We've been talking a lot about the need to revisit some old sector conversations lately. It's not surprising given our sector looks different to how it did even six or seven years ago. The 2024 ECEC workforce survey tells us that nearly two thirds of educators have less than seven years' experience working with children, and a staggering 40% have less than three. It's interesting contextual data because for many educators, some of those old rich, foundational conversations we've found ourselves referring to, are entirely new.
So in this blog, with deep respect for everyone's individual journey, we're revisiting an oldie but a goodie: Going beyond 'they've had a great day' and getting into the real substance of what children are learning through their play - and how to share that in those precious few moments with families.
Why These Moments Matter
Families are time poor. Pick-up and drop-off can feel like a blur. But those brief, face-to-face exchanges are liquid gold. When you take a moment to celebrate and articulate what a child has genuinely achieved that day, you build trust and connection in a way that no polished planning document ever will. Think of them as micro-moments of connection - ones that also carry enormous power to advocate for play-based learning.
Here's how to make the most of them:
Go deep into the learning. Not just "science" - try "cause-and-effect experimentation." Not just "maths" - try "sorting and classifying as foundational algebraic thinking."
Connect the learning to the future. Help families understand why what happened today matters for where their child is heading.
Build a few 'elevator speeches.' Short, practiced snippets you can recall on the spot. When the words are ready, the moment doesn't pass you by.
Some Favourites to Get You Started
Dispositions for learning - persistence
"Patrick had a big moment today. He sat at the puzzle table absolutely determined to finish the dog puzzle he's been working on for a while. Today he pushed through the frustration and got there. It might sound small, but persistence - staying with something even when it's tricky - is one of the most important dispositions for learning to read and write when he gets to school."
Identity and personal boundaries
"If you've got just a moment, I'd love to share something Iris did today. She's been watching the other children climb the A-frame for a while, quietly taking it all in. Today she crawled over by herself and climbed up to the first two rungs. What's really remarkable is that she knew exactly how far she wanted to go - she stopped where she felt safe and comfortable. That strong sense of her own capabilities and limits is identity development in action. She was rightly proud of herself."
Maths through sorting and classifying
"I have a quick question - I'm curious whether you're noticing this at home too. At bush kinder recently, Frankie has become really interested in leaves. Collecting them, counting them, grouping them. Frankie's gotten really good at counting each leaf individually and clearly identifying how many leaves in the collection. This shows they have a good grasp of one-to-one correspondence which leads into understanding number values. Today we started organising the leaves into groups, long ones, fat ones, spotted and plain. I wanted to mention this because it shows a leap in their mathematical thinking - essentially Frankie is managing data sets - it's a key foundational mathematical skill that leads into more complex understanding of things like algebra, and Frankie is an absolute champion at it. Who knew sorting leaves was pre-algebra? Amazing, right?"
Mark-making and early writing
"I'm so glad you're here - I was hoping to show you something Luca did today. I know this page looks like lines and squiggles, but this is genuinely important. Luca has been making zig-zag lines for a while - those ups and downs mimic the shapes of letters like M and A. Today I noticed a shift - look at these squiggles. They're what we call letter-like symbols, a real progression in how he understands written language. He's also started to move from left to right across the page showing he's learning a lot about how the English language is formed. But the best part was the story he told me about this page. I've written it down for you. It's full of imagination, creativity, and wonderfully complex language. That's where real literacy begins - talking and listening, long before reading and writing at school."
Physical play and reading readiness
"Exciting news about Willow - she crossed the monkey bars all by herself today! That's a big deal on its own, but the learning underneath it is extraordinary. For the brain to learn to read, it needs to send signals from one side to the other - and that develops through physical play where one side of the body crosses over the other. We call it crossing the midline. Monkey bars are one of the best activities for building exactly that. All those hours of swinging aren't just growing strong arms - they're laying the foundations for reading. It always amazes me how academic skills need strong physical play foundations."
Colour mixing and scientific inquiry
"Sukarj was a true scientist today. Rather than painting a picture, he used his hands to mix colours together at the easel. He was fascinated by what happened when blue and yellow made green, and then he kept going - adding more of one colour to see how the tone shifted. He noticed that more yellow made the green lighter, and more blue made it darker. There was a lot of maths in there too: volume, surface area, patterning, and even ratios. Did you know he was such a mathematician?"
There's a lot of misinformation about play based learning and an increasing push for scholification in the early years. Luckily we're in a powerful position to shift that narrative, one corridor conversation at a time.
These are some of our favourite ways to articulate the profound learning that happens through play. What are your go-to elevator speeches?
Meet the author
Our clever facilitation team all write about their areas of interests that they present about in our workshops. Click through to read more about the author and see which of our professional development sessions they facilitate.
Linda Price
Graduate Diploma of Education, Forest School Leader Level 3 Certification, Bachelor of Liberal Studies
Victorian based facilitator with Phoenix Support for Educators
As a VIT-registered teacher, Linda has amassed over a decade of teaching and educational leadership experience. She has pioneered and led pedagogical changes, including the development of an award-winning bush kinder program designed with a strong focus on mental health.
AUTHOR: Linda Price