Wings to Fly

Program details

Program description

Wings to Fly is a strengths-based approach to social and emotional wellbeing for children from birth to 5 years. It is designed to support early years educators to optimise their practice in order to improve overall outcomes for children. The approach builds upon educators’ skills and strategies by developing a greater understanding of brain development in the early years, attachment and the way to build relationships that support children’s resilience and wellbeing.

Through a training session, educators learn strategies to apply in the classroom. These strategies are used to help children recognise their strengths and build their ability to self-regulate, manage their social and emotional wellbeing and build successful relationships with others.

The program consists of 10 modules, each with a range of experiences and activities to enhance children’s learning and skills development. The modules are:

• Sense of identity – Who I am
• Connectedness and building a sense of belonging, being brave
• Feeling calm, breathing, body clues, sensory awareness
• Self-awareness – My feelings, being brave
• Social awareness of others' emotions, empathy
• Learned optimism – Attention
• Learned optimism – Thinking
• Reaching goals one step at a time and problem-solving
• Friendships in early years – Belonging
• People to support children on the journey.

There are 2 delivery modes for Wings to Fly™.

In-service option

In-service training has the most impact and allows for optimum levels of engagement. Training can be provided out of hours (including weekends) to maximise staff attendance.

Prices vary depending on the location and format of the training. Contact provider directly to obtain a quote.

Quoted price includes (where applicable):

• consultant training, preparation and travel time
• flights, accommodation, car hire and/or transfers ex Brisbane
• Wings to Fly™ Facilitator Manuals for participants
• Wings to Fly™ Learning Management System access for participants
• additional printing and handouts
• postage and handling
• venue hire and catering (if training is taking place external to your service).

Live online training

*Available from 1 July 2020

Wings to Fly™ can be delivered via live online training. The training is provided in 4 x 3-hour online sessions.

Price includes:

• consultant training and preparation time
• Wings to Fly™ Facilitator Manual
• Wings to Fly™ Learning Management System access
• additional printing and handouts
• postage and handling
• studio fee
• management and administration fee
• GST.

Detailed cost

• In-service option: contact provider for a quote
• Live online training: $594 per person (including GST; available from 1 July 2020)
• Optional resources: $11–$38.50/item (including GST). Services participating in the Wings to Fly training can purchase additional resources designed to support program implementation. Items include breathing cards, animal puppets, and a breathing wand and sphere. Please see the provider website for details. 

Implementation considerations

• Target population: early childhood educators working with children from 0 to 5 years.
• Staffing: services should consider the cost of backfill in determining the cost of accessing this resource.
• Training requirements: suitable for all early childhood educators and staff that work with children. Educators must attend all sessions, a total of 12 hours, to receive certification. In-service training is capped at 25 educators per program. A minimum of 15 participants is required for Live Online Training, with a recommended attendance of maximum 25.
• Supervision/coaching: all participants have access to an online learning management system, which contains follow-up information for each of the 10 modules. Participants also fill in pre-training and post-training surveys to gauge improvements in educators’ capacity to assist children with their social and emotional wellbeing. Trainers can be contacted by phone or email for ongoing support and mentoring.
• Australian experience: Wings to Fly was developed in Queensland.
• Current best implementation knowledge: training takes 12 hours. Delivery is flexible: it can be 2 full days (best conducted at least a week apart) or 6 x 2-hour sessions. Time between the sessions gives participants the opportunity to absorb information, try new strategies and engage in professional conversations about what they have learned. This prepares them for engagement with the facilitator at the next training and with the remaining content.

VEYLDF alignment

Item uses these practice principles

• Partnerships with families
• High expectations for every child
• Respectful relationships and responsive engagement
• Equity and diversity
• Assessment for learning and development
• Integrated teaching and learning approaches.

Item responds to these sub-outcomes

Children become strong in their social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.