Early Years Learning Framework

The Complete EYLF Guide for Parents and Educators

The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is Australia’s national framework for early childhood education. It guides educators in supporting children’s learning, development, wellbeing, identity, and sense of belonging from birth to five years and through the transition to school.

For families, the Early Years Learning Framework explains what quality early learning looks like in practice. For educators, it provides a shared framework for planning, teaching, observing, and supporting children meaningfully. Rather than a rigid curriculum, the EYLF offers a flexible, play-based approach that helps services respond to each child’s strengths, interests, culture, and development stage.

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Early Years Learning Framework – General and Parent Section

What Is the Early Years Learning Framework?

The Early Years Learning Framework is part of Australia’s National Quality Framework (NQF). It provides early childhood services with a national guide for supporting children’s learning in a holistic, inclusive, and responsive way.

The EYLF recognises that children learn best through play, relationships, communication, exploration, and everyday experiences. It also recognises families as central to children’s learning and development. This means the EYLF is not just about what happens in a room or program. It is about how educators, families, environments, and experiences work together to support children over time.

For parents, understanding the EYLF makes it easier to ask meaningful questions about a service’s program, learning approach, and quality. For educators, it provides the shared professional language that supports intentional teaching and reflective practice.

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Why the EYLF Matters

The EYLF matters because it creates consistency and quality across early childhood education in Australia. No matter where a child attends care, the goal is the same: to provide learning experiences that support the whole child and lay strong foundations for life.

The framework is important because it supports:

Holistic development across social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and communication domains
Play-based learning that reflects how young children naturally learn
Strong family partnerships that recognise parents and carers as children’s first teachers
Cultural inclusion and respect for diversity
Continuity of learning as children grow and transition to school

The EYLF helps ensure early learning is not reduced to worksheets, routines, or school-style instruction. Instead, it supports environments where children feel safe, connected, curious, capable, and involved.

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The Vision of the EYLF: Belonging, Being and Becoming

At the heart of the EYLF is the vision of Belonging, Being and Becoming.

These three ideas shape how children experience early learning:

Belonging is about children feeling connected to family, community, culture, and place. Children learn best when they feel safe, valued, and accepted.
Being recognises childhood as important in the present. It reminds educators and families that children need time to play, imagine, explore, build relationships, and simply be children.
Becoming is about growth, change, and possibility. It reflects how children develop skills, knowledge, confidence, identity, and attitudes that will support them throughout life.

Together, Belonging, Being and Becoming help frame early learning as something much deeper than preparing children for school. They emphasise identity, relationships, agency, well-being, and lifelong learning.

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The Structure of the Early Years Learning Framework

The EYLF is built around three main elements:

1. Principles

The Principles describe the beliefs and values that underpin high-quality early childhood education. They include areas such as secure relationships, partnerships with families, respect for diversity, equity, inclusion, sustainability, reflective practice, and collaborative leadership.

2. Practices

The Practices describe how educators bring the framework to life in daily work with children. They include responsiveness to children, play-based learning, intentional teaching, learning environments, cultural competence, assessment for learning, and continuity of learning.

3. Learning Outcomes

The Learning Outcomes describe the broad areas of learning and development that children are supported to build over time. They focus on identity, connection, well-being, confidence, involvement in learning, and communication.

Together, the Principles, Practices, and Outcomes help services create programs that are intentional, child-centred, and responsive instead of routine-driven or one-size-fits-all.

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The Five EYLF Learning Outcomes

The EYLF identifies five broad learning outcomes for children:

1. Children have a strong sense of identity.
2. Children are connected with and contribute to their world.
3. Children have a strong sense of well-being.
4. Children are confident and involved learners.
5. Children are effective communicators.

These outcomes are broad by design. They are not a checklist to complete. Instead, they give educators and families a shared way to recognise and discuss children’s learning, growth, and progress.

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How Families Can Use the EYLF

Families do not need to memorise the framework to benefit from it. A basic understanding of the EYLF helps parents become more active partners in their child’s learning.

You can use the EYLF by:

• asking how your child’s interests are reflected in the program
• asking how educators plan experiences and track learning
• learning what the outcomes mean in everyday practice
• talking with educators about your child’s strengths, challenges, and progress
• understanding how play supports learning and development

When families understand the EYLF, conversations with educators become more meaningful. It also becomes easier to compare services and understand what high-quality early learning looks like.

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EYLF and the National Quality Standard

The EYLF is closely connected to the National Quality Standard (NQS). Services are assessed against the NQS, and one sign of quality is how well their educational program and practice align with the EYLF.

For families, this connection matters because it shows why the framework is more than theory. It shapes what educators do every day and plays a role in how services are assessed for quality.

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Explore the EYLF in More Detail

If you want to explore the framework further, the best next steps are:

Belonging, Being and Becoming
EYLF Outcomes
EYLF Practices
EYLF Principles
My Time, Our Place

These pages explain the key parts of the framework in detail and show how they connect to everyday early learning.

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EYLF Key Takeaway

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Early Years Learning Framework – Educator and Student Section

How the Early Years Learning Framework Shapes Practice, Planning, and Documentation

The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is Australia’s national framework for early childhood education, but for educators and students it is more than a policy document. It is the professional foundation guiding planning, intentional teaching, observation, documentation, assessment, reflective practice, and family partnerships.

Understanding the EYLF is essential for anyone studying or working in early childhood education and care. It shapes how educators design programs, interpret children’s learning, respond to interests and needs, and demonstrate quality practice in everyday settings. This page focuses on how the EYLF works in practice and how educators can apply it meaningfully rather than treating it as disconnected terms or compliance points.

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What the EYLF Means in Professional Practice

The EYLF is not a scripted program or a checklist of activities to complete. It is a framework that supports professional judgment. It helps educators decide:

what children may be learning
why that learning matters
how to respond intentionally
how to document learning meaningfully
what to plan next

This makes the EYLF important in practice. It turns early childhood education from routines or isolated experiences into a thoughtful, reflective, child-centred process. Rather than asking, “What activity should we do next?”, the EYLF encourages educators to ask, “What is this child showing me, and how can I extend that learning?”

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The EYLF Vision – Belonging, Being and Becoming

For educators, Belonging, Being and Becoming should be visible in everyday decisions, not only mentioned in theory. When educators truly understand this vision, planning becomes more relational, documentation more meaningful, and teaching more responsive.

Belonging – Identity, Relationships and Connection

Belonging is the foundation of early learning. Children experience belonging when they feel safe, valued and connected to people, places and culture. The EYLF recognises that identity is shaped through relationships — with family, community, Country, language, culture and the learning environment. When children have a strong sense of belonging, they are more confident to explore, problem-solve, take risks, form friendships and engage in learning.

Belonging matters because children learn best when they trust the people around them and feel seen, heard and respected. Educators foster belonging when they build responsive, attuned relationships; honour family perspectives; and create learning spaces that reflect children’s cultures, interests and voices.

Belonging in practice:

Warm, predictable relationships with educators
Family photos, cultural items and home languages represented in the room
Respectful partnerships with families and community
Consistent routines that help children feel safe and settled
Peer relationships supported through modelling, guidance and inclusiveness

Being – Childhood in the Present

Being is about recognising the importance of childhood in the here and now. Instead of focusing only on what children will become, the EYLF encourages educators to value who children are today — emotionally, socially, physically and intellectually. Being reminds us that children need time to play, imagine, explore, express feelings, make choices and simply enjoy being young.

Being matters because rushed, over-structured programs can limit curiosity, agency, creativity and joy. When educators focus on being, they slow down, listen deeply, follow children’s cues and allow learning to emerge through meaningful play and relationships.

Being in practice:

Unhurried routines and flexible, play-rich environments
Time to explore interests without interruption
Opportunities to express ideas, emotions and imagination
Respect for children’s pace, choices and autonomy
Emotional coaching, co-regulation and responsive interactions

Becoming – Learning, Growth and Future Possibilities

Becoming focuses on children’s ongoing learning and development. It acknowledges that children are developing skills, dispositions, understandings and values that shape their future — socially, emotionally, physically, cognitively and morally. Becoming includes identity formation, wellbeing, independence, communication, resilience and responsibility.

Becoming matters because early learning lays a foundation for life. Children need rich experiences, meaningful interactions and intentional teaching to help them develop confidence, agency and continuity in their learning journey. Educators support becoming when they scaffold learning, set up thoughtful environments, plan intentional experiences, and help children reflect, solve problems, negotiate and persist.

Becoming in practice:

Encouraging independence, agency and decision-making
Scaffolding learning through intentional teaching
Supporting transitions and continuity of learning
Encouraging persistence, resilience and collaboration
Helping children understand their impact on others and the world

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EYLF Principles – Summary for Educators and Students

The EYLF Principles articulate the core beliefs that underpin high-quality early childhood education in Australia. They guide educators in building strong relationships, making ethical decisions, and creating environments where every child can learn, belong and thrive. The principles are not “ideas to remember” — they are expectations that should be visible in daily practice, documentation, decision-making and professional reflection.

The principles support a culture of collaboration, cultural responsiveness, equity and continuous improvement. When educators genuinely embed the EYLF Principles, their teaching becomes purposeful, strengths-based and deeply connected to children, families and community. This approach aligns closely with the National Quality Standard, particularly in Quality Areas 1, 5, 6 and 7, where relationships, partnerships, leadership and reflective practice are central.

The 8 EYLF Principles are:

1. Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships
2. Partnerships with families
3. Respect for diversity
4. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives
5. Equity, Inclusion and High Expectations
6. Sustainability
7. Critical Reflection and Ongoing Professional Development
8. Collaborative Leadership and Teamwork

These principles help educators make decisions that are ethical, culturally responsive and child-centred.

1. Secure, Respectful and Reciprocal Relationships

Relationships are the foundation of learning. Children feel safe, confident and ready to explore when educators respond to them with warmth, consistency and emotional availability.

In practice, this means:

Building trust through predictable, attuned interactions
Responding to children’s cues, strengths and emotions
Co-regulating and modelling empathy and respect
Listening, acknowledging and validating children’s voices

2. Partnerships with Families

Families are children’s first and most influential teachers. The EYLF emphasises genuine, respectful partnerships where families are collaborators, not observers.

In practice, this means:

Two-way communication, not one-way information sharing
Inviting family knowledge, culture, goals and perspectives into planning
Respecting diverse family structures, rhythms and priorities
Sharing decisions when setting goals, strategies and next steps

3. Respect for Diversity

Children and families bring unique cultural identities, languages, traditions and worldviews. Diversity enriches learning and strengthens community.

In practice, this means:

Respecting and celebrating cultural identities
Incorporating diverse stories, voices and perspectives into learning
Using children’s home languages where possible
Avoiding tokenism by embedding diversity meaningfully over time

4. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives

The EYLF requires educators to honour First Nations knowledge, history, voices and ways of knowing, being and doing. This is not an optional gesture — it is fundamental to Australia’s identity.

In practice, this means:

Building relationships with local community and Elders where possible
Embedding perspectives meaningfully, not superficially
Acknowledging Country and connecting children with land, language and story
Teaching respect for culture, history and truth-telling in age-appropriate ways

5. Equity, Inclusion and High Expectations

Every child is capable, regardless of background, ability, culture or experience. Educators must recognise potential, challenge bias and create equitable learning opportunities.

In practice, this means:

Seeing strengths first, not deficits
Scaffolding learning so every child can participate and succeed
Challenging stereotypes and discriminatory attitudes
Making adjustments to support diverse abilities and needs

6. Sustainability

Sustainability in the EYLF goes beyond recycling. It includes environmental, social and economic responsibility.

In practice, this means:

Connecting children with nature and environmental stewardship
Encouraging care, respect and responsibility
Embedding sustainable practices in daily routines
Supporting children to understand their impact on the world

7. Critical Reflection and Ongoing Professional Learning

Critical reflection helps educators analyse their decisions, challenge assumptions, and improve their practice so children receive the highest quality learning experiences. Ongoing professional learning ensures educators remain informed, intentional, and aligned with current research, policy, and community needs.

In practice, this means:

Reflecting on routines, interactions, environments and decisions — not just activities
Asking critical questions (e.g., “Who benefitted?” and “What might I change next time?”)
Challenging personal bias and considering multiple perspectives
Seeking professional development, mentorship or research to guide improvement

8. Collaborative Leadership and Teamwork

Collaborative leadership recognises that all educators contribute to quality outcomes through shared responsibility, open communication and mutual respect. Strong teamwork creates calm, consistent environments where children feel safe, supported and connected.

In practice, this means:

Valuing every educator’s voice, strengths and professional contributions
Sharing decision-making and supporting one another through challenges
Maintaining consistent expectations, routines and approaches as a team
Engaging in open, respectful communication to build shared purpose

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EYLF Practices (Summary for Educators)

The Practices describe how educators put the principles into action. They guide your teaching strategies, relationships, environment design, documentation and assessment.

The EYLF Practices include:

Holistic approaches
Responsiveness to children
Play-based learning and intentional teaching
Learning environments that invite curiosity, agency and exploration
Cultural competence and respect for diversity
Continuity of learning and transitions
Assessment for learning
Collaborative partnerships with families and community

These practices help educators move from what they believe to what they do in their daily work with children.

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EYLF Learning Outcomes (Summary for Educators)

The Learning Outcomes describe broad areas of knowledge, skills and dispositions that children should develop in early childhood. They are intentionally open, allowing educators to plan in ways that reflect each child’s strengths, interests, culture and context.

The five EYLF Learning Outcomes are:

1. Children have a strong sense of identity
2. Children are connected with and contribute to their world
3. Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
4. Children are confident and involved learners
5. Children are effective communicators

Educators use the outcomes when planning, analysing children’s learning, and assessing progress over time.

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The EYLF Planning Cycle

Educators must show how their planning is thoughtful, intentional and based on what they learn about children. The Planning Cycle provides a structured, reflective process that supports continuous improvement.

The cycle typically involves:

Observe: Gather meaningful information about children’s play, behaviour, thinking and relationships.
Plan: Decide on strategies, environments, experiences and intentional teaching opportunities.
Implement: Put the plan into action through play-based learning, routines and interactions.
Reflect / Evaluate: Analyse what happened, assess learning, and consider what comes next.

The Planning Cycle links directly to documentation tools such as learning stories, jottings, photos, observations, programme plans, and evaluation notes.

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EYLF and Developmental Milestones

The EYLF is not a milestone checklist, but educators often use developmental milestones as a reference point for understanding children’s development. Used carefully, milestones can support reflection, planning, and early identification of possible concerns.

The important distinction is that educators should interpret development holistically. Children are not simply passing or failing isolated milestones. The EYLF helps educators look at the whole child, their context, and the learning environment rather than reducing development to a narrow list of tasks.

ACECQA emphasises that milestones are a tool, not an assessment. They support reflection, early identification and planning, but learning should always be viewed holistically, not as a list of tasks to be mastered.

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Linking the EYLF to Documentation and Learning

Educators must link observations, reflections and forward planning to the EYLF in a meaningful way. This means showing:

What children are learning
How their experiences connect to outcomes
How educators will extend or support that learning
How reflections influence future decisions

Common documentation that links to the EYLF includes:

Learning stories
Anecdotal records and jottings
Photo observations
Group experiences
Programme plans and reflections
Transition statements
Child profiles and individual goals

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EYLF in Everyday Practice

Educators demonstrate the EYLF when they:

Build strong relationships with every child
Create play-rich, engaging environments
Support children’s agency, voice and decision-making
Make learning visible through documentation
Plan experiences that reflect interests, culture and strengths
Use intentional teaching strategies
Respond to children’s cues, emotions and ideas
Support inclusion, equity and cultural safety
Engage meaningfully with families
Reflect on their own practice to continually improve

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EYLF Study Support for Students

For students, the EYLF often appears in assignments, observations, case studies, and programming tasks. The best approach is to move beyond memorising terms and show that you understand how the framework guides actual practice.

Key points to understand clearly are:

the EYLF supports holistic development.
Belonging, Being and Becoming is the vision.
the Principles and Practices guide professional decisions.
the Outcomes are broad and flexible.
the planning cycle links observation, planning, implementation, and reflection.

When students explain how these ideas work together in real settings, their responses become stronger and more professional.

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EYLF Glossary

Educators and students can refer to the Childcare Glossary for EYLF-related terminology such as agency, holistic learning, intentional teaching, dispositions, scaffolding, belonging, and continuity of learning.

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Key Takeaway for Educators and Students

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Related links:

• National Quality Framework
• National Quality Standard
• ACECQA

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Early Years Learning Framework – FAQs

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Reviewed and updated: 13 May 2026