Morning Meeting

The Morning Meeting is an integral part of our daily routine in the ELC. It is a gathering of the children signifying the beginning of day and setting the scene for the day ahead. It is an opportunity for children to share their ideas, learning and wonderings with the group.

Each room has slightly different routines that the children very quickly learn and know what to expect each day. The Morning Meeting in each room usually begins with a welcome song, an acknowledgement of country and unique greeting to each other. It provides an opportunity to learn/practise the days of the week and have a look at the weather for the day. The delegates are selected and play a very important role during the Morning Meeting. They help to count the number of children and work out who might be absent. They check the UV rating and advise the children if and when sunscreen is required.

The robust discussion may be about a number of things: current inquiries, reflection on the previous day’s events, what the children have ahead of them during the day, experiences available to them in the room and outside, as well as reminders about essential agreements. During the shared discussion and throughout the day, educators are very mindful of noticing and naming the attributes they are observing in children, for example when children are communicating, researching, thinking, risk-taking, caring.

The concept of a ‘Morning Meeting’ has been with us at the ELC since our opening in 2005. It is wonderful to observe how the practice has been refined over the years but that it remains a significant, celebrated part of each day.

Alicia Flowers
Assistant Director of Early Learning