Unpacking the EYLF 2.0 Planning Cycle

March 01, 2025

The EYLF 2.0 Planning cycle is the process early childhood educators use to plan, document, and support children's growth and learning. It helps educators the guide decision-making that forms the foundation of curriculum planning. They draw on their professional knowledge, understanding of the children and local contexts as well as the elements of Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF 2.0).

The EYLF 2.0 Planning cycle isn’t a rigid step-by-step process

This cycle isn’t a rigid step-by-step process—it’s flexible and can happen in different ways. Try to think of it as an organic unfolding not unlike a garden you nourish rather than a static brick wall.

Some parts unfold naturally in the moment, while others take place over time - both short term and longer term. Educators use the five key components of the planning cycle to reflect on children's experiences, improve their practice, and create an inclusive curriculum that meets the needs of all children.

Tackling the EYLF 2.0 Planning Cycle by having a sound knowledge of the cycle and being able to articulate it with confidence will set educators up for success. Know what you are doing and why you are doing it. My go to recommendation to other educators is: think in a cycle.

How We Think of Children's Learning

When we think of learning as something that may unfold naturally in the moment i.e. we think in cycles - we become stronger as educators and more cognizant of this process. The planning cycle that is more often than not over complicated and causes educators a great deal of anxiety and stress. We tend to add on elements or processes that we think may be missing, rather than looking at our current practice. All these addings on become so complex.

Documentation can happen at every stage of the planning cycle, helping educators track and respond to children’s learning as it evolves. We don’t have to document everything we do,and we shouldn’t feel pressured to do so. It would in fact, be impossible to document all the teaching and learning we do in a day.

The expectation is that we have documentation to demonstrate that we plan for children’s learning and follow the planning cycle, not that we document everything. How we decide to do document children’s learning and how we share it, is open to interpretation, and will be unique to each service and their educators.

Let's unpack each stage of the planning cycle as set out in the EYLF 2.0

Why do we document? Thinking through the what and the how of the cycle of planning for children’s learning, wellbeing and development

According to ACECQA when we think about planning for children’s learning, we should be thinking about all the elements in the full planning cycle. By doing this we can be mindful of our teaching and also how documentation will show evidence of this.

When we collect information of children’s learning, we should be collecting information that is:

Rich and meaningful and not just a description of what the children are doing
Relevant to the individual children while also capturing their identity, culture and what they are interested in learning, investigating, and exploring, and
Focused on achievements and children’s strengths, what the children can do.

Rethinking the EYLF 2.0 Planning Cycle: What Do We Really Need to Document?

There’s a common myth in early childhood education that the planning cycle and documentation need to look a certain way—often leading educators and service leaders to feel overwhelmed by paperwork. But sometimes, in focusing on what we think is required, we lose sight of why we document in the first place.

Let’s take a step back and revisit the real purpose behind the planning cycle, starting with the requirements of the National Quality Standard (NQS).

Quality Area 1 sets the expectation that educators take a thoughtful, reflective, and planned approach when designing and delivering programs for children. This doesn’t mean excessive documentation—it means making sure that learning experiences are intentional, meaningful, and responsive.

The planning cycle involves:
✅ Observing children and gathering meaningful insights about their knowledge, identity, and culture to understand their learning and progress.
✅ Interpreting this information and setting individual and group learning goals.
✅ Involving children and families in decision-making, ensuring their voices shape learning experiences.
✅ Planning for further learning, recognizing that children are capable, competent, and active participants in their own development.
✅ Engaging with the Approved Learning Frameworks, including their principles, practices, and outcomes.
✅ Critically reflecting with colleagues to refine and challenge teaching practices, ensuring a high-quality curriculum.

By focusing on these key elements, educators can move beyond compliance and towards meaningful, effective documentation—where the planning cycle works for us rather than becoming an added burden.

What Does Quality Area 1 Actually Require?

Now that we’ve explored the purpose of the planning cycle, let’s break down what’s actually required under Quality Area 1 to support planning and documentation.

The Education and Care Services National Law (Section 168) states that services must deliver a program based on an Approved Learning Framework that takes into account each child’s learning needs and interests.

But what does that look like in practice?

The National Regulations provide further guidance for documentation:

Preschool-aged children and younger:

Educators must assess children’s developmental needs, interests, experiences, participation, and progress in relation to the program’s outcomes (Regulation 74(1a)).

School-aged children:

Focus shifts to evaluating the child’s wellbeing, development, and learning (Regulation 74(1b)).

Other Key Requirements:

The amount of documentation required depends on how often and for how long a child attends (Regulation 74(2a)).
The program must be displayed in a visible location for families to access (Regulation 75a).
Information about the program, its operation, and each child’s participation must be available to families on request (Regulation 76).

Making Documentation Work for You

Documentation isn’t about ticking boxes—it’s about choosing methods that are meaningful, practical, and supportive of children’s learning. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and educators have flexibility in how they record the planning cycle.

Resources like The EYLF in Action: Educators’ Stories and Models for Practice provide a range of examples, including:
✅ Learning journals ✍️
✅ Quick jottings 📄
✅ Electronic records 💻
✅ Online programming tools 📲

Reflecting on Your Current Practice

At your next team meeting, consider these questions to evaluate and refine your approach to documentation:

How do we currently document, and why do we do it this way?
What theories inform how we organise our documentation? (See
Educators’ Guide to the EYLF, p.54-57, and Educators’ Guide to the Framework for School Age Care, p.21-24.)
How have we critically reflected on and evaluated the program?

By taking the time to reflect, teams can streamline documentation, making sure it aligns with both regulatory requirements and best practice without unnecessary workload.

Gathering Meaningful Information: Questioning and Interpreting Learning

As educators, it’s important to reflect on what information we are collecting, why we collect it, and how we use it to interpret and support each child’s learning. Documentation should add value to children’s learning and wellbeing, not just be a task for compliance.

Rather than simply collecting large amounts of information, the focus should be on:
✅ Quality over quantity – Is this documentation meaningful and useful?
✅ Purpose-driven collection – How does this inform planning and decision-making?
✅ Interpreting learning – What does this tell me about the child’s development, interests, and interactions?

No One-Size-Fits-All Approach to the EYLF 2.0 Planning Cycle

There is no single way to document and assess learning. Educators use a variety of methods—such as learning stories, jottings, video recordings, photographs, and checklists—to capture children’s growth in a way that aligns with their context and pedagogy.

Reflective Questions to Guide Interpretation of Learning

Children under three:

What does this information tell us about how young children learn?
How does this shape the way we design learning environments and experiences?
How can we support a child like Jade in transferring and adapting learning while fostering her agency and social interactions?
What’s the best way to document this in a way that is useful and accessible?

For older children:

What does this information tell us about Bihn’s sense of belonging, connectedness, and wellbeing?
How can we build on what Bihn already knows and support further development?
What strategies can we use to encourage Bihn’s self-regulation and independence in learning and play?
What documentation methods best capture this journey of growth?

Closing the Loop: Planning, Implementing & Evaluating

The Approved Learning Frameworks emphasize assessing, planning, and documenting children’s learning and wellbeing. This ensures that educators, in partnership with children, families, and other professionals, can:
✅ Plan effectively for children’s current and future learning and wellbeing.
✅ Communicate learning progress with families and colleagues.
✅ Identify and remove barriers to learning by recognizing where children may need extra support.
✅ Ensure all children are progressing toward learning outcomes and access specialist support when needed.
✅ Evaluate the effectiveness of the learning environment, opportunities, and experiences to ensure they are responsive and enriching.
✅ Reflect on pedagogy—What works best for these children in this setting?

Using Reflection to Strengthen the Planning Cycle

This final stage of reflection is critical to the planning cycle because it helps educators:

Set goals and plan experiences that are meaningful, inclusive, and connected to children’s interests, abilities, and identities
Evaluate learning and wellbeing—not just for individual children, but across the whole program.
Make informed decisions about how to adjust the curriculum and environment based on real evidence of what is working.

As you work through the planning cycle, revisiting real-life examples (such as vignettes and case studies) can help strengthen your understanding of different documentation methods, planning strategies, and approaches to evaluation.

Key Takeaway: Documentation Should Be Purposeful & Meaningful

Rather than getting lost in the how much of documentation, focus on why and how it informs practice. A well-thought-out planning cycle should make learning more visible, intentional, and responsive—not add unnecessary workload.