EYLF V2.0 · Australia
The Early Years Learning Framework V2.0 has eight principles and seven practices. The principles are what you believe about children and learning; the practices are what you do because of it; the five learning outcomes are what you are working towards. V2.0 added three principles and merged play-based learning and intentional teaching into one practice, which is why older lists show five principles and eight practices.
Start with what actually happened: one action, quote, attempt, change, or question. A polished observation is never required.
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Reviewed 29 September 2026 · Written by Leo, who builds StoryLoop, in Ōtautahi Christchurch
What StoryLoop does with a note
A real note an educator typed, and the start of the draft StoryLoop wrote from it, unedited, with the EYLF V2.0 links, learning and next steps to follow.
Jack sorted the bear counters by colour into the cups. Then lined up the red ones and counted 8. Put 2 blue ones on the end and said 'now it's ten'.
Sorting and making ten
Jack sorted the bear counters by colour into the cups. After sorting, he lined up the red bears and counted them. Jack counted 8 red bears, then added 2 blue bears to the end of the line and said, “now it's ten”.
What learning we noticed
Jack used sorting, counting and adding in one clear sequence. He noticed the colours, organised the bears into groups, counted the red bears, and then changed the set by adding two more. When Jack said, “now it's ten”, he showed that he was thinking about the total, not just naming the colours or counting by rote.
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Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships. Partnerships. Respect for diversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. Equity, inclusion and high expectations. Sustainability. Critical reflection and ongoing professional learning. Collaborative leadership and teamwork.
Holistic, integrated and interconnected approaches. Responsiveness to children. Play-based learning and intentionality. Learning environments. Cultural responsiveness. Continuity of learning and transitions. Assessment and evaluation for learning, development and wellbeing.
Three principles are new: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, sustainability, and collaborative leadership and teamwork. Learning through play and intentional teaching became one practice, and cultural competence became cultural responsiveness.
Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships: children learn best when they trust the adults around them, and that trust is built in small, everyday responses. Partnerships: families are children's first and most influential teachers, so their knowledge shapes what you plan. Respect for diversity: children's cultures, languages and family structures are visible and valued, not treated as extras.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives: new in V2.0, it asks services to embed First Nations ways of knowing and being across the program, not only on particular days. Equity, inclusion and high expectations: every child can succeed, and educators remove barriers rather than lowering expectations. Sustainability: new in V2.0, covering environmental, social and economic sustainability, and children as active contributors to it.
Critical reflection and ongoing professional learning: educators question their own practice and keep learning, individually and as a team. Collaborative leadership and teamwork: new in V2.0, it describes shared responsibility for children's learning, with leadership that helps every member of the team do their best work.
Holistic, integrated and interconnected approaches: a child's body, feelings, thinking and relationships are learning together, so a block tower is also maths, language and friendship. Responsiveness to children: noticing a child's ideas and interests and building on them, in the moment and in your planning. Play-based learning and intentionality: play is the main context for learning, and educators take part in it deliberately, knowing why they step in and when to step back.
Learning environments: indoor and outdoor spaces that invite exploration and reflect the children and community. Cultural responsiveness: respecting and drawing on each child's culture, and examining your own. Continuity of learning and transitions: supporting children as they move between rooms, services and into school, with information that travels with them.
Assessment and evaluation for learning, development and wellbeing: gathering and analysing information about children's learning, and evaluating your own program, to decide what to do next. This is where learning stories, observations and planning cycles live.
Version 1 of the EYLF, from 2009, had five principles and eight practices. Its practices included learning through play and intentional teaching as two separate items, and cultural competence and assessment for learning under older names. V2.0 joined the first two into play-based learning and intentionality and renamed the others, so it has seven practices. If a resource lists eight practices or five principles, it was written for version 1.
The five learning outcomes kept their names in V2.0, but several sub-outcomes were reworded, so it is worth checking outcome codes on older templates too.
Official references
These sources inform this guide. StoryLoop is independent and does not claim endorsement.
FAQ
Eight: secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships; partnerships; respect for diversity; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives; equity, inclusion and high expectations; sustainability; critical reflection and ongoing professional learning; and collaborative leadership and teamwork.
Seven. Many lists still say eight because version 1 had eight: V2.0 combined learning through play and intentional teaching into one practice, play-based learning and intentionality.
Children have a strong sense of identity; are connected with and contribute to their world; have a strong sense of wellbeing; are confident and involved learners; and are effective communicators. They did not change in V2.0, though several sub-outcomes were reworded.
No. The principles and practices describe how you work, not labels for each record. ACECQA is clear there is no one way to document; what matters is that your records show children's learning and how your teaching responds to it.
Mostly in the practice of assessment and evaluation for learning, development and wellbeing: a story records what a child did, what you understood about their learning, and what you will do next. Written with families in mind, they also serve the partnerships principle.