One of the most common challenges I hear from educators is this:
“We’ve done the cultural training… but how do we actually put it into practice?”
It’s a question that comes from a good place, educators want to do justice to the cultural knowledge they’ve gained, but often feel unsure how to translate it into their programming, documentation, and day-to-day practice.
The truth is, cultural learning and curriculum planning shouldn’t be seen as two separate programs. They are one and the same. And this is where my experience as both a Wiradjuri woman and a trained early childhood teacher comes in, helping educators bridge that gap between knowing and doing.
Why Cultural Learning and Curriculum Go Hand in Hand
When educators see cultural education as something “extra” or separate from the curriculum, it risks becoming tokenistic.
Embedding Aboriginal perspectives isn’t about adding a new box to tick; it’s about transforming how we view teaching and learning. It’s about seeing culture not as an add-on, but as the lens through which we design, observe, and respond to children’s experiences.
This doesn’t mean turning every experience into an Aboriginal one. It means approaching programming through an intercultural mindset, where Aboriginal and Western pedagogies sit side by side, each strengthening the other.
From Training to Transformation
Many services complete foundational training on embedding Aboriginal perspectives, and that’s an important first step. But the real work begins afterwards, when educators go back to their program books, reflections, and planning cycles.
This is where I support teams to:
- Deconstruct their current program to see where Aboriginal pedagogies are already present.
- Identify natural connections between children’s interests, environmental learning, and cultural perspectives.
- Use frameworks such as the 8 Ways of Learning to structure inquiry, exploration, and reflection.
- Reframe observations to include relational, environmental, and cultural elements, seeing learning through multiple lenses.
It’s not about starting from scratch. It’s about using what educators already do well and weaving culture through it intentionally.
The Role of Pedagogical Mentorship
As a qualified early childhood teacher, I understand both the technical side of programming and the cultural sensitivities that come with embedding Aboriginal perspectives.
This means I can sit shoulder to shoulder with educators, unpacking planning documents, analysing documentation, and supporting them to:
- Embed Aboriginal perspectives into existing learning cycles.
- Strengthen alignment with EYLF outcomes.
- Move beyond isolated “cultural activities” to sustained intercultural practice.
I help educators see that this is not two different ways of working, it’s one holistic pedagogy that honours both Country and curriculum.
Bringing Learning Full Circle
When educators bridge cultural learning and practice, something shifts. They stop asking, “Where does this fit?” and start realising, “It’s already here.”
- A child’s play in the garden becomes a chance to talk about Caring for Country.
- A yarning circle becomes a group reflection session that aligns with intentional teaching.
- Art and storytelling become pathways to explore language, symbolism, and emotional literacy.
Cultural learning doesn’t sit on the edges of the program, it flows through every part of it, grounding children in belonging, identity, and respect.
One Program, One Purpose
When we stop separating cultural learning from curriculum planning, we give children the gift of a truly holistic education, one where learning is not just cognitive, but relational, reflective, and grounded in Country.
Because at its heart, early childhood education is about connection, to people, to place, and to story.
And that’s what Aboriginal ways of knowing have always taught us.
How Koori Curriculum Can Support This Work
At Koori Curriculum, we support services to make this integration possible through our Programming, Planning and Pedagogy workshops and our Pedagogue in Residence program.
Through our workshops, we guide teams to deconstruct their current practice and see how Aboriginal pedagogies can naturally sit within existing frameworks.
And through our Pedagogue in Residence model, we visit services regularly, working alongside educators in real time to co-reflect, co-plan, and co-create programs that bring cultural learning to life in authentic, achievable ways.
It’s about collaboration, not consultation, learning together, on Country, through practice.
If your service would like support bringing cultural learning to life through practice, book a Programming, Planning and Pedagogy workshop, or connect with us about developing an ongoing Pedagogue in Residence program, where we work alongside your team to embed Aboriginal perspectives sustainably and meaningfully across your curriculum.
