QKLG

Connectedness: Learning and development area

Children are developing a sense of connectedness to their world. This connectedness helps them relate to the values, traditions and practices of their families, kindergartens, communities and the wider world. It supports them to learn about the interconnectedness of people and environments. Over time, this learning transforms the ways they interact with others and how they think about the world as ‘global citizens’.

Connectedness involves children’s understanding of and consideration for the rights of others and their respect for diversity. Children are developing an understanding of Aboriginal peoples’ and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ ways of knowing and being and their connection to Country and the importance of the connection between Country and the environment.

Key focus: Building positive relationships

Teachers use intentional teaching practices such as:

modelling and explaining cooperation skills, providing learning opportunities for children to practise these in play and purposeful interactions
scaffolding a problem-solving approach to enable children to collaborate and resolve conflicts
identifying children’s rights and responsibilities in everyday situations
negotiating with children in situations that arise around the rights of others
making connections to different points of view, ideas or opinions
explaining empathy through stories and picture books to build children’s understanding of different ways of learning, different abilities and different perspectives.

Significant learning knowledge, skills and dispositions	Emerging phase In familiar situations with explicit support	Exploring phase in familiar situations with occasional support	Extending phase in new situations with occasional prompting
Connecting with and relating to others
engaging with others	plays alongside others needs adult support for peer interactions, e.g. adult co-constructs dramatic play with children	plays and collaborates with peers collaborates with peers during play for sustained periods of time, e.g. children collaborate to build bridges in block area	initiates play and collaborates with peers collaborates positively with others in play and group learning situations, e.g. invites others to work together to dig a tunnel
developing skills in cooperating, sharing and turn-taking	shares and takes turns with reminders is learning to wait, share and take turns with a peer, e.g. in a small group game	shares, takes turns and works with others offers own ideas for play using shared resources, e.g. ‘We can play my game, but you can go first.’	initiates cooperation, sharing and turn-taking uses modelled strategies, e.g. ‘What if we take turns?’
contributing to a caring kindergarten environment	begins to show concern for others with modelling, attempts to help others	demonstrates concern for others assists peers, e.g. offers to help another child finish a puzzle	independently shows concern for the needs of others offers help to others in need, e.g. tells a teacher when someone is hurt
Understanding rights and responsibilities
identifying fair and unfair behaviours	listens to others discussing fair and unfair behaviours identifies unfair behaviour, e.g. ‘Should Goldilocks have eaten Baby Bear’s porridge?’	identifies fair and unfair behaviours in everyday situations child explains to peer that one child has all the dinosaurs, which is not fair	identifies and attempts to resolve unfair behaviours attempts to resolve unfair behaviour using modelled behaviours, e.g. ‘How about we let them play too? That’s fair.’
understanding responsibilities	shows awareness of responsibilities when identified by others with modelling, helps others, e.g. adult asks a child to pass art materials to another child	understands responsibilities follows kindergarten expectations, e.g. packs away toys so no-one will trip	explains responsibilities independently uses modelled ways to help others, e.g. helps a child put their bag away in the right locker

Key focus: Showing respect for diversity

Teachers use intentional teaching practices such as:

encouraging children’s attempts to listen to and respect different ideas or opinions
challenging stereotypical representations of people in texts and everyday situations
making connections by identifying stereotyping or bias, using drama, books, pictures or age-appropriate multimedia
collaborating with family and community members to talk about the importance of their culture/s
making connections with Elders and community members for advice about culturally appropriate resources and how to respectfully include these in kindergarten learning
researching and proactively building cultural understanding about Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Significant learning knowledge, skills and dispositions	Emerging phase In familiar situations with explicit support	Exploring phase in familiar situations with occasional support	Extending phase in new situations with occasional prompting
Responding to others with respect
showing respect for others	listens to others who may look, learn or behave differently recognises differences between familiar people, e.g. methods of communication, physical appearance, language, foods	listens to and responds to others who may look, learn or behave differently demonstrates inclusiveness, e.g. greets a hearing-impaired child using modelled signing	interacts with others who may look, learn or behave differently connects respectfully with people, e.g. if a visitor does not respond to words, uses different words and gestures to communicate
Developing awareness of bias
exploring bias	listens to discussions to explore bias listens to discussions about bias and non-stereotypical representations in stories, e.g. ‘This grandma is very busy. She climbs mountains and dances.’	responds to discussions to explore bias responds in discussions about bias and non-stereotypical representations in stories, e.g. ‘My mum and dad both cook at home.’	asks questions and contributes to discussions to explore bias uses modelled strategies to challenge biases that arise in their play, e.g. ‘It’s not a girls lunch table, we can all sit there.’
Learning about others' cultures
understanding other cultures	listens and watches as others share aspects of cultures shows interest in differences and similarities between people and places, e.g. points and asks, ‘What’s that food?’	shows interest in the cultures of others responds positively and respectfully to differences and similarities among people in facilitated discussions, e.g. watches a parent prepare different food and then tries it	participates in aspects of others’ cultures talks positively about differences and shows interest in the many ways people may be different, e.g. notices and says, ‘Is that how you say hello in your language?’
developing understanding of Aboriginal peoples’ and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ ways of knowing and being and their connection to Country	listens to/views texts about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing and being watches a video on Dreaming stories and answers questions	shows interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing and being participates in conversations following a visit from a local Elder	responds to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing and being identifies aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing and being, e.g. explains a Dreaming story, such as how the kangaroo got its tail

Key focus: Showing respect for environments

Teachers use intentional teaching practices such as:

explaining how and why everyone is responsible for caring for the kindergarten environment
collborating to investigate the relationship between people, land, plants and animals
encouraging curiosity about the world and the impact of people on environments
researching to discuss positive actions about current environmental issues in response to children’s concerns
reflecting on learning experiences.

Significant learning knowledge, skills and dispositions	Emerging phase In familiar situations with explicit support	Exploring phase in familiar situations with occasional support	Extending phase in new situations with occasional prompting
Caring for the kindergarten
contributing to the kindergarten environment	follows instructions to care for kindergarten copies others in caring for the kindergarten environment, e.g. washing the brushes at tidy-up time	carries out responsibilities to care for kindergarten participates in packing up, e.g. ‘If we put the mats away no-one will trip over them.’	applies strategies to care for kindergarten explains responsibilities, e.g. ‘My family will help at the clean-up day.’
Exploring interactions between people and environments
showing interest in the natural environment	notices change in the natural environment looks at the sky and says, e.g. ‘Those clouds are black so it might be going to rain.’	asks about changes in the natural environment asks about observed changes, e.g. ‘Why does the castle in the sandpit change shape when you pour water on it?’	contributes to discussions about changes in the natural environment shares ideas about changes in the environment, e.g. ‘We water the beans so they can grow bigger.’
developing sustainable practices	follows directions for sustainable practices points to the yellow bin and checks ‘Do I put my container in here?’	engages in sustainable practices uses recycled materials in play, e.g. child suggests using their empty sultana packet in collage	engages in and takes responsibility for sustainable practices demonstrates sustainable practices, e.g. explains that their lunch makes no litter
developing awareness of problems and actions to protect environments	answers questions about actions to protect the environment responds to questions, e.g. ‘We have a yellow bin at home, I put the recycling in it.’	contributes to discussions about actions to protect the environment asks questions in discussions, e.g. ‘Why don’t shops give us plastic bags?’	explains actions to protect the environment contributes to discussions by identifying actions, e.g. ‘Plastic bags should not be dropped because they get in the sea and hurt turtles.’

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Intentional teaching: Connectedness

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Last updated:: 30 November 2023

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QKLG

Connectedness: Learning and development area

Key focus: Building positive relationships

Key focus: Showing respect for diversity

Key focus: Showing respect for environments

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