Let’s face it—sometimes the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) can be a little tricky to interpret. The language can feel formal, and you might wonder, “What does this look like in real life?” Don’t worry, you’re not alone! That’s exactly why I’m here—to explain one of the most important EYLF practices, Responsiveness to Children, in plain English with real, practical examples you can use in your classroom. EYLF responsiveness is crucial for effective child development.
Imagine you’re in a room full of curious, energetic children. Some are playing with blocks, others are drawing, and a few are building an imaginary world with toy dinosaurs. Each child is doing something unique, and you, as their educator, are observing and interacting with them. Responsiveness to children is all about how you notice and respond to their individual needs, interests, and ideas in ways that support their learning and development. EYLF responsiveness ensures that each child is understood and supported in their unique interests.
Educators are attuned to and respond in ways that best suit, each child’s strengths, capabilities, and curiosity.
What does it mean? Being attuned means that educators observe each child’s unique abilities, skills, and interests. They then tailor their responses and activities to build on those strengths. This is a key component of EYLF responsiveness.
Example: When I teach, if I notice that a child has strong fine motor skills, I might provide activities like threading beads or drawing detailed pictures. If another child is deeply curious about insects, I might arrange a bug exploration activity in the garden to build on that curiosity.
Knowing, valuing, and building on all children’s strengths, skills, and knowledge strengthens their motivation and engagement in learning.
What does it mean? By recognising what each child is good at and interested in, educators can create learning opportunities that increase engagement and encourage further exploration. This is another aspect of EYLF responsiveness.
Example: If a child enjoys solving puzzles, I could introduce them to more complex logic-based games, which strengthens their problem-solving skills while keeping them engaged. Similarly, if a child enjoys storytelling, I might encourage them to lead a story session with peers.
Educators are aware of, and respond to, the strategies used by children with additional needs to negotiate their everyday lives.
What does it mean? Educators recognise the unique ways that children with additional needs may approach daily tasks and support them in these strategies.
Example: If I observe a child who struggles with transitions between activities, I may offer a visual schedule or give them advance notice about upcoming changes, helping them manage their day with less anxiety.
They respond to children’s expertise, cultural traditions, and ways of knowing, and the multiple languages spoken by some children, including by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
What does it mean? Educators respect and incorporate children’s cultural backgrounds, knowledge, and languages into their daily learning experiences to practice EYLF responsiveness.
Example: If a child from an Aboriginal background shares a traditional story, I might incorporate this story into a group learning activity, encouraging children to learn about different cultures. If a child speaks another language, I might ask them to teach simple words to their classmates, celebrating their linguistic skills.
Educators are also responsive to children’s funds of knowledge (experiences and understandings), ideas, sociality, and playfulness, which form an important basis for curriculum decision-making.
What does it mean? Children’s life experiences, knowledge, and playful ideas inform how educators create learning opportunities as part of EYLF responsiveness.
Example: If I observe children playing “restaurant” and discussing different foods, I might use this interest to plan a cooking activity or a lesson on nutrition, allowing their playful ideas to shape the curriculum.
In response to children’s evolving ideas and interests, educators assess, anticipate, and extend children’s learning, development, and wellbeing via open-ended questioning, providing feedback, challenging their thinking, and guiding their learning.
What does it mean? Educators use strategies like questioning and feedback to deepen children’s understanding and extend their learning. This is all part of EYLF responsiveness.
Example: If a child is building a tower, I might ask, “What do you think will happen if we add more blocks to one side?” This type of questioning challenges their thinking and helps them explore cause-and-effect relationships.
Educators are attuned to, and actively listen to, children so they can respond in ways that build relationships and support children’s learning, development, and wellbeing.
What does it mean? Active listening helps educators respond meaningfully to children’s needs, promoting strong relationships and supporting development through EYLF responsiveness.
Example: When I notice a child sharing a concern about a difficult social interaction, for example, they say “Taylor and Elisa do not want to be my friends” I listen carefully and then offer strategies to help them resolve the issue. By addressing their concerns, I help build trust and support their emotional wellbeing.
They make use of planned and spontaneous ‘teachable moments’ to scaffold children’s learning.
What does it mean? Educators take advantage of both structured lessons and impromptu moments to guide children’s learning.
Example: While walking outside, if a child asks about the weather, I might spontaneously introduce a discussion about clouds and rain, turning the moment into a connection with nature moment. Similarly, during a planned art activity, I might use a child’s question about mixing colours to teach a quick lesson on how to hold a brush and how to rinse it.
