Yoga and Long Day Care Services

Abstract

Yoga classes are an increasingly popular trend in early childhood education and care services. The purpose of this research is to examine how yoga classes are included in the programs of long day care centres, and how links are drawn between the components of yoga classes, and yogic strategies, and the curriculum framework Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia, and mandated requirements that guide all service providers (and staff and educators in children’s services) to provide an environment that supports children’s growth across all developmental domains. Until recent years, yoga was not considered a suitable activity for environments such as schools and children’s services. In general, only adults attended yoga classes held in specified yoga venues. However, those who study the life skills that are advocated in yoga philosophy agree that yoga is a way of living that supports a healthy lifestyle. According to the National Quality Standard guide, the early childhood curriculum and daily programs should provide children with strategies that will lead to a healthy adulthood. This research project explores the links between the content of the yoga classes in relation to the Early Years Learning Framework and the provision of programs that scaffold children’s levels of development. This research project examines the question: What happens when yoga is included in long day care programs? Sub questions: l How many long day care services in the Gold Coast offer yoga? 1 How does yoga fit with the legislated ECEC curriculum frameworks? 1 What matters to educators and parents about including yoga in the long day care programs? Case study research methodology is used to examine how yoga is included in long day care services. Part One of the research project uses surveys to scope the early childhood education and care long-day care centres that include yoga classes in their service delivery. Part Two uses interviews to examine the perceptions of early childhood educators and yoga teachers about yoga in the early education and care programs. On the surface, yoga classes are valued as part of the curriculum for services that include yoga in the weekly program. Early childhood services encapsulate a social culture of their own, that includes the beliefs and values of the staff and the families using the services. This social culture needs to be considered when planning and implementing pedagogical strategies in the daily program. However, this project found that there is a paucity of research about the pedagogy of yoga in early childhood services. This project pinpoints the need to examine the use of extracurricular classes, including yoga, as part of the delivery of programs in early childhood services. Additionally, there is a need for research about how practising yoga can support early childhood development and provide strategies for continued health and well-being through a socio-cultural lens. This research project concludes that there is no empirical evidence to confirm that yogic practices or extra-curricular yoga classes in early childhood increase the potential for health and well-being in adulthood. Recommendations for early education and care long-day care centres are three-fold. Firstly, it is necessary to collaborate with all stakeholders including children about the opportunities to participate in yoga classes. Secondly, we must examine the content activities of the yoga classes and practices and how they fit with the aspirations and expectations of parents and children. Finally, the third step is to assure a match between what the curriculum requires for children’s development and the content activities in the yoga classes. This has particular relevance to the professional knowledge of educators and yoga teachers. These recommendations are important considerations in the decision-making about the inclusion (or not) of yoga classes in the delivery of the curriculum of long day care services.