EYLF Learning Outcome 5: Children Are Effective Communicators
17 December 2025
The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) serves as the guideline for educational curricula in childcare centres across Australia. Established by the Australian Government in 2009, the EYLF has five learning outcomes that support holistic development in children, covering identity, connection to the world, personal wellbeing, learning disposition, and communication.
For parents, understanding the EYLF learning outcomes can provide greater insight into how to support their child best as they grow. This guide focuses on the fifth learning outcome: fostering effective communication.
What is the EYLF Learning Outcome 5?
The EYLF learning outcome 5 is “Children are effective communicators”. This learning outcome guides how children learn to express themselves through speech, behaviour, play, and the use of technology.
Children start communicating from a very young age using gestures, sounds, movement, and words. As children learn new words and ideas, they find their own ways to communicate needs, ideas, and feelings.
Our Early Childhood Educators at Mary MacKillop Childcare North Queensland (MMCNQ) support communication development in children by having conversations, introducing new vocabulary and encouraging self-expression.
Five indicators of the EYLF Learning Outcome 5
Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes
Children learn to communicate in different ways - from babbling and finger pointing in the early years to forming short sentences as toddlers. These verbal and nonverbal responses are the first steps children take in learning to express themselves or share ideas.
The goal is for children to engage in interactions actively, whether in a conversation setting or in response to what they see, hear, touch, feel and taste. As children become more confident in their ability to communicate, they also demonstrate the ability to listen, negotiate, and clarify new information or concepts to further their understanding.
As Educators, we provide opportunities for children to express themselves across a range of situations and pay close attention to their communication efforts, offering correction and appropriate responses to bolster their confidence.
Children engage with a range of texts and gain meaning from these texts
Literacy skills are a core part of communication - children begin to understand what they read and hear by recognising letters, words, and phonetic sounds. At the early stages of learning, children are exposed to simple sounds and patterns in speech, stories, and rhymes to build familiarity. New words and their meanings are slowly introduced as children advance in their literacy development.
Our Educators at MMCNQ provide a literacy-enriched learning environment filled with stories and songs. We encourage children to learn words and sounds within play-based activities, teaching language in Standard Australian English and each child’s individual home language (where possible).
Children express ideas and make meaning using a range of media
Children learn to express new ideas through a range of media, such as dance, drawings, writing scripts, and role-play sessions. Creative play sessions give children room to experiment with different ways of expressing ideas and conveying meaning.
As Educators, we are passionate about inspiring self-expression in children and providing a wide array of resources for them to exercise their creativity. We actively participate in play sessions alongside children to ask questions that prompt further ideation and encourage them to draw on their own experiences and family backgrounds.
Children begin to understand how symbols and pattern systems work
Children are taught how to interpret communication in the form of symbols and patterns, such as hand signs, body language, and the use of colours and shapes. Through play, children begin to recognise patterns and the concepts they represent. A simple example of this is how the colour red is commonly used to signify danger or stoppage, while green is used to represent progress or approval.
At MMCNQ, our Educators guide children in understanding standard symbol systems used in their environment, and give them the freedom to explore the creation of their own symbol systems.
Children use digital technologies and media to access information, investigate ideas and represent their thinking
Children are guided in the use of digital technology and media to gather information, form connections and communities, and further their learning.
Our Educators recognise that digital well-being is a point of concern for many parents, which is why we have a purposeful approach to the use of technology within the childcare setting. Screen time is carefully limited and always conducted under the supervision and guidance of Educators.
Mary MacKillop Childcare North Queensland has five early learning centres and 14 kindergartens in Townsville and across North Queensland, each one offering a warm and supportive environment for children to grow into their best selves.
If you would like to learn more about how our activities and programs are conducted at our childcare centres, please get in touch with our team - we will be more than happy to answer your questions or arrange an in-person visit.
