Getting started

Involve families in the choice of the additional language they would like their children to engage with through ELLA. This could be done via a survey or through individual discussions. Do a number of families in your preschool community happen to speak the same additional language? Think about the benefits of choosing this language. Or would the children benefit more from a different language being chosen? What language is offered by the local primary schools? Would families like the opportunity for their children to continue learning the same language into primary school?

Link to the Early Years Learning Framework

Principle 2: Partnerships

Principle 4: Respect for diversity

Practice: Cultural competence

Link to the National Quality Framework

4.2.1 Professional collaboration

6.1.1 Engagement with the service

6.1.2 Parent views are respected

The ‘We are learning’ poster was mailed to preschools as part of the ELLA starter kit. Write your chosen language on the poster and display in a location where it will be viewed by families and community members that enter your preschool. This informs others that your preschool is part of the ELLA program.

Link to the Early Years Learning Framework

Principle 2: Partnerships

Link to the National Quality Framework

1.1.1 Approved learning framework

7.1.2 Management systems

Include information for families about ELLA as part of your preschool enrolment process. Provide each family with a copy of the ‘Information for parents/guardians’ brochure. You could distribute this electronically or in hard copy.

Link to the Early Years Learning Framework

Principle 2: Partnerships

Practice: Continuity of learning and transitions

Link to the National Quality Framework

6.1.1 Engagement with the service

6.1.2 Parent views are respected

The data that the ELLA program collects enables you to view the learning outcomes the children have been engaging with and to make curriculum decisions about the amount of time children could use the tablet devices. To protect the privacy of your group, you can change your password by logging into the Educator zone of the ELLA website and selecting ‘Forgotten password’. If you lose a tablet device, you must change your password to stop the ELLA apps from being accessed on the lost device.

Link to the Early Years Learning Framework

Practice: Assessment for learning

Link to the National Quality Framework

7.1.2 Management systems

Look at the App toolkit in the Educator zone on the ELLA website. It shows the links to the Early Years Learning Framework and the Australian Curriculum for each of the learning experiences in each app. Think about including these links in your program to inform staff and families about the children’s learning.

Link to the Early Years Learning Framework

Principle 3. High expectations and equity

Principle 5. Ongoing learning and reflective practice

Link to the National Quality Framework

1.1.1 Approved learning framework

1.2.3 Child-directed learning

4.2.1 Professional collaboration