EYLF 4.4

Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, places, technologies and natural and processed materials

The Early Years Learning Framework asks early childhood educators to use the incredible resources that are available to them:

  • people
  • places
  • and materials.

If you feel your service isn't well-resourced, realise that your staff members, children and location are actually resources. If you’re short on materials, look in the recycling bin or search for materials provided by nature.

Children's interests and EYLF 4.4

The Interest Forest is an ECEC programming tool based on children's interests. The following interest topics directly relate to learning outcome 4.4.

Educators can support children to interact with a diverse range of people, including:

Support children to visit and learn about places. Hold walking excursions in your local community. If you cannot leave your centre, explore Google Earth or Google Maps.

Expose children to different ways of living in cities and rural areas.

Teach children about places in nature, like:

Provide children with a wide range of natural materials and processed materials to use in open-ended, child-led, experimental ways.

Provide free access to loose parts within your learning environment. Include bulky loose parts like car tyres and ladders, that children can independently rearrange.

Many of the best materials come from the rubbish bin. Teach children about:

Technology is an incredible resource in early childhood education. Look around you at resources that are already available to you. Can your children:

  • research answers to their questions on the internet
  • take photographs to document their own learning
  • or investigate how a washing machine or bottle warmer works?

Explore the EYLF

Explore other areas of Learning Outcome 4, Children are confident and involved learners.

Explore all the EYLF Learning Outcomes, with links to children's interest topics, on The Interest Forest.