The department has now provided change management grants to all services that have signed on to use the Early Years Assessment and Learning Tool in 2023.
The grants will support early childhood teachers and co-educators to participate in activities that will help them to implement and embed the tool at their service.
In addition, you can access a range of resources to support you in implementing the tool, including online professional learning and ‘how to’ videos, as outlined below.
About the Early Years Assessment and Learning Tool
The tool enables early childhood teachers and co-educators to make consistent observations and assessments of children’s learning. It provides intentional teaching strategies to help teachers and educators with planning and delivering high-quality kindergarten programs.
At this mid-point of the kindergarten year, services should have created records in the tool for children attending funded 3- and 4-year-old kindergarten programs.
Teachers and educators should also be observing, assessing, and documenting each child’s progress against the 5 Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF) Learning and Development Outcomes:
- Outcome 1: Identity ‒ Children have a strong sense of identity
- Outcome 2: Community ‒ Children are connected with and contribute to their world
- Outcome 3: Wellbeing ‒ Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
- Outcome 4: Learning ‒ Children are confident and involved learners
- Outcome 5: Communication ‒ Children are effective communicators.
Resources to support implementation
The department is committed to working with services to successfully implement the tool and improve assessment and observation of play-based learning.
A range of implementation supports are available to assist teachers and co-educators to use the tool, including:
- 2 eLearn units (20 minutes each) available to access any time, through the Information Sharing and MARAM Online Learning System
- a guidance handbook and ‘how to’ videos, located under ‘Guidance materials’ within the tool
- assessment and the planning cycle practice videos and fact sheets.
You can also register for day 2 of the free Early Years Assessment and Learning Tool: Online Professional Learning Program that began earlier this year.
The second part of the program will run from July to August 2023, focusing on how to implement and use the tool.
Refer to the website of program provider Semann and Slattery website for more information and to register.
Find out more
For further enquiries, contact your local Kindergarten Improvement Advisor, through your local Early Childhood Improvement Branch.
If you have technical questions, refer to the tool’s guidance materials. If you need further support, contact the department by email: early.years.assessment@education.vic.gov.au
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