The Importance Of A Co-Learning Approach To Early Childhood Education

The role of educators in early childhood education has long been a topic for discussion, but in recent years, global support for a co-learning approach wherein educators learn alongside the child has strengthened significantly.

Swedish Educare model

Take the Swedish Educare model, for example, which promotes the concept of multidimensional co-learning. In this model, the role of the educator is collaborative and the child’s ability to construct knowledge and understanding is acknowledged and encouraged.  This system, which integrates childcare and education through a nationwide network of subsidised preschools, is highly valued and the country is acknowledged globally as a benchmark for excellence in early learning.  

Here’s what the Sydney Morning Herald in May 2015 noted about Educare : ‘Advocates say that in offering affordable, holistic childcare education, well-educated staff, thoughtfully designed and well-resourced centres, and in valuing children highly as individuals, Educare has created many benefits for children, families and society at large including improved school success, better work-life balance, greater economic independence for women, more stable long-term employment, reduced poverty, less substance abuse, and reduced crime rates.’

There are clearly significant long-term individual and collective benefits to be gained from quality early education where co-learning is advocated and encouraged. 

This was also evidenced in a report published by the Economist Intelligence Unit on completion of its first Starting Well Index which ranked preschool environments in 45 countries.  The report noted that ‘as economies shift towards more knowledge-based activities, awareness about child development—the need to improve their social awareness, confidence and group interaction skills, and to prepare them for starting primary education—continues to grow.’

Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF)

In Australia, the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) was developed to assist educators to provide young children with opportunities to maximise their potential and develop a foundation for future success in learning.  This system incorporates ways in which learning is co-constructed through interactions between the educator and each child, and when followed in parallel with other early childhood education systems like the hugely influential Reggio Emilia approach, the outcomes are impressive.

The Reggio Emilia approach considers the educator’s role as complex but also as a learner alongside the children. The child is seen as a strong, capable protagonist in his or her own learning - and young minds and a lifelong love of learning are cultivated through a co-learning attitude facilitated by industry-best educators and degree-qualified teachers who are dedicated to continuing best practice and driven by the choices of the child.   The curriculum is flexible and emerges from children's ideas, thoughts and observations with the educators co-exploring the learning experience together with the children.

The benefits of this co-learning approach are tangible and it has gained widespread acceptance around the world.  After Newsweek magazine acknowledged Reggio Emilia preschools as one of the ‘best top ten schools in the world’, its popularity exploded and there are now Reggio Emilia-inspired early education centres in cities around the world, including in Australia.

Nido Early School was launched in Western Australia in 2014 to provide families with a premium standard of early children experiences and education.  Nido Early School has adapted the Reggio Emilia approach to suit the local environment and follows a balanced curriculum of individually guided learning, facilitated by a co-learning approach in which children are encouraged to reach their full potential.  To find your nearest Nido Early School centre or to learn more about this world-class early education approach, please visit www.nidoearlyschool.com.au.