The Department of Education developed Navigating the Early Years: An Early Childhood Learning (ECL) Framework with the intention of having a resource that can guide and reinforce early childhood educators’ (ECE) daily practice and interactions with children from birth to eight years. The framework supports ECEs as they provide optimal early learning opportunities during this critical period of development to meet children’s individual needs. The framework can also be used as a resource by other adults in the children's community of care. While the intended scope is for children from birth to age eight, the principles and goals reflected in the framework are also relevant for older school age children (nine years old and up), particularly those within regulated child care settings.

The ECL Framework organises early learning practises into a set of four important goals. Likening it to the linking of a fisher's knot, these four goals are inseparable, working together to lay the foundation for early learning experiences for children.

These goals for early learning are:

1. Well-Being and Belonging;

2. Communication;

3. Play and Exploration; and

4. Social Contribution.

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AECENL has developed an online orientation workshop series that provides a professional learning opportunity to go in depth to this framework. Click here to find out further information about the framework and how to access the workshop series.