recommended to record the events in specific time increments, such as three to five minutes in length.
Event Samples –
These are compilations of records for a child’s behaviour or responses in doing a particular event or activity.
Jotting –
Jotting involves writing events in short, yet still significant details. This method is used for a quicker way to record the events and behaviours of children.
Photographs –
Photos of children and their activities helps capture the children’s reactions and emotions in doing these activities. Photos taken in succession can also show motion or change in behaviour in doing a certain task.
Sociograms –
A sociogram is a diagram of the interactions and relationships children have with on another. This helps identify who children interact with and see a child’s social skills, or if the child needs additional support in socialising.
Work Samples –
These are a collection of works done by the children. These include paintings, drawings, cut-outs, writing and other forms of samples. You can ask the children for a short description of their creation for additional insight on the children’s skills, interests, and behaviour. You can use more than one method to further observe children’s development and need for support. Potential Needs of Marginalised Groups or Individuals Requiring Additional Support
To help identify the specific needs children may have during their interaction and participation in learning and development activities, it is best that you have prior knowledge of the potential needs of marginalised groups or individuals that require additional support. Marginalised Groups or Individuals
Marginalisation refers to a state of which individuals or groups experience living lesser quality lives compared to a majority of people. Marginalised groups or individuals are in these circumstances because they are only provided limited access to resources and opportunities. They may be marginalised because they are discriminated against, due to their difference of race, culture, gender, or other aspects of diversity.
When a child or group of children are marginalised, this is detrimental to promoting inclusion and diversity in the centre. It is important to know whether children are marginalised or excluded in the centre.
In order to support marginalised groups and individuals (including children), you should first identify who they are. In Australia, there are five key characteristics that have a high risk of marginalisation. A person is more like to be marginalised if the person possesses at least one of these characteristics. The table that follows lists these characteristics along with their descriptions and examples. Characteristic
Description
Examples
Social
Stigmatisation
Stigmatised or discriminated groups or individuals include groups that are significantly different from the dominating culture or norms in an area.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
LGBTI community.
Early-Life
Disadvantage
Early-life disadvantages refer to unfavourable circumstances that happen as a child. This may
Parental unemployment.
Separation or divorce of parents.
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also involve the intergenerational transfer of these disadvantages to their children.
Incomplete schooling.
Financial
Hardship
This refers to the difficulty in getting enough income or earnings to support basic needs. They may need to acquire financial support from outside their households.
Too much debt.
Low income.
Getting support from government programs and initiatives.
Poor Health
This includes people having severe or chronic health conditions or disabilities, whether physically, mentally, or psychologically.
Physical defects or disabilities.
Adverse mental or psychological health.
Chronic or life-threatening health conditions.
Social
Isolation
Marginalised groups often isolate themselves from the majority of the population to avoid being stigmatised or discriminated against altogether. They only have few social contacts and sometimes only have poor relationships with others.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
Immigrants.
Potential Needs Requiring Additional Support
It is imperative that you have knowledge of the potential needs requiring additional support. Being familiar
and informed of the needs some children under your care might have will be beneficial for providing support.
When support is provided immediately to children, they feel a sense of belonging and importance, that can
boost their confidence and development. You are also promoting an inclusive environment and further improving inclusive relationships with children.
Listed below are the potential needs that will require additional support:
Physical Health and Care
Children may need support or assistance with their physiological and physical health. Children with physical disabilities may need help moving around, especially on stairs on uneven flooring. They may need additional support when doing certain activities. Provide activities that either help children with disabilities to participate or cater to them only.
Children may need assistance with certain conditions and associated medication. For example, parents may tell you about their child’s allergies and may require you to know how to administer the medication needed to treat the allergies.
Mental Health and Care
Monitor children’s emotions and behaviours, for signs of mental disorders or illnesses. Although it is normal for children to experience negative behaviour and emotion (e.g. sadness, frustration, fear, worry, etc.), this can become a concern when they are recurring.
To provide additional support for the mental wellbeing of all children, it is important that children get enough rest or sleep, are eating well, and are doing regular physical activities. These can be incorporated into the curriculum and activities in the centre. For children already experiencing mental illness or disorders, consult the children’s parents and health professionals to know everything related to the disorder (e.g. signs, symptoms, medications, procedures, etc). Ensure the children that you are there for them and that they can freely do what they want, regardless of their condition. Support them by accompanying them to the centre, especially when they are new, or they experience difficulties.
Emotional Health and Care
Emotional distress will likely occur. As children have new experiences as part of their growth and development, they will have intense emotions and emotional distress. Since children’s emotional levels
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greatly vary, observe each child’s emotions and reactions when doing activities and routines to discover who needs additional emotional support. It is important that you serve as an example to children for expressing and handling emotions. Show children how to express emotions openly and regulate negative emotions. Use words, symbols and pictures that related to emotions and feelings when around children, to help them identify their own feelings and emotions. You can also talk to them and ask them questions such as ‘How are you feeling?’.
It is crucial to build and maintain positive relationships with children, so they have a safe environment for them to adjust and regulate their emotions. Integrate emotion identification and regulation in activities, such as roleplay and pretend play.
Protective Factors
Protective factors serve as a safeguard for children against unfavourable circumstances. These factors lessen the effects of physical, mental, and emotional distress. In the context of early childhood education, protective factors should help children become more resilient in facing challenges and hurdles for learning and development. Examples of protective factors children may need to support their learning and development include:
o
Supervision – Educators and carers, should provide constant supervision for children under their care, to monitor children who are in need of additional support or guidance. For example, a child may encounter difficulty using a toy or learning material. You can explain to the child how to use them again and watch over them until they get it right.
o
Encouragement –
Give encouragement to children to help nurture self-confidence in what they can do and accomplish. You can encourage children through words (e.g. ‘You can do it!’) and non-verbal cues (e.g. giving a thumbs-up or clapping to convey affirmation). The encouragement should be sincere. o
Opportunities –
Children should be given equal opportunities to learn, play, and explore. They should also be given opportunities that cater to their skills and abilities. o
Recognition –
Recognition brings confidence and assurance that they are doing great in the activities they are doing. When children are being recognised for their efforts and achievements, they become more resilient and ready to take on activities, despite challenges or barriers in learning and development. Engage With Peers, Mentors or Others to Support Individual Children
With Specific Needs
Services can support each child’s access, inclusion and participation in the program, be learning about their
individual context (e.g. family circumstances, geographic location, cultural and linguistic experiences) as well as their interests, learning styles, strengths and abilities. The educational leader and educators use this
knowledge when making decisions about the physical environment, curriculum, day-to-day routines and transitions. They ensure there are no barriers to children’s participation in any aspect of the program. Once an individual child’s support needs have been identified, educators must seek advice from and work together with other educators, senior staff, centre management, and other professionals to meet those needs. This is a collaborative and whole team approach, with the best interests of the child at the heart of it. Early Childhood Education and Care workers are often concerned that, because they often work with families that may have complex problems, they need more training in how to assist families with complex needs, particularly as this relates to:
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Supporting families and children with significant health issues.
Supporting families and children who experience domestic violence.
Working with children who have experienced significant trauma, such as removal from the family home or the sudden death of a parent.
Providing advice and recommendations on the health and welfare service available to families within the community. It is vital that centre staff receive training on how to research support services and networks that connect them to the community. This will help them gain easy access to information and further support, to know where to refer families who need assistance beyond the scope of services available at the centre. Mutual Mentoring
Mutual understanding, collaboration, and partnership building, between centres and Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander services and communities are essential to building cultural competence. These partnerships must be based on a commitment to, and respect for, Aboriginal self-determination and Aboriginal cultures centre to be culturally competent, there needs to be clarity around issues of:
Aboriginal self-determination.
Acknowledgement of impacts of the past and contemporary forms of racism/marginalisation.
Respect for culture and acknowledgement of the role of culture in programs/services to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This approach recognises that many Aboriginal people live and work in cross-cultural or multicultural lifestyles and they may need to be assisted by culturally sensitive mentors.
Mutual Mentoring should provide a service that:
Ensures Aboriginal families and children are involved in a process that identifies potential challenges that could have an impact on retention in their learning and development.
Assists in identifying solutions and plans to prevent and overcome challenges.
Provides younger children with a role model who can assist in achieving their learning outcomes.
Fosters the centre’s learning and strengthens the desired learner’s behaviours.
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Supports existing Aboriginal children to be role models for new children.
Assists children to increase self-awareness of their strengths and weaknesses.
Enables children to identify options for development and learning progression.
Assists children to develop new skills and insights.
Increases the child’s confidence, happiness, self-esteem, enthusiasm, and commitment.
Facilitates teamwork and mutual support.
Assists in breaking down barriers between Aboriginal children and children from other cultures.
Mutual mentoring is an effective process of the more experienced group members offering support, advice
and assistance to the younger and less experienced group members and has a long history. It is found in the effective elder system of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples and has been in use for many centuries, if not thousands or years.
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