The Child as Capable and Competent: Perspectives from the EYLF

This essay delves into the concept of the child as capable and competent, a core principle within the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). Drawing upon the Reggio Emilia approach, the essay highlights the uniqueness of each child and their innate ability to explore and understand the world around them. It emphasizes the crucial role of educators in providing a supportive environment that fosters learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. The essay also addresses the importance of educators understanding each child's individual needs and planning activities that challenge them while valuing their mistakes. Furthermore, it underscores the significance of incorporating a sense of belonging and parental involvement to enhance a child's capabilities and competencies. The essay concludes by emphasizing that children are valuable members of society, and educators with professional pedagogy should focus on nurturing their capabilities and competencies through various learning and development activities.

Assessment 1: Exercise – Child as capable and
competent 30%
Write: Demonstrate your understanding of the child as capable and competent (500 words)
The Early Years Learning Framework have one of the theory that highlight children are capable and competent, according to Reggio Emilia
approach, children is member of wider community and capable member of society. Every child is unique in their own way, they have their own
process of examining the world around them. At learning and laughing stage, children are capable enough to demonstrate world around them, they
often ask question, interact and interpret certain new things to sharp their skills and ability. As educator, it is important to focus on providing
strong foundation at learning and laughing stage, educator have to provide all necessary requirement to meet the need of learner (White and Fleer,
2019).
When child interact with something, they tend to gain knowledge, with the help of daily interaction, children develop learning ability and craft
certain important skills as well for example critical thinking skills in which they examine object and provide conclusion. Children are capable
enough to understand what's around them and competent enough to provide an opinion. Forcing children to become Independent, pushing them to
gain as much knowledge as possible to become stable. When children face difficulties in interaction with objects then they will push their limit or
often ask question or suggestion to solve challenges.
Educator of early childhood plan certain exercise that allow children to face challenging task, for example putting their shoes on, serving their own
meal and put their rubbish in the dustbin. Every childhood educator examine needs of children, they try to find out what exactly a child is capable
of and provide them resource accordingly, it is very clear that educator has to plan those exserice that allow children to not only interact with
challenging task, but they need to strategies that will push children to become more competent. Valuing children and allowing them to make
mistake is one of the major role, educator have to play (Coles, 2016).
With the help of variety of learning experience, educator can provide strong foundation of belief and identity, it is important for educator to involve
belonging of children that will allow them to become comfortable in the environment. It is very clear that every child have their own belief and
needs, educator can not fulfil need of children at once. They need to add belonging and parent in the process to increase capability and competency
of children, children process through new ability when to explore world around them. When boosting capabilities of children both educator and
parent need to first examine whether they are capable enough to interact with challenges.
One of the four belief of EYLF highlight that children are capable and competent, children are important member of our society, they are a valuable
member of wider community that consider children as capable member of the society. It is very clear that when educator have professional
pedagogy then they will focus on concept that highlight that children are capable and competent. In certain area of learning and developing children
interact with certain things that promote their capabilities and competency.

Child as capable and competent Examples of opportunities to develop skills and abilities
Descriptors #1 Creativity: Providing children those exercise that allow them to interact with challenging task and solve those
challenges in creative manner for example board games and activity.
Providing children chance to role-play and interact with different activities to boost their creativity for
example dress up competition.
Descriptors #2 Fitness It is important for educator to provide those activities that promote physical well-being of the child for
example running.
It is important for educator to craft physical activities that promote well-being of children for example
jumping and playing.
Descriptors #3 focused and self-
control
Educator have to provide those activities that push self-control of children and allow them to focus on
particular task for example team working.
Educator have to provide those activities that allow children to work in team and learn self-control that
allow them to be focused.
Descriptors #4 making connection Educator have to allow children to work in team and make connection for example with group activities
such as playing.

Educator have to allow children to interact with new children and help them to make connection through
interaction process.
Descriptors #5 taking challenges Educator have to provide those activities that will examine capabilities of children for example puzzle and
tough task.
Educator have to provide those activities that allow children to take risk and face challenges which will
promote their capabilities and competency in the process.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Coles, C., 2016. High expectations and equity of children: What does this mean and how does it
look in practice?. Every Child, 22(4), pp.30-31.
White, A.D. and Fleer, M., 2019. Early childhood educators’ perceptions of the Australian Early
Years Learning Framework (EYLF): Engaged professional learners. Australasian
Journal of Early Childhood, 44(2), pp.124-138.
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