By BEST Childcare Consulting
We know how busy life can be in an early childhood service — educators balancing room routines, directors juggling paperwork, and everyone wanting to focus on what matters most: educating and caring for children and being a strong community partner. BEST articles are created with that reality in mind. Each article honours national theme weeks and their important messages, while matching them with child-led programming so children’s interests remain at the centre of learning. This approach helps services know they are truly delivering a rich educational program that nurtures values, supports identity, and grows future global citizens.
To make this easy, BEST provides everything in one place — background information, activity ideas, links to trusted resources, QIP write-up examples, and reflection prompts. Our goal is to save educators and leaders time, build confidence, and bridge the gap between ideas and evidence. Articles are released a few weeks in advance on our website and Facebook page so teams can prepare, gather resources, and create provocations that encourage deep exploration. We then follow up with reminders closer to the date and share inspiration across Facebook and Instagram throughout the week to keep engagement high.
By planning ahead and embedding these themes into everyday practice, services can create programming that is purposeful, well-resourced, and supports exceeding-level practice. BEST’s consistent language and focus on cultural integrity, critical reflection, and community partnerships help ensure your documentation is strong, your practice is inclusive, and your service is supported to be the very best it can be.
BEST articles are designed for you
Comprehensive in One Place (“One-Stop Shopping”)
BEST articles are designed as more than simple blog posts — they are complete toolkits for educators and leaders. Each article brings together everything you need in one place: background information, pedagogical theory, practical activity ideas, live links to resources, and sample QIP or Quality Area (QA) write-ups. This “one-stop” approach saves time and ensures educators don’t need to search across multiple sources.
Clear Pedagogical Rationale and Link to Standards
Every article clearly explains the educational reasoning behind the theme or topic and shows how it aligns with the National Quality Standard (NQS) and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). BEST explicitly links ideas to QA1–QA7 and core concepts such as embedded practice, critical reflection, and meaningful engagement. This ensures services can be confident that their programming supports compliance and demonstrates exceeding-level practice.
Concrete and Varied Activity Ideas
The activities suggested in BEST articles are practical, engaging, and easy to adapt to children’s interests. From sensory bins with natural materials to storytelling, habitat building, outdoor explorations, and incursions, educators are given a wide range of provocations that they can implement immediately. These ideas are flexible and allow child voice to guide how the learning unfolds.
Live Hyperlinks & Curated Resources
Each article includes carefully selected links to trusted external resources, templates, and further reading, saving educators and leaders time. The live links ensure you have direct access to high-quality information and tools.
Embedded QIP / Exceeding Scaffolding
BEST articles don’t stop at providing activities — they go further by showing how to document your practice within your QIP, self-assessment, or assessment and rating process. Many include sample language for embedded practice, critical reflection, and meaningful engagement, mapped across QA1–QA7. This helps leaders and educators turn ideas into clear, evidence-ready documentation that supports exceeding outcomes.
Critical Reflection Prompts & Next-Step Ideas
Rather than encouraging a “tick-the-box” approach, BEST articles include reflective prompts that help teams think deeply about their practice. Questions such as “Did we do tokenistic references or genuine embedding?” encourage meaningful discussion during team meetings. Articles also suggest ways to extend practice beyond the theme week, supporting a culture of continuous improvement.
Connection to Leadership, Policy, and Culture
Many articles go beyond classroom-level practice to include leadership considerations, risk assessments, policy updates, and links to centre philosophy. This supports leaders in connecting program decisions with governance requirements, QA2 (Children’s Health and Safety), QA7 (Governance and Leadership), and staff professional development.
Ongoing Relevance
Even when a BEST article focuses on a theme week, it is framed as a starting point for long-term practice. Services are encouraged to embed the learning into everyday routines and projects, making the ideas part of their service culture. This approach ensures that theme weeks inspire sustainable, meaningful change rather than being one-off events.
BEST articles advantages for Educators in Rooms – Practical Programming & Child Engagement
Why It Works for Educators
BEST articles save time and spark inspiration by providing ready-to-use, high-quality activity ideas that are intentional, linked to EYLF outcomes, and flexible for child-led play.
Advantages:
Activity-ready inspiration: Hands-on examples, step-by-step guides, and provocations that educators can immediately implement in playrooms.
EYLF & QA links included: Makes it simple to justify why an activity is chosen and how it meets learning outcomes (helpful when documenting programs).
Provocation-based, not prescriptive: Activities are flexible, allowing children to lead and extend play, maintaining a responsive curriculum.
Inclusive & culturally respectful: Articles include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, diverse representation, and ideas that honour different family contexts.
Confidence boost: Educators feel supported with “what to do next” suggestions and reflection prompts, reducing planning overwhelm.
BEST article advantages for Management in the Office – QIP, Compliance & Exceeding Evidence
Why It Works for Leaders & Managers
BEST articles make leadership and compliance tasks easier by giving pre-mapped QIP write-ups, reflection prompts, and policy connections.
Advantages:
QIP mapping done for you: Each article links ideas to QA1–QA7 with sample Exceeding write-ups (embedded practice, critical reflection, meaningful engagement).
Regulatory confidence: Articles embed NQF, ACECQA, and WA ECRU expectations, so leaders know they are meeting compliance requirements.
Time-efficient: Saves leaders from having to research and rewrite — the evidence framework is ready to adapt to your service context.
Critical reflection support: Built-in reflection prompts for staff meetings, leadership discussions, and self-assessment tools.
Professional development: Acts as a resource to mentor educators, supporting their understanding of how everyday practice links to quality improvement.
BEST article advantages for Families & Communities – Visibility, Engagement & Trust
Why It Works for Families & Community Partnerships
BEST articles are written with family-friendly links, examples, and messaging that make it easy to communicate what children are learning and why.
Advantages:
Clear explanations: Services can use article summaries in newsletters, Storypark posts, or family walls to show the why behind programming.
Links & resources: Families receive curated links (e.g., library events, health info, community workshops) they can explore at home.
Shared language: Builds parent confidence that the service is exceeding in practice, not just meeting minimum standards.
Partnership opportunities: Encourages inviting families, Elders, or local experts into the program, deepening QA6 partnerships.
Community trust & reputation: Shows transparency — families see how the service engages with national campaigns, cultural weeks, and child rights themes.
Steps in the process of choosing a theme to showcase
Step 1. Start With the “Why” – Intentionality & Respect
Each theme week exists to raise awareness, celebrate culture, or promote a public health message. Respecting the theme means starting with why it matters for children. For example:
- Book Week → promotes literacy, imagination, and a love of reading.
- Science Week → builds curiosity, early STEM skills, and problem-solving.
- National Child Protection Week → reinforces children’s right to feel safe.
By naming this purpose in your program documentation (daily plan, weekly program, reflection journal), you demonstrate that the theme is not “just a craft week” but an educational provocation designed to spark thinking.
Step 2. Align With EYLF Learning Outcomes
You can explicitly link each theme to one or more EYLF outcomes:
- Outcome 1 (Identity): Children share who they are in themed art, dress-up, or storytelling.
- Outcome 2 (Community): Partnerships with families and community groups (e.g., local library during Book Week).
- Outcome 3 (Wellbeing): Learning about healthy choices during Nutrition Week.
- Outcome 4 (Learning): Inquiry projects inspired by the theme (e.g., build ramps and test speed during Science Week).
- Outcome 5 (Communication): Shared discussions, storytelling, and making meaning from themed provocations.
You don’t need to hit all outcomes in one week — instead, show depth of learning in one or two areas.
Step 3. Honour Child-Led Programming
Theme weeks can coexist with child-led play if you use them as provocations, not prescriptions:
- Observe & Respond: Notice what children are drawn to during the week (e.g., after a guest visit about wildlife, children may set up a pretend vet corner — document and extend that interest).
- Choice & Agency: Offer multiple invitations — art, sensory play, construction, dramatic play — and let children decide how to participate.
- Follow-Up Beyond the Week: If interest continues, extend it into future planning rather than ending when the calendar says the week is over.
This shows assessors that you are not “teacher-driven only,” but using the theme to amplify children’s voices.
Step 4. Document Critical Reflection
To meet Exceeding themes, add a reflective note after each theme week:
- What worked well? (High engagement? Family participation?)
- What surprised you? (Did children ask deep questions or challenge stereotypes?)
- How did we embed diversity, equity, and inclusion? (e.g., using Aboriginal perspectives in Science Week, inclusive books during Book Week)
- What next? (Will we continue this project, invite a guest, change resources?)
This reflection demonstrates intentionality and continuous improvement.
Step 5. Engage Families & Community
Theme weeks are a perfect vehicle to show meaningful engagement:
- Share the purpose and weekly highlights in newsletters or Storypark.
- Invite family contributions (photos, recipes, objects, language).
- Partner with local groups (libraries, health nurses, artists).
This supports QA6 (Collaborative Partnerships) and shows that learning is happening “beyond the walls.”
How You Can Use BEST Articles in Your QIP / Exceeding Write-Ups
Select a Theme / Article
Using BEST articles to support your Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) and Exceeding evidence starts with selecting a theme or article that aligns with your current program focus or QIP goals. This might be a national theme week, a regulatory update, or a topic that reflects your service philosophy.
Map to Your Service’s QIP Goals
Once you have chosen an article, map it to the relevant Quality Areas (QAs) or goals in your QIP. For example, an article on Aboriginal perspectives of Australian wildlife may align with goals around embedding cultural perspectives, environmental sustainability, or strengthening community partnerships.
Plan Embedded Practice
Next, plan how you will embed the suggested activities into your everyday practice. BEST articles offer a wide range of ideas — from sensory play and storytelling to incursions and outdoor projects — so you can adapt them to your own service context. Incorporate children’s voices and interests to shape the experiences, ensuring they remain responsive and child-led.
Document Embedded Practice in Your QIP / Program
As the week or project progresses, capture how the activities are being embedded and sustained over time. This might include photos, children’s words and work samples, reflections from educators, and evidence of changes to the learning environment. Use the sample write-up language provided in the article as a scaffold to record these observations in your QIP or self-assessment tool.
Include Critical Reflection Cycles
Critical reflection is a key part of exceeding-level evidence. After implementing the ideas, meet with your team to discuss what worked, what surprised you, and how the practice could be strengthened next time. BEST articles include reflection prompts that can guide these conversations and help you document continuous improvement.
Link in Community / Family / Cultural Partnerships
Where possible, extend the article’s ideas into meaningful partnerships with families, Elders, and community members. Share the purpose of the theme with families, invite contributions, and look for ways to co-construct knowledge rather than “delivering” activities to children.
Collect Concrete Evidence
Gather evidence that demonstrates the impact of the practice. This could include photos, documentation panels, meeting minutes, family feedback, and examples of children’s learning. Having tangible evidence supports your service’s narrative during assessment and rating.
Link to QA / Assessment & Rating
Make explicit connections between the practice and the National Quality Standard. Use the sample QIP write-ups in the articles to map your work to QA1–QA7, showing how your program demonstrates embedded practice, critical reflection, and meaningful engagement.
Plan for Next Steps / Sustainability
Finally, consider how you will carry the momentum beyond the theme week. Look for opportunities to extend the learning into ongoing projects, strengthen family partnerships, or update policies and procedures. Many BEST articles include “next steps” suggestions to help you embed the learning into everyday practice and build a sustained quality culture.
Inspired? Let’s Take It Further!
If a BEST article or theme has sparked an idea in your service and you’re ready to go all out — building big, beautiful, exceeding-level practice — we’d love to help. Contact BEST Childcare Consulting to co-create special projects, curate resources, or design tailored QIP write-ups that showcase your commitment to quality. Together, we can turn inspiration into evidence and make your service shine during assessment and rating.
BEST Childcare Consultancy
At BEST Childcare Consulting, our goal is simple — to make quality improvement easier, faster, and more meaningful for your team. Our articles give you everything you need in one place: inspiration, practical activities, QIP language, and reflection prompts that turn great ideas into exceeding practice. Together, we can help your service be the very BEST it can be.
Contact us TODAY.
