VEYLDF Alignment
Item uses these practice principles: Reflective practice, High expectations for every child, Assessment for learning and development, Integrated teaching and learning approaches, Equity and diversity, Partnerships with professionals.
Item responds to these sub-outcomes: Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes.
Description
Building Language and Learning is a program designed to support educators working with children in the two years before primary school to build children’s language development. The program aims to develop children’s vocabulary and receptive language capacity, as well as support children’s syntax, confidence in speaking to peers and adults, and persistence when facing a challenging scenario.
The program is offered across three components. This includes access to a four-part webinar series that is pre-recorded and self-paced. Webinar topics include learning intentions, language modelling, developing concepts and providing quality feedback.
Services also have the option to be involved in four network meetings and/or face-to-face consultations as an opportunity to extend and embed practices and strategies presented in the webinars. Participants are encouraged and supported to implement strategies learnt in ways that suit their local community of learners within a learning program that reflects their service philosophy.
Detailed Costs
Webinars: $500 (excluding GST). Price includes a 12-month subscription to four pre-recorded webinars for an unlimited number of educators in a service.
Webinars plus two live online network meetings: $1000 (excluding GST). Price includes access to ongoing Facebook moderated closed group.
Webinars plus four 1 hour team or individual coaching sessions working on specific goals and strategies: $2,500 (excluding GST). Network participation can be added to this package at no additional charge. Cost and offering is scalable to the service budget and goals.
Implementation Considerations
Target population: educators of children from two to six years of age.
Program/practice descriptions and details: the educator team participates in self-paced webinars and undertakes regular self and team reflection activities and practice challenges.
All program elements can be delivered across the State of Victoria. The webinars and network meetings are delivered online and can be accessed by anyone with internet access. Consultants can travel to deliver face-to-face consulting sessions.
Staffing: consultants working with staff have CLASS Pre-K observer certification and are therefore able to undertake CLASS assessments of teaching practice to inform reflective conversations with educator teams. Services should consider the cost of backfill in determining the cost of accessing this training (either online or face-to-face).
Supervision/Coaching: face-to-face consultation with a specialised consultant is available.
Priority Area
Communication (language development)
Strength of Evidence
Level 5 - Foundational research evidence