About the tool
Importance of quality for younger, more vulnerable children
ORICL addresses the urgent need to increase educators' specialist knowledge of, and skills for supporting, infants' and toddlers' engagement in learning and improve overall quality. Achieving high quality educational programs for children from birth to two-years can ensure a strong start to life by promoting children’s optimal development, learning and wellbeing in the early childhood setting and at home.
Forward-looking digital tool
As a digital tool, ORICL is designed to support educators in completing their observations of each child over time, during regular day-to-day practice. The ORICL tool features 117 ORICL items across 5 domains (identity, belonging and culture; connectedness with others; emotional and physical wellbeing, constructing knowledge and understandings; communication). Educators can move flexibly between domains and items of observation as educator practice and child opportunities occur. The ORICL has a clear interface, which allows upload of notes and images, and supports easy navigation between observation items, as shown in the sample question below:
What educators are saying about the tool
“I feel like when completing the ORICL, you are really thinking about the child’s emotional and social wellbeing, and skills and abilities – it prompts you to think about how to support development.”Educator in Pilot Study 2017-2019
“with the educator questions, I looked at it from the perspective of our room and all educators and we all interact with the children.” Educator in Pilot Study 2017-2019
“I had to really think to answer the questions and to recall what I have observed and a lot of things came up that I hadn't thought of or thought was part of development.” Educator in Pilot Study 2017-2019
Note: The ORICL tool is not a developmental assessment tool nor a diagnostic tool. It is a tool that aims to support educators in providing child-responsive education and care to promote optimal development and child experience in early childhood settings.
