Reflective practice in early childhood education – growing as educators and growing alongside children
Reflective practice is at the heart of quality early childhood education. It is the process by which educators examine their own beliefs, values, assumptions, and practices — and consider how these influence the experiences and outcomes of the children and families they work with.
Reflective practice is not a one-off activity or a box to tick. It is an ongoing, deeply personal, and often challenging process of growth and learning. And it is one of the most powerful things an educator can do to improve the quality of their practice.
What is reflective practice?
At its simplest, reflective practice means thinking carefully and critically about your work. It means asking questions like:
- Why did I do that?
- What did I assume?
- What did I miss?
- What would I do differently?
- What does this tell me about my values and beliefs?
- How does this connect to what I know about this child?
These questions can be asked individually — in a private journal or notebook — or collectively, in conversation with colleagues, mentors, or leaders. Both approaches are valuable, and both are important.
Why does reflective practice matter?
Reflective practice matters for several reasons:
- It improves practice. When educators reflect on what they do and why, they are more likely to notice what's working and what isn't — and to make changes that improve outcomes for children.
- It supports professional identity. Reflective practice helps educators develop a clear sense of who they are as professionals — what they believe, what they value, and what kind of educator they want to be.
- It deepens understanding of children. When educators reflect on their interactions with children, they develop a richer understanding of each child — their interests, their strengths, their ways of being in the world.
- It supports collaboration. Shared reflective practice — where educators reflect together on their work — builds trust, deepens professional relationships, and supports collective learning.
- It is required by regulatory frameworks. Most ECE regulatory and curriculum frameworks — including the NQS and EYLF in Australia, and Te Whāriki in New Zealand — include an expectation that educators will engage in reflective practice as part of their professional role.
Reflective practice in action
What does reflective practice look like in practice? Here are some examples:
Individual reflection
- Keeping a reflective journal — writing regularly about your practice, your observations, your questions, and your learnings
- Reviewing documentation you've created and asking critical questions about it
- Reading professional literature and considering how it connects to your practice
- Taking time after a challenging interaction to think about what happened and what you might do differently
Collaborative reflection
- Team meetings that include time for shared reflection — not just administration
- Mentoring and coaching relationships that create space for honest conversation about practice
- Peer observation — watching a colleague work and reflecting together on what you noticed
- Professional learning communities or communities of practice that bring educators together around shared questions and interests
Documentation as a tool for reflection
Documentation is one of the most powerful tools for reflective practice in ECE. When educators document children's learning — through stories, photos, videos, and written observations — they are not just creating a record. They are engaging in a process of observation, interpretation, and meaning-making that is inherently reflective.
Tools like Storypark can support this process by making it easy to capture, organise, and revisit documentation. When educators can look back over a period of time and see how a child has grown, or how their own practice has evolved, it creates rich opportunities for reflection and learning.
Challenges to reflective practice
Reflective practice is not always easy. Some of the common challenges include:
- Time. Reflective practice takes time — time that many educators feel they don't have. Finding ways to build reflection into the rhythms of practice, rather than treating it as an add-on, is important.
- Psychological safety. Honest reflection requires a safe environment — one where educators feel they can be vulnerable, admit mistakes, and ask difficult questions without fear of judgment or reprisal. Creating this environment is a leadership responsibility.
- Discomfort. Genuine reflection can be uncomfortable. It can surface assumptions we didn't know we had, challenge beliefs we hold dear, and require us to change in ways that feel difficult. This discomfort is a sign that the reflection is working.
- Isolation. Reflective practice can be lonely, particularly for educators who work in isolation or who don't have access to supportive professional relationships. Finding communities of practice — online or in person — can help.
Supporting reflective practice as a leader
ECE leaders play a crucial role in supporting and enabling reflective practice within their teams. Some strategies:
- Model reflective practice yourself — share your own questions, learnings, and challenges with your team
- Create regular, protected time for individual and collective reflection
- Build psychological safety — actively create an environment where it's safe to be honest, vulnerable, and uncertain
- Provide access to professional learning that deepens reflective capacity — mentoring, coaching, communities of practice
- Use tools like Storypark to support documentation and reflection, and to make the process more accessible and sustainable
Conclusion
Reflective practice is not a destination — it's a journey. It is the commitment to ongoing learning and growth that separates good educators from great ones. And it is one of the most important investments you can make in your own professional development and in the quality of the experiences you provide for children and families.
About the author
Sharon Carlson is an experienced early childhood educator and leader with a deep commitment to reflective practice and professional learning. She has worked across a range of ECE settings and brings a thoughtful, evidence-informed approach to supporting educators in their work.
