Learning and development areas

Wellbeing: Learning and development area

Important aspects of wellbeing include children’s physical and mental health, personal safety and successful social functioning. Wellbeing is linked with resilience, providing children with the ability to manage change and respond to challenges. A strong sense of wellbeing requires positive, supportive and trusting relationships, which build children’s confidence and optimism.

Learning about healthy lifestyles, the importance of nutritional food, rest, physical activity (including fine and gross motor skills) and personal hygiene, and developing an awareness of safety are essential for enhancing children’s sense of wellbeing.

Key focus: Building a sense of autonomy

Teachers use intentional teaching practices such as:

identifying and acknowledging children’s emotions
making connections between children’s actions and their emotions
modelling ways to recognise and express feelings
encouraging children to use modelled strategies to regulate their emotions
explaining and scaffolding problem-solving strategies to encourage children to manage challenging interactions
encouraging children to keep trying when faced with challenging experiences
reflecting on the use of relaxation strategies to manage emotions.

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
Developing self-regulation
expressing feelings	copies words to express feelings uses modelled strategies to convey feelings, e.g. points to a picture of a happy face	expresses feelings describes their emotional response to a situation using learned phrases, e.g. growls and says ‘I am cross because it’s not my turn.’	independently expresses feelings appropriately clearly articulates feelings in response to a situation, e.g. ‘I’m angry because it’s raining so we can’t play outside.’
regulating emotions	copies suggestions to regulate emotions follows a suggestion to breathe deeply to be calm	uses modelled strategies to regulate emotions with a reminder, uses a strategy such as stopping and having a drink of water to be calm	uses strategies to regulate emotions independently uses strategies to be calm, e.g. deep breathing or moving to a quiet space
Developing resilience
managing change	handles changes in everyday situations, with reminders adjusts to visitors entering the room by moving close to a trusted adult	uses simple strategies to manage unexpected situations and changes seeks reassurance when new people come to kindergarten	uses strategies to manage unexpected situations and respond positively to changes talks to replacement teacher about kindergarten routines
responding to challenges	uses guided strategies to respond to challenges requires help from an adult when their block construction is knocked over	uses modelled strategies to respond to challenges makes a ‘stop’ gesture to remind others not to come close to their block construction	applies strategies to manage challenges copes with challenges independently, e.g. when someone knocks over their block construction, responds, ‘It’s okay.’

Key focus: Exploring ways to be healthy and safe

Teachers use intentional teaching practices such as:

explaining healthy choices and the purpose of health-related routines
providing learning opportunities for children to remember and practise health-related routines
collaborating with families and other professional partners to reinforce health-related routines
explaining the purpose of safety/rules and instructing children in the safe use of kindergarten equipment
neogtiating rules with children when new or potential safety issues arise
providing learning opportunities for children to practise and show they can follow safety rules
identifying unsafe behaviour and supporting children to make responsible choices.

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
Being healthy
understanding ways to be healthy	follows directions for healthy choices eats fruit at lunch when reminded it is healthy	contributes to discussions about healthy choices acknowledges ‘Fruit is healthy for you’ when eating lunch	explains reasons for healthy choices explains, ‘I am covering my mouth to catch the germs.’
managing self-care	attempts to manage personal needs follows routines, with guidance, for managing eating, drinking or resting	manages personal needs follows routines, with reminders, for managing eating, drinking or resting	independently manages personal needs initiates routines for managing eating, drinking or resting
Staying safe
developing awareness of safety rules and routines	follows routines to be safe follows kindergarten safety routines, e.g. holding onto the swing with both hands	understands and follows safety rules and routines remembers to walk, not run, while moving to wash hands in the bathroom	understands, follows and explains safety rules and routines explains a kindergarten safety rule to others, e.g. ‘Only one person on the mini-trampoline.’
building awareness of safe and unsafe risks	listens as others identify safe and unsafe risks pays attention when unsafe situations are identified, e.g. walking in front of the slide or the swings	identifies safe and unsafe risks responds to questions about safety, e.g. ‘How many children can play on the swing at the same time?’	identifies and explains safe and unsafe risks suggests ways to stay safe, e.g. says to peer ‘Don’t flick sand. It gets in people’s eyes.’

Key focus: Exploring ways to promote physical wellbeing

Teachers use intentional teaching practices such as:

encouraging children’s engagement in gross motor learning experiences to build strength to manipulate objects and equipment with confidence and control
providing choices and materials for children to practise fine motor control
explaining why physical activity is important for children’s bodies and brains
challenging children to explore materials with various sensory properties.

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
Developing control and strength
developing gross motor skills	begins to develop gross motor skills attempts activities, with support, e.g. walks across the balance beam with adult holding hand	uses gross motor skills attempts familiar activities, e.g. climbs and manipulates own body to move along an obstacle course	confidently demonstrates gross motor skills perseveres with challenging activities, e.g. difficult obstacle courses and complex dance or drama routines
developing fine motor skills	attempts to manipulate objects and equipment attempts to use dough scissors, e.g. makes rough cuts using whole arm movements	manipulates objects and equipment with increasing control and strength uses scissors to cut items for personal projects, e.g. cuts paper to approximate tickets for a game	confidently manipulates new objects and equipment, demonstrating control and strength uses scissors with control, e.g. cuts shapes for money in shop play
developing spatial awareness	begins to develop spatial awareness tries movement patterns, e.g. stamping, swaying and bending	demonstrates spatial awareness shows awareness of space, e.g. dances without bumping into people or objects	confidently engages in learning experiences that develop spatial awareness adds challenges to movement patterns, e.g. walking backwards
Developing awareness of the senses
using senses for discovery	begins to develop sensory awareness attempts sensory experiences, e.g. touches goop	uses their senses to explore and engage in experiences engages with sensory experiences, e.g. playing with wet sand	uses senses to independently explore and engage in experiences actively participates in new sensory experiences, e.g. sculpting clay

Resources

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Intentional teaching: Wellbeing

View resources:

Intentional teaching: Learning through routines

Last updated:: 30 November 2023

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Learning and development areas

Wellbeing: Learning and development area

Key focus: Building a sense of autonomy

Key focus: Exploring ways to be healthy and safe

Key focus: Exploring ways to promote physical wellbeing

Resources

Learning and development areas