VEYLDF Alignment
Item uses these practice principles: Reflective practice, Partnerships with families, High expectations for every child, Respectful relationships and responsive engagement, Equity and diversity, Assessment for learning and development, Integrated teaching and learning approaches, Partnerships with professionals.
Item responds to these sub-outcomes: Children become strong in their social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes.
Description
The Connect with Me program provides educators with the opportunity to develop the social and emotional capacity of children. There are four program options including E
learning, Concept Class, Mentoring and Enhanced pedagogical coaching. All programs are underpinned by childhood brain development research, early years developmental research, and attachment and relational development research. Marte Meo methods of supportive communication and the principles of Theraplay provide the foundations for techniques and activities.
Through exploring the role of connection in education, participants will learn techniques and intentional teaching methods to activate development rather than compensate for problems. Video playback is used as the preferred reflective tool to explore the 'how to' of upskilling development and to embed learning into practice.
Key principles and learning in the Connect with Me program include:
- Techniques and mentoring sessions are grounded in a strengths-based philosophy.
- Understanding childhood brain development and attachment theory is a crucial part of education.
- Connection in education and how it improves children's developmental outcomes.
- Meeting each child wherever they may be on their developmental journey is the place to start.
- Developing social and emotional skills is a step-by-step process – needing time, patience, and practice.
- There are easy to learn techniques that adults can use to support a child's social and emotional development.
- Understand the developmental message behind the behaviour.
- Worrying or challenging behaviours should be responded to through calm, consistent intentional teaching methods.
- Reflective practice is essential in maintaining a high standard of practice and education.
- Video reflection is an appropriate tool for adult education models and is an evidence-based approach for advancing both the educator and child's development.
Option 1 - E-Learning Package: includes 5 self-paced e-learning modules that provide a comprehensive introduction to the key concepts of Connect with Me through interactive content, videos, animations, evidence articles and printable handouts.
Option 2 - Concepts Class: provides an overview of the evidence and techniques to nurturing and improving social and emotional development in children. The 2-hour program covers the Connect with Me foundational content in a face-to-face or online meeting platform.
Option 3 - Collaborative or Individual Video Mentoring: This option includes the Concept Class or E Learning Package plus 4 group or individual mentoring sessions. Mentoring sessions use video playback as an evidence-based reflective tool to identify opportunities and techniques to activate the child's social and emotional development. Videos are reviewed in each mentoring session, drawing on observations from peers and developing collective practices, or to support the individual educators chosen area of development.
Option 4 - Connect with Me Enhanced - Comprehensive Pedagogical Coaching: The enhanced program has been designed as a partnership model, building a relationship with services over time, allowing consultants to develop a productive partnership with educators. Connect with Me consultants work flexibly and customise the service delivery to meet the specific needs of each kindergarten. A minimum of two terms is required with a
maximum of 3 terms. The Enhanced program options include:
Action Plan and Needs Assessment – consultants meet with identified educators and internal stakeholders to develop a Needs Assessment and Action Plan to meet the services backfill and staffing needs. Plans are aligned with the VELDYF and the NQS, allowing flexible but sufficient contact time to gain valuable results. The services philosophies and approaches to challenging or worrying behaviours is explored to assist with a pedagogical shift.
Observation – observations of children in the service is undertaken using video to provide baseline data informing the areas the children are yet to develop. This baseline data may be used for services SRF data collection.
In session support – in the moment live coaching with educators to support best practice approaches.
Out of session support – an important component to avoid burnout, educators are supported to reflect on their practice through group or individual mentoring with consultants.
Consultations – phone and email consultations between visits to assist with challenges that may arise.
Parent webinar – to assist in keeping parents informed in the supportive communication approaches of the service, and to encourage opportunities for ongoing development for children at home
Detailed Costs
Connect with Me E Learning Package
- $148 (incl. GST) per participant
- $374 (incl. GST) for 3 participants
- $521 (incl. GST) for 5 participants
- $988 (incl. GST) for 10 participants
Connect with Me Concept Class
- $258 per participant (incl. GST)
- $2320 (incl. GST) for groups between 10-20 participants
Connect with Me Mentoring
- Collaborate: $7,340 (incl. GST) for groups of up to ten participants
- Individual: $3,690 (incl. GST) per participant
Connect with Me Pedagogical Coaching
- Minimum of 2 terms (20 weeks): $33,250 (incl. GST)
- Maximum of 3 terms (30 weeks): $45,560 (incl. GST)
Additional travel costs may apply if travel 100km or more from Geelong CBD is required: 88 cents/km and for round trips more than 3.5 hours an additional $200 per travelling hour will apply.
Accommodation: $200/night
Contact provider for a personalised quote
Implementation Considerations
Target Population: Educators.
Program/practice descriptions and details: Connect with Me was developed using a combination of early years developmental research, psychosocial perspectives and Marte Meo approaches. The Connect with Me program provides educators with an understanding of typically development children aged 3-5 years, together with intentional teachings
of pro-social skills using everyday moment to moment interactions between
children and educators through the use of video interaction guidance. If required, Connect with Me staff will provide a parent consent form to
the service and will require signed consent prior to reviewing a child’s video.
Program adaptability: The program is designed to be delivered flexibly, with online and onsite components. If circumstances require, the program can be delivered completely online.
Staffing: Services should consider the cost of backfill in determining the cost of accessing programs. Mentoring sessions can be offered outside of the kindergarten class hours if required.
The provider recommends the following as indicative backfill requirements for each program option:
- Connect with Me Enhanced Package 1: 15 hours across 2 terms
- Connect with Me Enhanced Package 2: 20 hours across 3 terms
- Connect with Me Collaborate: 5 hour per participant
- Connect with Me Individual: 5 hours
- Connect with Me Concepts Class: 2 hours
- Connect with Me E-Module Series: each module is approximately 20 minutes. 5 modules will require 1.5 hours - 2 hours.
Supervision/coaching: Online mentoring sessions are provided as part of the Intermediate and Enhanced Programs.
Tools and systems: Access to a device and stable internet connection. All staff employed by The Social & Emotional Learning Foundation are fully vaccinated.
Priority Area
Communication (language development), Wellbeing (social and emotional), Access and Inclusion
Strength of Evidence
Level 5 – Foundational research evidence