Assignment cover sheet

Note: (1) The attention of students is drawn to:

the Academic Regulations,
the Academic Honesty Policy and
the Assessment Policy, all of which are accessible via
http://www.acu.edu.au/policy/136703
(2) A de-identified copy of your assignment may be retained for University quality (audit)
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benchmarking or moderation.

Student ID
Number/s:
S00142914

Student Surname/s:

Given names:

Binks

Melissa

Course: Bachelor of Education (early childhood and

primary)
Unit code: EDFD 227

School: Australian catholic

university

Unit title: Partnerships for learning

Due date: 11/10/2013

Date submitted: 11/10/13

Lecturer-in-Charge: Linda
Tutorial Group/Tutor: Jacinta
Henderson
Assignment Title and/or number: Assignment 2 The essay

DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY
By submitting this assignment for assessment, I acknowledge and agree that:
1. this assignment is submitted in accordance with the Universitys Academic Regulations,
Assessment Policy and the Academic Honesty Policy. I also understand the serious nature of
academic dishonesty (such as plagiarism) and the penalties attached to being found guilty of
committing such offences.
2. no part of any assessment item has been copied from any other source without
acknowledgement of the source.
3. no part of this assignment has been written by any other person, except to the extent of
collaboration and/or group work as defined in the unit outline.
4. this assignment has not been recycled, using work substantially the same as work I have
completed previously and which has been counted towards satisfactory completion of
another unit of study credited towards another qualification, unless the Lecturer in Charge
has granted prior written consent to do so.
5. a copy of the original assignment is retained by me and that I may be required to submit the
original assignment to the Lecturer in Charge upon request.
6. the Lecturer-in-Charge may, for the purpose of assessing this assignment:
6.1.reproduce this assignment;
6.2.authorise the reproduction of this assignment;
6.3.provide a copy of this assignment to another member of the University; and/or
6.4.communicate, or authorise communication of, a copy of this assignment to a plagiarism
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service utilised by the University at its absolute discretion). I acknowledge that a
plagiarism service provider may then retain a copy of this assignment on its database for
the purpose of future plagiarism checking.

Signature of student(s): ___________________________________________

EDFD 227

Question 4

Date: 11/10/13

S00142914

Diversity within early childhood communities is a reality that early childhood teachers must embrace as
they enter into partnerships with families. Critically analyse the research findings to identify key factors
facilitating/prohibiting positive partnerships within a diverse population.

Diversity is found in many aspects of early childhood education and as the population of Australia becomes
more diverse, early childhood educators and teachers need to become more aware of how to make their practice
one of inclusion and not exclusion. Early childhood educators need to ensure that more steps are being taken in
order for positive partnerships to develop between educators and diverse families within early childhood
communities. For families that find themselves in situations where they are not seen as the norm, entering into
the early childhood system can be a process that is too daunting to undergo. The 3 major types of diversity that
need to be addressed in Australian early childhood communities are based around the make-up of families,
cultural practices and the socio-economic status of families. To address these issues educators need to be
willing to embrace new practices and learn how to handle issues that arise from parents and professionals.

Families who do not fit into the nuclear image can feel that they are discriminated against, based on the
educators knowledge on the importance of families and even the educators own personal prejudice or opinion.
Robinson & Jones-Diaz research suggests that continuing to define the family within homogeneous, rigid and
universalized prescribed structures denies the diversity of family life that exists and can create barriers between
the educator and the family (2005). It is necessary that educators do not assume that a child comes from a
particular family that they are not in favor of. It is necessary that the educator makes sure children feel
comfortable and have support during discussions about their family. A useful resource to have in the classroom
is a family tree with photos of each child with their family. The family tree provides the child with comforting
photos for when they are upset and gives the educator an insight into the family structure. It is the responsibility
of early childhood educators to demonstrate sensitivity, inclusiveness, and respect toward all family

compositions, regardless of how they differ from their own experiences of family life (Ponciano & Shabazian,
2012). By displaying pictures of families that are not seen as the norm educators are sending a message to
these families of acceptance and respect.

While it is important to make children feel comfortable and accepted in regards to their family, children should
not be singled out or treated any differently. It is important that different families, particularly gay- and lesbianheaded families and single parents, are not viewed as social problems who destabilize the foundations of strong
and moral family life and social values (Robinson & Jones Diaz, 2005). It is also important however, that
children who have same-sex parents are not made to feel different because of their parents sexuality. Children
can easily become withdrawn when they are highlighted or treated differently to other children and the early
childhood educator needs to be aware of how they can influence this behaviour. According to Keyser it is
possible that, as educators, we may be conveying messages to the children and families in our care that their
families arent measuring up (2013). In order to strengthen the relationship between parents and professionals
in regards to families, educators need to make sure that their personal opinion is not being displayed through
their behaviour and treatment of same-sex or single parent families.

In order for children to perform to the best of their ability they need to feel comfortable enough to express their
beliefs and cultural practices with their educators. Understanding a childs culture is important for early
childhood educators so they are able to accurately plan activities and communicate efficiently with parents.
Educators are expected to learn how to respect family traditions such as childrens sleeping arrangements at
home, food preferences, and other childrearing strategies that may vary depending on cultural context in order
to provide the child with a familiar and safe environment (Ponciano & Shabazian, 2012). Educators need to be
willing to make changes to centre routines and embrace cultural practices so that parents are happy with the
education being provided to their children. Research has shown that some families have come to believe that
they will be more successful in this country by ignoring their culture and language (Sims & Hutchins, 2013). It
is important that families can feel valued and that their culture is embraced. By not embracing the culture of a
child, educators are telling children that their way of doing things is not acceptable and this can set them up to
become withdrawn in future years.

As well as embracing a childs culture, educators need to gain their own knowledge on what is important to the
childs culture and how to best include the culture in the classroom. It is important for culture to be included,
especially with young children, despite some caregivers feeling that it is not necessary to ask assistance for
babies who are not yet talking (Sims & Hutchins, 2013). From a very early age children are able to learn about
their culture and will pick up small things that are similar at home to their routine at childcare or kinder. For
babies from non-English speaking backgrounds, whether the child is already talking or not it is important,
wherever possible, to find someone who speaks the childs home language to assist them to settle into the
program (Sims & Hutchins, 2013). For a child who is not around English speaking parents, simple words such
as food, sleep, drink and change time can make the difference between them feeling comfortable and the child
being unsettled. For all children it is vital that they feel like they are supported and safe, in an environment
where they will be spending a large amount of time.

When educators are not willing to adapt their teaching styles and activities to suit children from other cultures,
the children can feel excluded. Although in highly diverse areas there can be lots of different cultures that the
educator needs to account for, it is still important for all cultures to be included so that no one child feels left
out. As there is a stronger shift away from a focus on people with a background that is different from the
dominant culture and towards a critical reflection on the existing beliefs and practices in the dominant culture,
teachers need to put aside their fear of change and begin to create flexible classroom environments that cater to
all children (Gramelt, 2013). While teachers may not think they are already promoting a particular culture
through their teaching, every aspect of how parents and teachers care for, educate, and think about young
children is embedded with cultural perspectives and beliefs (Keyser, 2006). While educators may think it is too
hard to cater to all cultures, parents expect children to be taught in all types of manners and to learn about
different cultures along the way. It is crucial that educators do not look at the extra work and time embedding
culture into their daily routine will require, but instead they look at the benefits the children will reap in return.

Early childhood centres need to accommodate for families in a lower socio-economic status so that children are
not missing out on the social interactions and knowledge they gain from being in a structured play environment.

Parents need to know that educators are there to support them in raising their child because caregivers who set
themselves up as experts and become impatient with parents who are obviously struggling can undermine selfesteem or alienate themselves from the parents (Sims & Hutchins, 2013). When parents feel that the educators
have alienated themselves through their use of power and knowledge they become distrusting of the educator
and unwilling to listen to what they are saying. When educators and parents compromise their relationship it is
the child who suffers, especially since there is a growing body of evidence that families need the support of a
third party if they are to establish and sustain nurturing relationships with their children (Hooper & Clulow as
cited in Sims & Hutchins, p.47, 2013). As many families need to have the support of two incomes, the
relationship between the third party support system needs to be a strong and consistent one in order for the child
to be comfortable and flourish in the environment.

While children may come from different socio-economic backgrounds, it is the educators job to ensure that they
all get the same treatment and opportunities when in care. Children all deserve to have equal opportunities and
assistance to succeed in life and it starts in early childhood. Currently research shows that early childhood
services magnify and reproduce social class differences rather than reduce them (Bowes, Grace & Hodge,
2012). Early childhood educators are there as a resource to support parents and should not be involved in the
isolation and magnification of social class difference. A high quality of care is required regardless of the childs
financial background. Research had shown that for low-income families, children benefit from higher-quality
care overall in both their language and social skills, proving that higher quality care is always beneficial
(Bowes, Grace & Hodge, 2012). Children should not be allowed to struggle in the classroom even if ther family
is struggling financially at home. As educators have access to a variety of resources such as doctors and
specialists, there should always be a means in which their services can be provided through the centre, in order
to lower the difference in health of children from a lower socio-economic family.

Families who are struggling to make ends meet will often have their children in care for longer hours then those
who are not under such a financial strain. It is important that as educators we are not judging children or
families based on the hours that the child is in care. For many families, financially, they depend on the income
of two working people, both because the cost of raising families is at an all-time high and because peoples

basic standards of living have risen (Sims & Hutchins, 2013). With the rise in everyday costs families are
finding it harder to get by on a single income. For many families this is not only stressful financially but
emotionally also, as they miss out on time spent with their children. Sims & Hutchins suggest that as there are
more children in childcare now then ever before, there is also an increase in the number of parents feeling
ambivalent or guilty about being away from their children because of their choice or need to work (2013).
When in this situation educators need to ensure that any important moments are being recorded and
documented and that the parents have ample time to discuss their children with the educator.

As the population of Australia increases in diversity educators need to be willing to take the next step in
building a strong relationship with parents. Educators attitudes and openness can determine how comfortable
the parent feels about the situation they are in. The benefits that can be obtained from putting in the time and
effort to ensure parents feel accepted, will have a positive impact on the childs well being. For parents and
partners to have a stronger relationship both parties need to ensure that there is effective communication and a
shared knowledge of the child.

Reference list:
Bowes, J., Grace, R. and Hodge, K. (2012). Children, families and communities. South Melbourne, Vic.:
Oxford University Press.
Gramelt, K. (2013). Diversity in early childhood education:a German perspective.
doi:10.1080/09575146.2012.677948
Keyser, J. (2006). From parents to partners. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
Ponciano, L., & Shabazian, A. (2012). Interculturalism: addressing diversity in early childhood. Dimensions of
early childhood, 40(1), 23-29.
Robinson, K. and Jones-Daz, C. (2006). Diversity and difference in early childhood education. Berkshire:
Open University Press.
Sims, M. and Hutchins, T. (2011). Program planning for infants and toddlers. Baulkham Hills, N.S.W.:
Pademelon Press.

EDFD227: Rubric for Assessment Task 2: Critical Essay

Tutors Name and Tutorial Group:

Aspects of
Assessment

High Distinction

Distinction

Credit

Pass

Unsatisfactory

Content

The essay
demonstrates a
highly
advanced level
of engagement
with the
research on the
chosen
topic/key
concept.

The essay
demonstrates an
advanced level
of engagement
with the research
on the chosen
topic/key
concept.

The essay
demonstrates
an appropriate
level of
engagement
with the
research on the
chosen
topic/key
concept.

The essay
demonstrates a
developing
understanding
of the research
on the chosen
topic/key
concept.

The essay
does not
demonstrate
an
understanding
of the
research on
the chosen
topic/key
concept.

20 marks

Analysis &
Synthesis
20 marks

The essay
presents
findings in a
highly
sophisticated
and logical
manner.
Writing
demonstrates a
highly
advanced
ability to
comprehend,
analyze and
synthesize
relevant
literature in
relation to the
chosen
topic/key
concept.

Structure,
grammar, spelling
& Referencing

APA referencing
is used
correctly in text
and reference
list.

10 marks

Language is
highly
sophisticated.
There is a
highly advance
use of
vocabulary and
key terms.
Grammatically
and
syntactically
very strong

The essay
presents findings
in a
sophisticated
and logical
manner.

The essay
presents
findings in a
clear and logical
manner.

The essay
presents
findings in a
clear manner.

The essay
presents
findings in a
confusing
manner.

Writing
demonstrates an
advanced ability
to comprehend,
analyze and
synthesize
relevant
literature in
relation to the
chosen topic/key
concept.

Writing
demonstrates
an appropriate
ability to
comprehend,
analyze and
synthesize
relevant
literature in
relation to the
chosen
topic/key
concept.

Writing
demonstrates a
developing
ability to
comprehend,
analyze and
synthesize
relevant
literature in
relation to the
chosen
topic/key
concept.

Writing does
not
demonstrate
an ability to
comprehend,
analyze and
synthesize
relevant
literature in
relation to the
chosen
topic/key
concept.

APA referencing
is used correctly
in text and
reference list.

APA referencing
is used mostly
correctly in text
and reference
list.

APA
referencing is
used incorrectly
in text and
reference list.

Language is
clear and
concise. There
is an
appropriate use
of vocabulary
and key terms.
Grammatically
and
syntactically
sound.

Language is
clear. Use of
appropriate
vocabulary is
developing.
Some errors in
grammar and
syntax.

APA
referencing is
not used or
used
incorrectly in
text and
reference list.

Language is
sophisticated.
There is an
advance use of
vocabulary and
key terms.
Grammatically
and syntactically
strong

Language is
unclear.
Inappropriate
use of
vocabulary
and confusion
evident with
key terms. In
need of
proofreading
for grammar
and spelling.