Early ABLES

​Early ABLES is an online assessment for learning tool.  It can help early childhood educators develop and provide a more individualised learning experience for children aged two to five years with disabilities or developmental delay, within the context of the early childhood education and care setting.

For queries about the tool contact earlyables@education.vic.gov.au

Early ABLES reports can also be used to support and improve the transition to school for children with disabilities or developmental delay through consistent information sharing and providing reports that link to the Victorian Curriculum.

The tool will help educators to:

  • observe and assess the child's progress in learning
  • develop appropriate learning goals in collaboration with families and other professionals involved in the education and care of the child
  • develop and further refine an appropriate individualised learning plan with teaching and learning strategies that have been found to work
  • monitor progress along a likely progression of learning
  • better support the development of the individual child's learning program using the Early Years Planning Cycle
  • improve transition processes through consistent information sharing across services and schools.

For more information and to access the Early ABLES assessment tools, see Early ABLES. 

Links to the VEYDLF

Early ABLES links with the Victorian Early Years Learning & Development Framework (VEYLDF) and assists with meeting/exceeding Standards in the ACECQA quality assessment process.  For example:

  • observations, goals and strategies are aligned with the Learning and Development Outcomes in the VEYLDF
  • reflects Principles of the VEYLDF including Reflective Practice, High Expectations and Assessment for learning and development. 

Information and insights gathered for Early ABLES are strengths-based.  They support, inform and enrich decision-making and planning about children’s learning.

Professional learning module

A free online learning module about Early ABLES is available for early childhood educators.

It contributes up to five hours to the Victorian Institute of Teaching’s annual professional learning requirement of 20 hours. The five hours includes time to:

  • complete the online modules
  • reflect on the learning
  • plan for implementation into practice.