VEYLDF Alignment
Item uses these practice principles
Reflective practice, Partnerships with families,
High expectations for every child, Equity and diversity, Respectful
relationships and responsive engagement, Integrated teaching and learning approaches.
Item responds to these sub-outcomes
Children interact verbally and non-verbally with
others for a range of purposes, Children express ideas and make meaning using a
range of media, Children engage with a range of texts and get meaning from
these texts, Children begin to understand how symbols and pattern systems work,
Children use information and communication technologies to access information,
investigate ideas and represent their thinking, Children become strong in their
social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, Children take increasing
responsibility for their own health and physical wellbeing.
Description
Services currently receiving School Readiness Funding will be able to use up to 25% or up to $5,000 (whichever is higher) of their School Readiness Funding in 2022 to support children and families to engage in home learning.
This menu item is available to flood affected services and families living in
flood-affected areas to access and employ a range of home learning supports, in
the event that a child cannot attend a kindergarten program on-site.
The best outcome for children is to return to on-site engagement in a kindergarten program as a priority, and the Department acknowledges the significant efforts impacted providers and the broader sector are pursuing to achieve this. However, there may be some instances where it is not safe or practical for some children to return for a period of time. The Department understands the decision to offer remote programs for children who cannot attend will be made by the service provider in consultation with their teaching team reflecting their and their families individual contexts.
Learning from Home supports is also available to support children who are
not attending their usual kindergarten program due to restricted access related to COVID-19, noting that, where possible, the delivery of on-site programs should be prioritised. In this instance, Learning from Home is available for services to access in the event a child cannot attend their service for the following reasons:
- the child is medically vulnerable
- the child is in isolation due to testing positive to COVID-19 or being a household contact of a positive case
- the child is at home due to service closure
Learning from Home supports developed and provided to families should recognise and champion parents/carers as a child's first educator. Services should also consider the needs and capabilities of individual families and prioritise activities that strengthen and enhance the relationship between parents/carers and children.
The Learning from Home menu item includes programs and supports that:
- provide guidance for families to continue their child's learning from home, including assisting families to set-up and follow a daily routine
- provide access to online learning supports
- provide access to physical resources
The Learning from Home menu item can also be used to access:
- staffing supports including backfill/additional educator hours required to set up and implement a Learning from Home program
- professional learning related to the remote delivery of programs
Reimbursement for money you have already spent on resources listed under this menu item is also permissible.
More information on what programs and supports can be accessed under this menu item is listed below:
Guidance for families to continue their child's learning from home
One option for using School Readiness Funding to support learning from home is to purchase supports from Goodstart@Home. The Goodstart@Home resources provide educators and families with access to a range of age-appropriate play-based learning activities as well as a number of resources to support effective home learning, including:
- Goodstart@Home Online Learning Hub: an online resource, including a collection of over 150 evidence-based activities, for families to support their child's learning and development at home.
- Learn, Explore, Grow - Fun and Enriching Experiences for Children and Families: a booklet containing around 100 evidence-based learning activities and experiences for children from birth to 5 years.
- Learn, Explore, Grow - Preparing Children for School: a booklet containing 48 learning experiences covering the main curriculum areas including Literacy, Mathematics, STEM and Social and Emotional Development to prepare children for starting school.
- Goodstart Behaviour Support Kit: a support kit for parents/carers containing resources designed to support behaviour management and communication with children in the home setting.
Access to online learning support
Educators can use School Readiness Funding to access supports to assist them to use online learning with children learning from home. This may include access to a technology platform.
Services should consider how technology can support connections with families, continuity of learning and social connections between educators and children and between children. This may include supporting families to share photos and video messages and connect from their home with educators and other children and families.
Note that School Readiness Funding should not be used to purchase information technology equipment, for example laptops or tablets, for the kindergarten service or for families. It should also not be used to pay for internet access or the purchase of wireless "dongles" for the service or for families.
Access to physical resources
Educators can use School Readiness Funding to provide a pack of learning resources for families that contains items such as pencils/crayons, coloured paper, craft supplies, playdough or playdough recipes etc. The funding under this item may also be used to print hardcopy resources for families who may not otherwise be able to access learning resources.
Staffing
Services can use this item to fund additional hours for educators, or a family support worker, to make contact and provide tailored support to families to assist in implementing Learning from Home programs. Services should therefore consider the cost of backfill/additional educator hours when determining the cost of developing, distributing and implementing this resource. Backfill or additional educator hours directly related to the development and implementation of remote learning programs should be acquitted under this item.
Professional Learning
Educators can use School Readiness Funding to purchase professional learning to support learning from home, including attendance at webinars or enrolment in online courses.
Detailed Costs
Various learning from home resources:
Costs will vary depending on the number and type of resources purchased.
Goodstart@Home resources:
- Online Learning Hub annual subscription: $10 per family (excl. GST)
- Learn, Explore, Grow - Fun and Enriching Experiences for Children and Families: $19.95 per book (excl. GST) which includes a single use digital access key to the online learning hub
- Learn, Explore, Grow - Preparing Children for School: $19.95 per book (excl. GST) which includes a single use digital access key to the online learning hub
- Goodstart Behaviour Support Kit: $25 (excl. GST) per Family Behaviour kit
Implementation Considerations
Target population
children enrolled in funded kindergarten programs that receive School Readiness Funding who cannot attend onsite due to restricted access resulting from COVID-19, and their parents, carers and families.
Program/practice descriptions and details
Educators can use School Readiness Funding to develop and support home learning for children and families who are not able to attend their usual kindergarten program in person.
Educators can also access professional learning to support their skills and capability to develop and implement remote learning practices.
Learning from home will look different across families and services. Whatever approach is taken, services should aim to develop open communication channels, and leverage the existing established with families to support children's learning continuity.
Implementation considerations
Services should consider how home-learning support can enhance:
- connections with families
- children's continuity of learning
- positive parenting and the home learning environment
- keeping children socially connected.
Program adaptability
Services should consider the needs of the children and families at their services and how each individual family may benefit from Learning from Home, noting that some parents and carers may need more support to implement home-learning than others. For example, parents/carers with English as a second language, low levels of literacy or a learning disability.
Services should consider that some families may have limited access to online-based resources and/or information/technology equipment.
It is also important to consider the role of screen-based activities for children, and the expert advice of limiting this to one hour a day. Wherever possible, services should support active rather than passive screen-based activities.