Early Times Summer 2014

Summer 2014 | Issue 1

Win

A Sho in Ire rt Break lan 2 Peo d for ple

Playing

the way to Big School

Hazy Days of

Summer How to keep safe in the sun with the Safe Sun Code

Learning and Developing  Health and Wellbeing  Books Support and Mentoring  Business  News  Interviews News Policy Roundup  Special Interest  Regional Focus

ISBN 978-0-9566506-1-0

9 780956 650610

Welcome

FROM CEO TERESA HEENEY

and the challenges of including children with additional needs in their service, respectively.

I

am delighted to welcome you to the first edition of Early Times, the new Early Childhood Ireland magazine for members. We had a naming competition for the new magazine at the annual conference in April. We had some great suggestions - some bird like ‘Chirp’, some cow like ‘Moos’, but in the end we went with Early Times. We hope you like it.

This magazine has come into being on foot of requests from members who kept telling us at meetings around the country that you miss having a hard copy magazine, a magazine that will sit on the staff room table, to be flicked through at ease. Members said they wanted a magazine that was full of news and ideas but that could be read quickly because their day is so busy. So we hope that we have kept to that brief in this first issue.

Every issue will contain curriculum ideas and in this issue there are ideas about the World Cup and preparing the children in your service for the transition to ‘Big School’ as well as physical exercise tips for children of all ages. Each issue will also contain a spotlight on members. This issue has articles with members in Roscommon and North Dublin, talking about bringing farming into their service

We know how many of our members are studying at the moment so we will also include interviews with leading theorists and academics. Stuart Shanker is interviewed in this issue about self-regulation as an approach to behavior management and Professor Noirin Hayes sets out her opinions on the future of the Irish Early Childhood Education system. And after all that, we have an article on mindfulness with young children, with ideas on slowing it all down.

We will always include updates about changes in the sector as well as highlighting particular policy shifts.

As we approach the long (hopefully warm) summer, change is in the air.

We have a new Minister for Children & Youth Affairs, new National Quality Standards in the offing, a new Registration system, and a new National Early Years strategy is due to be launched. As the new CEO of Early Childhood Ireland, my job is to charter a course through this change and to advocate for what is best for children and our members. Our sector is characterized by high expectations but with low levels of investment from government in comparison with our European counterparts. We need to work together to generate the political will necessary to make significant changes in our sector. We must never underestimate our strength and voice.

Early Childhood Ireland’s 3,400 members employ 16,500 staff and work with over 100,000 parents. We must use this huge, collective voice to make improvements for our sector.

Over the coming months we will be calling on our members to bring our 2015 prebudget submission entitled ‘Getting the Best Start’ to the attention of local politicians. We know that all politics are local and we are challenging the Government in this submssion to move beyond the rhetoric and to make additional investment of €351 million in the early childhood education sector in 2015 via increased capitation, training and support for children with special needs. While this is a lot of money, we would remind Government of the €300 million plus taken out of the sector in 2009 when the Early Childhood Supplement was removed. Only quality childcare counts and good quality childcare costs.

We have already written to Minister Flanagan seeking a meeting, to discuss, among other things, where his priorities are for mentoring and training and to define the critical money to fuel the drive to quality and compliance across the sector.

Through Early Times we will salute our members. We will inform them, listen to them, reflect their concerns and celebrate their achievements. We hope that you will enjoy this issue. Please let us know what you like and don’t like and what you would like to see included. Please send all feedback to earlytimes@earlychildhoodireland.ie.

It is through your feedback that we will make Early Times a worthwhile read and resource for you.

Best regards

Teresa Teresa Heeney Chief Executive Officer

Hello Reader!

I’m privileged and very honoured as the associate editor to welcome you to the first edition of Early Times. This magazine will reflect what you the members want to read, articles drawn from the perspective and experience of other professionals in the field, updates and information relevant to the early childhood care and education sector. Our intention is that this extra resource will support your work in early childhood education settings.

To celebrate the very first Early Times magazine we have a short break in Ireland to give to the author of the ‘star’ letter. Maybe you want to comment on policy or relate an experience to advise members.

We want to hear what you have to say and share your views on our new Letters Page with other members.

Send your letters to Caitlin Gaffney earlytimes@earlychildhoodireland.ie It’s that easy.. Good luck!

Ca itlin Ga ffn ey

Contents 03

Playing the way to Big School, Helping Children Make the Transition to ‘Big’ School

07 In Conversation with

Stuart Shanker about Self-Regulation

20

Reflections from Abroad Lea Ann Christenson

22 Mindfulness

Take a Moment to Relax 23

Business Advantage, How to Market Your Brand Top Books

10

Move to Learn & Live to Move

25

12

Special Interest. Noirin Hayes Interview

26 Farmyard in Your Schoolyard

14

Roll on Those Hazy Days of Summer, Follow the Safe Sun Code

15

Football Frenzy, World Cup Fever

27

Minister Profile, Early Childhood Ireland Welcomes TD Charlie Flanagan as the new Minister for Children & Youth Affairs

16 Inclusive Preschool Education

28

Who’s Who in Early Childhood Ireland

17

29

3 Questions from the Sector

30

Keeping up with Changes and Developments in the Sector

In Conversation with Catherine Dwyer about Early Intervention

18

Research Update, Growing Up in Ireland study

19

Children and Grief

10

15

18 The information contained in Early Times is, to the best of our knowledge, accurate at the time of publication.

The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of Early Childhood Ireland.

ISBN 978-0-9566506-1-0 Designed by Design Farm, www.designfarm.ie

Win

the Perfect Short Break in Ireland for Two People

Enter our Free Competition by sharing your opinions on our new Letters Page about the early childhood education sector.  Four Star Hotel  Two nights Bed & Breakfast  Plus One Evening Meal Send your letters to Caitlin Gaffney

earlytimes@earlychildhoodireland.ie

Learning and Developing

y a w e g h t n i y a l P l o o h ig’ sc

to ‘b

Helping children make the transition to ‘big’ school Musician: What are you going to do in Big School?

Joseph: Play!

Clive: and learn Educator: What are you going to learn?

Evan: Homework … to do homework … and play outside!

Musician: What else are you going to do?

Joseph: Go swimming and reading Evan: and homework and counting From the Tiny Voices Project

I

t’s the time of year when many of the children in preschool settings are talking about the move to big school. Some are getting new school uniforms, some have been to visit their new classroom teacher and some already are very knowledgeable about the whole process because they have older siblings. We know that this is a significant transition for young children and the research (Margetts, 1999; Dunlop, 2003) clearly tells us that a good transition bodes well for life and achievement in school. As early childhood educators, we want the children to be well prepared for the transition – and we may even have a role in ensuring that the school is ready for them. In this article, we focus on the role of play in helping children (i) to deal with their issues and concerns and (ii) to find answers to their questions and inquiries about school and (iii) to develop core skills required for a successful start in school.

Why play?

In play, children play out their experiences and understanding about contexts and roles. In the home corner, we are often given an insight into how they perceive the role of mothers and fathers, big sisters, grannies, doctors and shopkeepers. A key feature of

‘Pretend you’re at school’ says Mairéad ‘and pretend I come to collect you’. Trudi and Aoife sit together in the book corner. ‘School is over now’ says Trudi, ‘let’s go’.

They leave and approach Mairéad, the mam. ‘No’ she says ‘you have to stay in the class until I come to collect you’. ‘My sister doesn’t do that’ says Trudi ‘she comes out to the gate’. ‘My brother stays in the class’ says Mairéad ‘so you have to stay in the class.’

early times summer 2014 3

Learning and Developing

older children into the preschool room so that they can introduce them to all the school activities.

roleplaying parents for example is that they give a lot of orders, sometimes cajole and bribe with promises of parties and are constantly busy cooking and cleaning and putting children to bed.

When we give children an opportunity to play school – we are likely to get an insight into how they perceive teachers, what they understand as school work and how they construct the rules of school.

Here we see the children discuss one of the rules of school and the questions: who will collect me and where and when?

On one occasion, I came across a mother and her 2 children, a 7 year old girl and 4 year old boy on the way to school. The little boy is sitting on the kerb, complaining that he has a pain in his leg and can’t walk. The mother is frustrated and shouting at him to get up and move. I can see his reluctance to go to school and I wonder why. Did something happen the day before that has turned him off? Could it be that he’s heard some negative stories from other children and has decided, long before he has given it a chance, that school is not for him? Many children have preconceived notions about school that influence their expectations and

4 early times summer 2014

their experience from the beginning.

They start from a position of not trusting teacher, of fearing that they won’t be able to do what’s expected of them and feeling that they have no control or choice in the situation. I wondered then if the little boy had an opportunity to talk about his concerns. What could have been done to allay his fears, change his expectations and build his confidence?

Children’s play is a very helpful tool in creating opportunities to talk about school. Play itself is children’s way of talking about things. Some children will enact the role of teacher as encouraging and cajoling, while others will focus on her power and anger. This is children’s way of sharing their perceptions and listening to the perspectives of others. When we observe play episodes where teacher presents as cross and punishing, we have a chance, particularly at circle time, to talk about it. Where the rules of school demand that you sit at a desk and do your work, we can discuss all the activities that happen at school, including indoor and outdoor play, story-telling, art, music etc. We can read stories about school that offer positive perspectives. It’s a good idea to invite a teacher in so that they can see how friendly he/she is, or to invite

With the children, discuss what they might need to play school and develop a prop box with their suggestions. Make sure to include play equipment and favourite books and jigsaws. Perhaps one day a week for the last term, the play room can be organised as a class room for an hour and the whole group, children and adults, can play school.

Children and educators can take turns being the teacher. Educators as teachers can emphasise all the things that the children know and can do. Educators, as children, can model telling teacher about their ideas and asking questions.

Later, at small circle time the educator can discuss with children how the teacher could make school really nice for children. Children could draw pictures of what they’d like to see and do at school and maybe this wish list could be shared with teachers. In this way, children begin to feel they have some voice in what happens to them.

Observations and assessments in the last term could be documented with ‘big’ school in mind. What do we want to tell the new teachers about each child? What are their particular skills and interests? Who are their friends and what makes them likeable? It would be good to share these ‘learning stories’ with the new teachers and even organise to have them on the new classroom wall when the children arrive. Teacher can discuss them with the children and immediately establish a positive rapport with each one.

Here is an example of a learning story from the Early Childhood Ireland publication (2014) ‘Documenting the Curriculum’. The educator has observed a play episode that she shares with the children and then asks them to help her write about Morgan. What will we say about him? Will we say he has really good ideas? Will we say that people like to play with him? The following is the report that emerges – which Morgan can now take with him to school.

Learning and Developing

The learning episode: Morgan uses lids as a code for getting into the secret lab. Patrick and Samuel join him and they play a story about codes and laboratories and dinosaur caves and being adventurers. Morgan moves to the climbing frame with Áine and they build a fire on top of the mountain.

This is what the educator and the children said about him: Morgan thinks of very clever ideas. Other children want to join in because he’s good fun to play with. Patrick is his friend. He is very kind – that is why he has lots of friends. Aistear theme 1: Aim 1 He played this game for almost an hour so he’s very good at concentrating and staying with ideas. He also listens to other children – he doesn’t want to have his own way all the time.

Aistear theme 3: Aims 1, 2 Morgan knows a lot –this story shows what he knows about laboratories and codes and dinosaurs. He knows Irish too.

Aistear theme 3: Aims 2 and 3

Developing core skills required for school through play The research tells us that primary among the skills that children need for school is the skills for making friends and for self-regulation. Both of these include the ability to  Select and contribute ideas and actions that fit with the play  Communicate their intentions and make them clear to others  Notice and follow the ideas of others  Generate good feeling  Play their roles appropriately by managing their behaviours

a position to welcome and trust in the contribution of others. They can sustain a play story because they generate good feeling, use cooperative tones and give others a chance to contribute.

They can stay in role and behave in ways that are obvious to others. If they’re the patient, they listen to the doctor.

The shopkeeper collects the money.

The customer waits to be served in the restaurant. Good players demonstrate the skills of give and take, leading and following and sharing their ideas. These are the social skills that allow children to develop a play story, to make friends and to regulate their behaviours.

Successful children make their initiatives clear and visible at emotional, action and verbal level. They can select and control their actions and stall them to pay attention to others. They are socially aware and attentive to what is going on around them. They can join in the play and follow the ideas and plans of others. They are confident that their own contributions are seen and recognised and that puts them in

Educators need to help children to develop these skills. Play allows children to practice these skills and to learn from one another. Play also allows the educator to identify children who need help and to give that help in the play moments when it is most meaningful and effective. In one group, for example, Stan is very impulsive and likely to knock things over or throw them. Susan quits at the slightest suggestion of frustration or

rejection and Jane has difficulty making friends because she needs help with the skills of connection. Each educator ensures that they spend at least 5 minutes each day working on skills with these children.

The following describes one such support moment with Stan. On the positive side, Stan exudes friendliness, spirit and good humour and sometimes the children warm to him and are amused by him. He is insuppressibly energetic and loves to play. He idolises John who at times is very kind to him and from whom he learns many play skills. Other times he feels threatened by him because Stan doesn’t introduce his intentions and then John doesn’t know how to interpret them. He seems to feel the need to take very big initiatives in order to draw attention to himself. The following demonstrates a typical exchange.

David and John select outfits from the dress-up rack. David finds the ‘police’ jacket. John is sitting down as the educator helps him to put on the firefighter’s overalls. Stan selects the ‘pirate’ outfit and pushes it forcefully at John who gets a fright and thinks Stan is hitting him. He shoves him away.

Educator (very gently) speaks to both of them: John, Stan was showing it to you.

You were wearing that yesterday and he thinks you want it again. He wants to be your friend. Stan – you have to say ‘John, would you like the pirate clothes - so that John knows what you’re doing’

Children’s play is a very helpful tool in creating opportunities to talk about school. Play itself is children’s way of talking about things. early times summer 2014 5

Learning and Developing

Preparing for ‘big’ school is not about numbers and letters and colouring inside the line. It is about having a sense of wellbeing, being confident in your identity as a competent player and learner...

John’s attitude changes and he helps Stan to put on his own dress-up jacket the right way round.

Later in the morning John again misinterprets Stan’s approaches and appears annoyed and intimidated. Again the educator helps John to understand Stan’s intentions and helps Stan to make his intention clear. By helping Stan in these moments, the educator is building his skills for friendly interaction.

Conclusion Going to ‘big’ school is not the first transition that children make. They have made the major transition into

early childhood education setting already. They make transitions daily between different parts of the daily routine. In all of these experiences they are learning to manage in new situations and new groups.

Preparing for ‘big’ school is not about numbers and letters and colouring inside the line. It is about having a sense of well-being, being confident in your identity as a competent player and learner, being able to communicate and relate to others and about retaining a lively interest in thinking and exploring the world around you (Aistear: NCCA, 2009). Play is children’s tool for

learning these things and an excellent medium through which early childhood educators can listen to children and (i) support them in the moment, (ii) extend their play opportunities and themes and (iii) identify their concerns and interest and find ways to respond and develop them.

If you want to learn more about these strategies, see the Early Childhood Ireland website for Marte Meo interaction training: http://www.earlychildhoodireland.ie/ training-and-education/professionallearning/marte-meo-programme/

References Dunlop A-W (2003) Bridging Children’s Early Education Transitions Through Teacher Collaboration. Paper presented at NZARE/AARE Conference “Educational Research, Risks, & Dilemmas”. University of Auckland, 29 November - 3 December. NZARE Early Childhood Ireland (2013) Documenting the Curriculum. Dublin. ECI Margetts K (1999) Transition to School: Looking Forward. Paper presented at the AECA Conference Darwin, July14-17 1999. Retrieved from the worldwide web at: www.aeca.org.au/darconfmarg.html

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iNTERVIEW

Early Childhood Ireland in conversation with

Stuart Shanker about self-regulation

W

elcome to this series introducing significant researchers and theorists in the field of early childhood care and education. Early Childhood Ireland engages with these people in our efforts to learn more about children’s lives and to bring that learning to our members.

In each article, we discuss a theme and then focus on the learning emerging from this particular conversation. Here it’s Stuart Shanker who was a key note speaker at the Early Childhood Ireland ‘Gathering’ conference in October 2013 in the Aviva Stadium. He talked about self-regulation.

Stuart Shanker is a distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy and Psychology at York University and Director of the Milton and Ethel Harris Research Initiative at York University (www.mehri.ca). Over the past decade he has served as an advisor on early child development to government organizations across Canada and the US and countries around the world. He is currently rolling out a self-regulation classroom initiative under the auspices of the Ministry of Education in British Columbia (www.self-regulation.ca).

ers ECI memb e whole can hear th n on presentatio

eland. childhoodir www.early hanker ie/StuartS

Stuart Shanker is a professor, researcher and author. Among his recent papers are Calm, Alert and Learning: Classroom Strategies for Self-Regulation (2012) and Human Development in the 21st Century (with Alan Fogel and Barbara King, 2008).

The points summarised here are also made in his books and articles which are referenced throughout this summary.

What is self–regulation?

According to Shanker (2012), selfregulation is the ability to manage one’s energy states, including emotions, behaviours and attention, so that they can develop good relationships, focus on learning and maintain a state of wellbeing. Self-regulation is not the same as self-control and compliance.

Rather, it involves being able to deal effectively and efficiently with distraction and stressors in our lives and in the environment – for example, people, noise, light, and movement, or chaotic experiences during childhood.

Managing these takes energy and for some children (and indeed adults) demands enormous energy, depending on the activity, the situation, and most importantly, the child. In other words, two children might have to spend very different amounts of physical, emotional and intellectual energy in order to engage in the same activity.

Some children need to calm down, others need to liven up. Blair and Diamond (2008) tells us that successful self-regulation is the ability to deal with greater and greater challenges with optimal energy.

How is self-regulation developed?

Bronson (2001) tells us that self regulation is the crowning achievement of early childhood and that’s why the concept is so important to parents and early childhood educators. Trevarthen (1986) tells us that the first relationships with family form the basis of baby’s psychological system and his/her facility for self-regulation. Vygotsky (1986) describes how a baby begins to internalise what parents do as they help their children to manage the world around them, to develop routines and regulate their emotions. For example, in comforting a baby, the mother teaches the baby how to comfort him/herself. In talking the baby through waiting a few minutes for a feed, the mother teaches the baby to manage feelings and routines. With interactions such as ‘you want the teddy. You’re giving teddy a hug’, the mother teaches him/her to recognise and manage their thoughts and actions. Stern (1985:102) tells us that the mother (or caregiver) fulfills an essential role as a “self-regulating other”. She regulates the infant’s emotional intensity and sense of security and attachment so that by year 2 the child is beginning to manage their own impulses. In the preschool year, most children are very alert to social cues and to what is expected of them in different situations and are able to use their thinking processes to control their emotions and impulses.

Play and self-regulation According to Vygotsky (1933) and supported by extensive research (Singer, Golinkoff and Hirsh-Pasek 2006; Sevina 2014) play teaches self-regulation.

early times summer 2014 7

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 In play, children learn to behave in ways that are in keeping with the pretend roles and situations that they enact. This means they need to manage their impulses and select appropriate behaviours.  In play, children make one thing stand for another. In pretending that a stick is a horse, they work with the new meaning rather than the object itself. Their thinking now governs their behaviour.  In play, children talk to themselves because it helps them to manage and sequence what they are doing.

This self talk, according to Vygotsky, becomes internalised and underpins self-regulation.  Finally, in play, children learn to use gesture and talk to share their initiatives, to resolve differences and to agree roles, rules and play stories.





Shanker’s Keynote Addresses In two keynote addresses Stuart Shanker focussed on  Self regulation problems  How self-regulation develops  Strategies for supporting selfregulation

The problem



 The problem of children who cannot self-regulate is exploding since the late 1980s. Educators need to understand the reasons why a child might be having trouble paying attention, ignoring distractors,

3 responses humans have to stress

1

They go to someone for help – this is usually the best response

2

They go into flight or fight mode

3

They freeze, the face goes blank and breathing feels constricted. This is very frightening.

8 early times summer 2014

inhibiting his/her impulses, modulating his/her emotions, and overall, maintaining a state of being calmly focused and alert. In far too many cases the problem lies in the excessive levels of stress that the child is struggling with.

Self regulation is not the same as self control and compliance. It’s about managing the body’s ability to remain stable. The biological system we have to deal with stress and recovery is known as homeostasis.

Stress is anything that disrupts the homeostasis. Some stress is important in our lives but when we have too much the brain starts to shut things down.

Stress consumes enormous energy, burning up our store of glucose in the body. When we meet crisis, the body immediately responds by saving energy. The digestive system is often the first to close down because it is hard on energy. Circulation in our outer extremities – fingers, toes etc. stops. Our self-awareness system shuts down and we often feel sleepy.

The Prefrontal cortex closes so that we don’t spend time and energy thinking.

We move into fight or flight mode.

The consequence of the brain not coping with stress is illness. Too much stress results in  Aggression  Impulsive behaviour  Inattention  Lack of responsiveness –

child can’t hear his/her

name being called  Crabby in the morning etc.  Low energy – and problems

appear bigger to the person

What are the stressors?  Lack of sleep. There are 2 kinds of sleep, restorative, and non-restorative when the brain is still active. Exposure to technology doesn’t help.  A big stressor for children is adults – so the mental well-being of the teacher is really important  Understanding stress helps us to reframe a child’s behaviour.

Development of selfregulation There are 3 periods of profound brain development and reorganisation that offer significant opportunities for improving self-regulation.  Birth – 3 years  10 – 12 years  18 – 20 years Brain development: The brain is very underdeveloped at birth. The dyadic relationship between the carer and the child is the fundamental unit of early brain development. Genes do not do it alone. A brain must hook up with another brain – so brain development is really inter-brain development.

The adult’s higher order brain with regulatory functions hooks up with the baby’s lower order brain to generate development. The brain makes 700 synapses every second and this back and forth interaction between 2 brains is pivotal to this. The teacher is almost as important to this development as the parent.

Difference: Every brain comes into the world different. Some need a lot of stimulus to arouse them into action – while others need quiet and calm to calm their responses. We need to read the signs. The notion that all children need constant stimulation to develop is a myth.

Strategies for supporting self–regulation: How to fight back Educators have a key role because they spend a lot of time with children and come to know them well. There are 4 steps in managing stress and developing self-regulation  Be a detective: Identify the stressors and then both what helps the child stay calm and alert and what causes hyper-arousal.  Exercise. Exercise that works children’s deep muscles is very effective.  Develop self awareness through mindfulness: By using mindfulness principles, children can identify their own arousal states. Once they begin

iNTERVIEW

to understand their own arousal states we can help them to learn how to manage them. For example, counting, lying down or a physical activity such as stretching, push-ups, or star jumps can be very regulating.

In this way, we can help children to identify and manage stress for themselves.  Play. When play emerges from children’s interests they become involved. It helps them to consider the perspectives of others and figure out what they are thinking.

Play encourages communication about what each person wants and fosters connections between objects, people and ideas. It is a challenge that children can take on which requires self-direction in order to maintain.

Questions 1. Think of a child in your service. Does this help you to understand what is going on for him/her?

2. How many of the stressors identified are a problem in your service.

3. Choose one strategy that you could implement.

Common stressors:  Noise is a problem. The brain has to do 2 jobs (i) cut out the sound source and (ii) continue with its task.  Gravity – we spend a lot of energy fighting gravity. Sitting in a chair is difficult. Children need to play. When a child has a tantrum – it’s best to lie down.  Video games such as Mario Kart games increase dopamine levels – creates craving – is a stressor that uses the brain’s supply of glucose and leads to aggression.

Questions What are the stressors in your life?

How do they affect you?

How do you manage stress?

 Adults cause stress. Teachers need to become mindful – to be aware of tension and take steps to reduce it. Adults can switch tension on and off – they can consciously let go of tension – children can’t. We have to teach them.  Some environments make children work very hard – noise, lights, busyness etc.

Low cost techniques to help  Weather strip doors and windows to block out noise  3 Cs – curtains, carpets and corner traps: Heavy curtains – thick carpet and foam wedges at top and bottom in corners to absorb sound  Create a quiet area – with partitions lined with micro fibre or egg cartons

to absorb sound. Bean bags are good for gravity. Allow children in there one child at a time. It is critically important that this is not a punishment or ‘time out’ space – rather a space that the child and teacher can experience together and talk about how they feel. It is a place to develop self-regulation skills – a zone for being calm, focussed and alert to feelings  Technology can be useful: Ipads and headsets may be helpful for choosing sounds and images that we like. Good specialised video programmes can enhance self-regulation The good news according to Shanker is that there is no such thing as a child we can’t teach to self-regulate.

References Blair and Diamond Blair, C., & A. Diamond. 2008. “Biological Processes in Prevention and Intervention: The Promotion of SelfRegulation as a Means of Preventing School Failure.” Development and Psychopathology 20: 899–911.

Bronson Bronson, M. B. (2001). Self-regulation in early childhood: Nature and nurture. New York: Guilford.

Stuart Shankar (2012) Self-Regulation: Calm, Alert and Learning, Education Canada, 50:3 http://www.cea-ace.ca/education-canada/ article/self-regulation-calm-alert-and-learning#_ftn1 Stuart Shanker and Roger Downer (2013), “Enhancing the Potential in Children (EPIC),” in Critical Issues in Policy in the Early Years, ed.

H. Denise. London, Sage.

Stern, D. N. (1985). The Interpersonal World of the Infant: A View from Psychoanalysis and Development Psychology. Basic Books, New York.

Trevarthen, C. (1986). Development of intersubjective motor control in infants. In M.G. Wade and H.T.A. Whiting (Eds.) Motor Development in Children: Aspects of and Control. Dordrecht, Martinus Nijhof, 209-261.

Vygotsky, L. (1978) Vygotsky, L. S. (1986). Thought and Language, A. Kozulin, (Ed. and Trans.), Cambridge, MA.: MIT Press.

Vygotsky, L. (1933) Play and its Role in the Mental Development of the Child. Accessible online at http://www.marxists.org/archive/ vygotsky/works/1933/play.htm. Accessed 9th May, 2014.

early times summer 2014 9

Learning and Developing

n r a e L o t e v o M e v o M o t e v i L & D

o you remember the joy of playing chasing as a child, of rolling down a hill, of swinging so high you were scared, or of pushing the swing till your arms ached? Well as it turns out, physical activity, which we took for granted, is key to health and well-being. Research is telling us that children should be active at a moderate to vigorous level for at least 60 minutes per day. So, consider the opportunities you provide for children to be physically active in your service, every day.

Children want to move. In fact to learn about their own bodies and to learn how to manage in the world children have to move. Remember, children

10 early times summer 2014

develop physically from head to toe, so a baby gains control of her head, to look and follow movement long before she manages to control her legs and walk. Likewise children develop from the trunk of their body out to the extremities of fingers and toes, so that they can roll and sit before they can hold a pencil.

Becoming physically competent seems easy and natural but children need lots and lots of practice to develop confidence in their abilities. We are lucky that play is one of the things children are naturally driven to do and it is also one of the best ways that children move and learn.

Babies learn through their senses, they physically reach out to grasp and feel. Through hands on experience of standing on a hard table, touching a soft ball, squeezing a squishy toy or prodding a prickly brush, a baby’s touch system develops. The baby learns to interpret sensory information, integrate it with the other senses and react. Very quickly the baby reaches out and touches the flower, she feels the softness of the silky petals, smells the perfume and pulls the flower towards herself. Sometimes she may also feel a thorn and pull back immediately.

Two other senses that children need to develop are the vestibular sense and the

Learning and Developing

Try this exercise that Jan White (2013) suggests Stretch your arms out in front of yourself. Close your eyes and try bringing the tips of your fingers together. How, did you do? More than likely you were remarkably close. Try it again, this time much more slowly. You managed that because you were fully aware of your body, of the tips of your fingers and of course because you were concentrating.

sense of proprioception. The vestibular sense is all about balance and coordination. It is a strong vestibular sense that helps children stay on their feet as they twirl around feeling dizzy and it is the vestibular sense that allows them adjust when walking down the aisle of a plane, or standing on the deck of a ship or struggling up a small hill. This sense is all about managing the moving body in space or gravity and it take at least seven years for it to develop (and it keeps developing on into adolescence).

The sense of proprioception is all about perception of the self, controlling our body from the inside.

Through constant practice we know how to use our bodies physically, using our shoulders to close a door when our hands are full, using our arms to propel us as we swim. This sense of our own body is wired into the patterns of our brain through practice, trial and error.

So, what does all this mean for us in the context of our service? Firstly it means that we have to create time, space and opportunities every single day for all our children (babies, toddlers and preschool children) to physically move.

Becoming physically competent seems easy and natural but children need lots and lots of practice to develop confidence in their abilities.

That means minimising the time children sit at tables, it means getting them up and out every day, it means allowing the babies floor time and

tummy time, it means being patient with toddlers, giving them opportunities to practice schemas such as filling and emptying or transporting. Above all allow them opportunities to feel the sheer joy of moving.

Coming into the Summer months, whether in your service, in a Camp or with your own family, give children time, space and freedom to get up, get out and get moving!

For Babies Provide plenty of tummy time to strengthen head, neck and shoulders. Some babies don’t like being on their tummy initially but try introducing it gradually and stay close by and reassure them.

Support babies in sitting up and provide plenty of interesting materials so that they can stretch, pull and indeed bang.

Make sure babies have opportunities to crawl on different surfaces, indoors (carpeted areas, wooden floors or tiled spaces), and outdoors on grassed areas.

Babies begin to feel the resistance of the surface – watch a baby’s face as they initially feel sand beneath their feet or soft tickly grass between their toes!

For Toddlers Ensure they have ample space and support as they learn to walk – the hard part is often learning how to stop. Have a selection of push/pull toys that allow them stretch their bodies. An assortment of bags will give children pleasure in filling, dragging and emptying them.

Allow very young children experience different gradients. Walking up a slope demands a lot more skill, balance and concentration than walking on a flat surface. Provide opportunities to go under, climb over, go through and go around.

ren For Pre-School Child Introduce physical games like skittles or ball games, rolling, throwing, aiming, which can happen indoors as well as outside. Have games involving hopping, jumping and balancing.

Provide daily opportunities for painting and mark making (with big brushes and big, big sheets of paper), start off the year with playdough but introduce clay which is more demanding.

Involve them in looking after their environment, tidying up at the end of the game; digging and planting in the garden, hanging up bags and coats – all of which develop their physical competencies and their sense of belonging and citizenship.

early times summer 2014 11

iNTERVIEW

Interview with

Professor Nóirín Hayes BA MED PhD. Nóirín is one of the foremost, enduring and recognised academics and advocates for early childhood and so it is our pleasure to catch up with her and get her views on the changing sector.

P

rof. Nóirín Hayes is a developmental psychologist and early years specialist, pursuing research interests in early childhood education policy and practice and children’s rights and is current Professor [Emeritus] at Dublin Institute of Technology.

Q. What do you think Noirin are the 3 key turning points in early childhood care and education in the last 10 years?

N. I would go back to 2002 and I’d identify the Model Framework as one of the key turning points because for the first time it brought together a description of the roles different people could have in the sector and tried to identify the content that they would need in training and gave a visible point of engagement between policy makers and the sector.

The second milestone would be I think the publication of Síolta. There was huge engagement from the sector, all right across the board and it really raised the status of the sector. The sadness there is that the CECDE didn’t last long enough to implement Síolta, but I think it really is a very useful quality frame.

Then the third one I’d identify would be Aistear. I think Aistear, as a curriculum framework, again coming out of the sector, and respectful of the sector, I think it gives a voice, a pedagogical language for us to use but again in the absence of any investment on a strategic

12 early times summer 2014

rollout it’s kind of sitting there and people who use it can see its great value but it is misunderstood. It’s a conceptual framework within which practice happens, it’s a way of thinking about practice and it’s a way of informing, reflecting on practise. It is not about having an hour of play at the beginning of the day or having a particular rule which is an Aistear rule. I think it’s a sadness to me that it isn’t meeting its potential yet.

Q. - What steps do you think the Government should take to develop a system of ecce that we can be proud of and works for children, parents and providers?

N. Well, there are a lot of questions that have to be asked. I think the first

step the government needs to take, is to develop a system that recognises early childhood education as a common good. It is not the answer to another problem, it’s not the answer to the participation of women in the labour market, it’s not the answer to economic difficulties for people in disadvantaged areas and it’s not the answer to problems in education. Early childhood care and education is a common good.

Justice demands that where and when children utilise our services, they are fit for purpose. The government has to make that leap, a leap which requires the responsibility for children to be shared between families and government on behalf of society as a whole. The argument is often made that the government doesn’t invest itself or

iNTERVIEW

I wish that people really realise the importance of high quality early childhood experiences for young children irrespective of wherever they are, at home, in sessional services, in full day care services. get too involved in childcare because that’s really a private family issue and parents should be free to do whatever they wish within reason for their children. That’s fine, if one were to believe that government didn’t impact on family life at all, but, their housing policies, their transport policies, their employment policies, their financial policies. All policies actually impact on the ability of families to raise children, and therefore Government needs to start thinking of their responsibility to support parents, that’s the first thing. Then, and in parallel they should unlock the powers that do exist in the Siolta and in the Aistear frameworks to ensure that the services are of the highest quality and that requires significant investment. It really does. So there is an attitude of mind that has to happen and that will … a light will go on! Once somebody up there actually gets it they will see that investment in this area is investment in the future of society because it is taking children where they are at and ensuring that they are getting quality life experiences. So I think that a change of attitude and then investment and some actual serious attempt at strategic planning.

The Early Years Strategy could be a very important strategy but it has to be seen as a stand-alone strategy within the National Strategy but not a subsection of the National Strategy.

Q. How do you think those working in the sector should be named? Early childhood educator, early childhood professional or something else?

N. You know what, I am not going to be able to answer that question! I have been asking that question and asking others this question since the 1990’s. It’s really difficult. I think we are skirting around, a little bit, the potential that exists because we talk about primary school teachers, we talk about secondary school teachers, I think we should talk about early years teachers. I am fully aware of the dilemma with the word teacher and the biggest problem with using the word teacher is the under 3’s again. So if the vision of the sector is to call themselves early year’s teachers I’m not sure that will fly. Early year’s educators …. might be a softer way of doing it, early years practitioners is ok but I’ve a problem with the term practitioner because it’s a

bit mechanistic. Early year’s educator?

Maybe. It’s an ongoing challenge.

Q. You have contributed to early childhood care and education over many years. What is your wish for the sector?

A. I wish that people really realise the importance of high quality early childhood experiences for young children irrespective of wherever they are, at home, in sessional services, in full day care services. So, I suppose it is first and foremost the child I am thinking of and therefore I would like to see the sector become respected and recognised, the status of the profession highlighted and understood. It’s a sector that needs understanding, but it reflects an absence of respect and understanding for the young child, and that’s really been the driving force for me all my life, in improving the quality of life for young children in Ireland.

early times summer 2014 13

Health and Wellbeing

Roll on Those Hazy Days of Summer

E

veryone loves the onset of summer. The longer brighter days remind us of trips to the seaside as a child and the familiar music from the ice-cream van as it drove into the cul-de-sac.

While children play in the warm sunlight they are exposed to vitamin D, necessary to growing healthy teeth and bones. We know sunburn from ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage cells in childhood and cause skin cancer later in life so even on cloudy days it is important to use a sun screen that provides ‘broad spectrum’ protection from UVA radiation (which has the ability to cause cumulative damage where skin cancers occur), as well as UVB. By practising sun-safe habits we can reduce the risks. Ask your parents to provide hats and sunscreen and adopt procedures among staff to create a sunsafe environment. Be a good role model and have fun in the sun!

Make sure you all follow the Safe Sun Code: 1. Get some shade: at the hottest time of the day (between 11.00am and 3.00pm) ensure children have access to a shady spot, under a tree or umbrella.

2. Cover up: during hot weather make sure children have comfortable, loose baggy cotton clothing that covers

14 early times summer 2014

shoulders and neck. Have protective clothing that covers as much skin as possible. Try to get children used to wearing a hat in the sun, one that protects the face, neck and ears.

3. Wear Sunglasses: protect children’s eyes from UVA and UVB rays.

4. Use Sunscreen: apply a high factor to shoulders, nose, ears, neck, cheeks, arms and legs (pay particular attention to areas of skin that are not usually exposed).

Reapply sunscreen throughout the day, especially after swimming.

5. Keep Hydrated: have plenty of water available for everyone throughout the day. It keeps children fresh and healthy but also gets them into the habit of enjoying water (rather than fizzy drinks of any sort).

There is lots of information available but we think you should check out these: http://www.cancer.ie/reduce-your-risk/ sunsmart/protect-your-children http://www.sunsafenurseries.co.uk/

National Cancer Helpline Freefone 1 800 200 700 Talk to a specialist nurse Mon-Thurs 9am-7pm Fri 9am-5pm helpline@irishcancer.ie Sunburn in childhood can greatly increase the risk of developing skin cancer later in life.

Health and Wellbeing

B

l l a b t Foo y z n e Fr

y mid-June, just as there is a sense of winding down in your service, there will be an outbreak of World Cup Fever. From 12th June onwards many families will organise their lives around match schedules.

In case you are not aware, the World Cup will be hosted in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, so a party atmosphere with flags, dance, music and movement is guaranteed on and off the pitch.

The World Cup, as a major event, presents another opportunity to harness children’s energy and curiosity, build partnership with parents and to connect home with the childhood education setting.

develop up charts/graphs to see the most popular teams.  Consider where you want to go with the ideas – maybe you want to do some research with the children on where Brazil is or what countries are going to play in the tournament.

Bring in a lap top to gather information and make sure that children are involved. Document your findings together and use Journals to highlight the learning or reflections.  Keep parents in the loop. They will have a lot to contribute and a two way dialogue will make strong connections between home and the service.

 Ensure that everyone is included (or has the possibility to be involved) in some way and that you find opportunities to build on their interest and use their strengths.

For some families and services the World Cup will have no real meaning and may not come on the horizon. But where children start talking about the event or start playing soccer there is the possibility to hook onto their interest and be part of a big event.

So, here is a simple guide to making the most of the World Cup:  Listen carefully to pick up on children’s interests, discussions or questions – this is always the starting point. You may notice football becoming more popular once the children are playing outdoors, or they may begin to talk about teams or watching matches with their family.  Prompt the discussion with the children and see what they know about the event and tune in to what interests them – ‘who my dad supports’, ‘my favourite team’, ‘I have a jersey’, the list is endless.

Listen for questions or wonderings from the children, ‘why is Ireland not there’, ‘where is Brazil’, ‘I went to a match once’.  Use their questions or contributions as an opportunity to deepen their knowledge and experience. It might be as simple as getting the children to check out the teams that their families support at home or abroad and see where this leads. The children might

early times summer 2014 15

Learning and Developing

Inclusive Preschool Education ARE THERE ENOUGH SUPPORTS IN PLACE?

I

n almost every early childhood education setting across the country there is a child who requires additional supports of some kind.

Pobal in their most recent survey tell us that 45% of services have at least one child with a diagnosed additional or special need, and this figure increases dramatically to 70% (Early Childhood Ireland, 2012) when we take into account those children who do not have or are awaiting assessment.

Greater numbers of children are now availing of preschool, thanks in no small measure to the introduction of the ECCE scheme in 2010. Increasing numbers of children with additional needs are attending services and yet at the same time there is little, if any, availability of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs).

In many instances parents and service providers are trying to fund SNA hours to ensure children can avail of their right to early education.

The National Disability Authority completed a briefing paper on inclusion and the following are key recommendations that they put to both the Department of Health and the DCYA:  All children should as far as possible receive their pre-school education in mainstream early childhood care and education (ECCE) settings.  Supports for inclusion should not be attached to the individual child with a disability but should be directed at the whole ECCE setting.  One-to-one support for the whole day or session should be an atypical form of support for small minority of children who will need this intensity of support.  Peripatetic, interdisciplinary teams, which include special education expertise, should support preschools within a defined catchment area.

 Health (therapy) supports should typically be delivered on-site and focus on supporting ECCE teachers who will be with the child every day.  Simple short assessments of needs rather than establishing a diagnosis should be the focus of assessment for additional preschool support.

Read the full report on Early Childhood Ireland’s web site http://www.earlychildhoodireland. ie/national-disability-authoritybriefing-paper-inclusion-of-childrenwith-disabilities-in-mainstreamearly-childhood-care-andeducation/2011nda-disability-report These recommendations make sense but for so many services these ideals are a million miles away.

Catherine Dwyer is a member of Early Childhood Ireland and her service ‘Little Moo Moo’s’, is a purpose built preschool just outside St.Margaret’s Village in Swords. Catherine and her staff are passionate about their work and in particular children with additional needs and their families. While passionate, she is frustrated by a system that is not fit for purpose, that seems to lack common sense and the simple recognition that early intervention works.

Pobal in their most recent survey tell us that 45% of services have at least one child with a diagnosed additional or special need.

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iNTERVIEW

Early Intervention is Important

C

atherine Dwyer has 33 years of formal early childhood education experience. Her preschool has 4 purpose built rooms and there are students with additional needs in each room. As part of the inclusive ethos, everyone learns Lámh sign language.

Q. What is the best thing about working with special needs children and their families?

C. The best thing about working with children with additional needs is helping to meet the child’s needs, helping to put the appropriate services in place (where possible), inclusion in the community (the child should be able to go to a playschool in their area), making a difference in the child’s life. When you have a child with additional needs in the group, it brings out empathy and goodness in everyone. A group reflects the diversity in our communities so I think no group is complete without a child with additional needs. With the support of the HSE/Early Intervention Team (EIT) we can meet the child’s needs with an individual program to suit their specific needs and to support the transitions on to mainstream school or the school where the childs needs are best met. The child with additional needs is an asset to each class and has so much to give to teachers and children.

Q. What is the biggest challenge in working with the children and their families?

C. Funding is the biggest challenge when working with children with additional needs and their families. Only with the right supports, will the child’s needs be met. In my experience, 4 ½ hours a week, which we currently get, is insufficient to meet the needs of the child, to observe, put programs in place, review and plan ahead for the child.

All children have different needs and the governments thinking of ‘one size fits all’ doesn’t work with children with additional needs.

Q. What tips can you pass on to others from your experience of working with children with special needs?

C. Early intervention and early diagnosis is of the utmost importance. Once a child has a diagnosis, supports can be put in place. The child needs a program put in place to have his needs met. Four or five basic things I have learned over the years are:  repetition and routine is key to helping children with additional needs  a visual schedule of the daily routine, PECS (picture exchange communication system) builds confidence  ‘Lamh’ works with some children with communication and language delay  Include the parents/ guardians from day one as they know their child best and will have lots of information on the child which could be of help, for example, if the child is getting speech or occupational therapy with a little information we can try help out with these programmes.

Finally, it is vital that we always work with the child. Always explain to the children what’s going on. Make them aware of when transitions are happening, for example, using a visual timer (Time Timer) to reduce their anxiety. If a child sees that the teacher is anxious, they’ll be anxious too so make sure you have the situation in hand. I believe that every child has strengths and it is our job to see and value those strengths and above all to respect the child.

Q. What new initiatives would you like to see to improve opportunities for children with special needs?

C. I would like to see the HSE and the Dept. of Education working together.

It would be ideal if they could share information, their aims and goals for the child and all reports available

All children have different needs and the governments thinking of ‘one size fits all’ doesn’t work with children with additional needs. immediately. I would also like to see them work closer with all agencies in an early intervention structure. I would also like to see training for link workers and SNAs in; LAMH, PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) and Managing Challenging Behaviour. Of course, like all practitioners they also need to have child protection training, garda clearance and a knowledge of Siolta & Aistear. I would like the Early Intervention team to assess the child in the playschool environment with their peers. I would also like to see children who are availing of the ECCE scheme get their 15 hours a week with a link worker or SNA for one full year for the child’s overall wellbeing, learning and development. Children’s needs are not being met because they are only able to attend for the hours they have specific support. I feel we (as a nation) are letting these children and their parents down.

PECS Picture Exchange Communication System is a very effective means of communication for non-verbal children, encouraging verbal behaviours and interaction with family members, teachers and caregivers.

There is a specific method of introducing the system and it should be done under the supervision of an ABA Tutor or Speech & Language Therapist in order to ensure that each step is fully understood by our children before moving to the next step.

early times summer 2014 17

NEWS POLICY ROUNDUP

e t a d p U h c Resear u know!

Did yo

G

rowing Up in Ireland is a national study of children that is supported by the Government.

It is an important study, which aims to provide a full understanding of children and their lives. Knowing how our children are doing at home, at school and in our communities will help inform, or provide an evidence-base for policy decisions.

One in four parents (25%) who availed of the Free Preschool Year reported that they would not have been able to send their child to preschool had it not been for the scheme.

18 early times summer 2014

The study is taking place over seven years and is following closely 8,500 nine year olds and 11,000 nine-month olds. Findings are put out regularly so do keep an eye on www.growingup.ie.

At the end of 2013 (in respect of the infant cohort who are now 5 years of age and heading to school) Growing Up in Ireland, highlighted that:  There was a very high take-up of the Free Preschool Year scheme (95%).  One in four parents (25%) who availed of the Free Preschool Year reported that they would not have been able to send their child to preschool had it not been for the scheme. This rose to more than one in three among more disadvantaged families.  One-quarter of parents paid for additional hours over and above the free three hours per day available under the Free Preschool

Year scheme with more hours in the same setting.  Over half (53%) of the children who had started school in September 2012 had been registered in 2012. A total of 11% had been registered in the year in which they were born. Early registration was more common among children whose mothers had a higher level of education.  A total of 80% of mothers said they had had a choice in deciding which school their child attended. The key factor for choosing the school was good impression or reputation of the school. Language of instruction, proximity to home and siblings attending the same school were among other important factors which affected school choice.

The Growing Up in Ireland site will be of particular interest to those in early childhood care and education and may also be useful if you are studying.

Health and Wellbeing

Children and Grief

L

osing a parent or sibling is a particularly tragic life event for any child to encounter. As early childhood educators you may encounter bereaved children in your service, or children whose parents or siblings are terminally ill. It can be a daunting and worrying time for staff in the crèche and particularly difficult for those who have been recently bereaved themselves.

The Irish Childhood Bereavement Network hear from managers that they feel helpless and uncertain about to what to say or how to support children who are experiencing illness or bereavement in their family.

How can you help before, during and after the death?

Children grieve differently depending on their age and between the ages of 2-5 children still do not understand the permanency of death. While adults grief could be described as wading into the river of grief, children do not have the emotional reserves to carry this burden all of the time, and display grief that is more akin to splashing in puddles.

They will dip in and out of grief and gain respite in between through play and distraction.

Young children may display distress and separation anxiety as a response to a death or illness in the family system. This may result in clinginess with parents or key support persons in their lives. At this age, children have limited emotional language and may not be able to express their distress and it sometimes comes out through uncharacteristic behaviour. As the family is grieving, early childhood educators are often the first to notice any changes in behaviour. These observations can be communicated to the parents, as appropriate.

Children also need routine, acknowledgement and a listening ear from parents, teaching staff and

extended family. Sticking to normal routine promotes feelings of security and normality and often the only place children will get this is in the early childhood education setting.

It is important that pre-school staff do not assume what the child requires.

Open communication with a parent regarding what information their child knows and what support they want the preschool to offer is very important. We must be aware of the families beliefs regarding what small children should know. It is good to remember that each child is unique and that one size does not fit all.

The familiarity of school/preschool and its relationships can be an escape from the highly emotional atmosphere of home, it is the space where a child can feel safe and can express openly how the loss is for them. It is important to hear the child if they bring up the topic and not silence them, rather than probing the child to talk.

If the child becomes upset during the day and they are given the opportunity and feel supported, one can promote an environment where it is easy to talk about the illness and death. Always be led by the child. They might only express a few thoughts on the matter and then return to play.

Children are less complex than adults and do not require tonnes of information. What they do need is routine, an opportunity to express their feelings, and a chance to talk about their loved one, if they wish and have support in doing so.

information, training and networking opportunities. The website www. childhoodbereavement.ie is a hub of resources including website links, books, leaflets and DVD’s that provide information on supporting children through grief.

There is also information for families and the wider community including links to national services and is a resource you can refer parents or grandparents to who require information and support.

The network was established in 2012 and is a membership organisation.

Members receive discounts to training events and the annual conference, a monthly newsletter, policy and best practice guidelines, resources and discounted access to an online e-learning platform on bereavement.

Members will also have the opportunity to voice their opinion on what is needed to improve bereavement support for children through members’ surveys which will influence the advocacy agenda. The ICBN is currently funded by Tusla and the Irish Hospice Foundation.

If you would like further information on how to respond to a child please feel free to contact the network.

For further information on the network contact the Coordinator Nicola Jordan via Nicola.jordan@hospicefoundation.ie or visit the Irish Childhood Bereavement Network website www.childhoodbereavement.ie

The Irish Childhood Bereavement Network works to support professionals working with bereaved children by providing

early times summer 2014 19

SPECIAL INTEREST

Reflections from Abroad Maryland USA Empowering the Workforce in the Field of Early Childhood Education

Lea Ann Christenson PhD Assistant Professor Department Early Childhood Education Towson University Maryland, USA lchristenson@towson.edu

I

t was an absolute delight and honor to have been selected to present at The Global Gathering for Early Childhood Education in Dublin this past October. It was equally rewarding to be able to attend the conference as a delegate and garner inspiration and new information from the keynote speakers and research presentations.

While across the Atlantic Ocean, it struck me how, despite the distance

20 early times summer 2014

from home, virtually every topic and issue addressed at the Global Gathering resonated with me. As I sat through presentations and interacted with other attendees I noted the emergence of a common theme: the importance of empowering those of us who work in the field of Early Childhood Education.

At first glance my presentation Curriculum Reform in the USA: Implications for Early Childhood Education was, as the title suggests, about curriculum reform in the US. Though this is the central focus, my presentation also examines the empowerment of Early Childhood Educators.

As happens roughly every ten years, the United States is currently undergoing an educational reform in the shape of the adoption of the Common Core

State Standards (CCSS). In 2001 the federal reform “No Child Left Behind�

(NCLB) was created and passed by the US congress with bipartisan support. NCLB was an effort to reform an educational system where certain demographics of students were being surpassed. NCLB demanded that all students pass assessments, forcing all students and particularly lower performing ones to spend nearly all their time in the classroom preparing to pass the tests by focusing on discrete facts rather than developing a deeper understanding of the content. Critics of NCLB claimed that the reform was based on a narrow band of research, and that, despite passing the tests; students were not graduating from High School (in the US at age 17 or 18) with the skills necessary to meet success in college and careers. In June 2009 the Council of School Chief

SPECIAL INTEREST

Early Childhood Educators must be at the table when policy decisions are made to ensure such decisions meet the needs of young learners.

State Officers, the National Governors’ Association and business leaders met, discussing these criticisms, and spurning action that birthed the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Math and English Language Arts.

Though the federal government did not require states to adopt the CCSS, it offered monetary incentives to those that did, and a total of 45 states signed on. According to the authors of the CCSS, the “fewer, higher [and] clearer,” standards are based on solid research and practice, and based on evidence about college and workforce training expectations (www.corestandards. org). The new standards provide “a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them.” (www.corestandards.org). In addition, “the standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers,” which will place American students in a position to compete in an ever increasing global economy (www.corestandards.org).

The standards are identical across all grades and are an increasingly rigorous set of expectations that form a staircase of skills necessary for meeting the College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards. Grade Specific Standards written for grade 12 (students age 17 and 18) are back

mapped to Kindergarten (students age 5). Some states, including Maryland, wanted standards for 4 year olds so the standards were back mapped yet again to include 4 year olds. Thus, the standards as written, in some places are not developmentally appropriate for children in the early grades. At the time the standards were being implemented in Maryland, I was working at the State Department of Education and it distressed me to see how some elements of the standards were disconnected from meeting the needs of young learners.

So then what does all of this have to do with empowering people who work in the field of Early Childhood?

Reform in our field is a given however, sometimes this reform is designed by policy makers who may not have backgrounds in Early Childhood Education. Early Childhood Educators must be at the table when policy decisions are made to ensure such decisions meet the needs of young learners. When, as has happened in the past, policy shifts occur that do not support developmentally appropriate practice, it is our duty, no matter what our role in Early Childhood Education, to learn as much as we can about these policy shifts and find ways for developmentally appropriate implementation.

First at the Maryland State Department as a Reading Specialist and now as a Professor at Towson University,

I am working with Early Childhood Educators and my student teachers to embrace the CCSS and develop a deep conceptual understanding of the standards and major instructional shifts. Armed with this knowledge, Early Childhood Educators will then be able to put the CCSS in to practice in developmentally appropriate ways, such as hands on activities and play, critical methods often not called upon to meet benchmarks. When these activities are articulated through the standards and the young students meet with success on the assessments the ‘powers that be’ will have no choice but to embrace developmentally appropriate practice. The CCSS then can be our tool to assure learning stays developmentally appropriate in the earliest years of formal schooling. By educating ourselves and making policy our own no matter what country we work in can assure that young children get the education they deserve.

Thank you again for the opportunity to present at The Global Gathering for Early Childhood Education. It was the best conference I have been to in a long time and I left with a wealth of knowledge and new ideas to put forth in my role of Professor in the Department of Early Childhood Education at my University. The conference was my first opportunity to visit Ireland. I hope to return soon to such a beautiful country where the majesty of the landscape is matched by the friendly hearts of the people.

early times summer 2014 21

Health and Wellbeing

Mindfulness Take a Moment to Relax

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ou’ve most likely heard the term ‘mindfulness’. Mindfulness seems to be the latest buzzword for meditation, a practice that has been around for centuries. People meditate to clear their mind and mindfulness is about focusing or being in the moment. For many, a busy life or a busy workplace can be highly stressful with shifting demands and constant pressures. The good news is that mindfulness offers the possibilities of mental and emotional rest and with regular practice need take less than 60 seconds a day. In April delegates attended the Early Childhood Ireland Mindfulness workshop in Croke Park and were struck by the sense of calm it brought. Each person in the room took part in a short exercise to bring their attention to the present moment. They were happy to be given an insight into how mindfulness can support daily health and wellbeing. Slowing down, stopping, becoming aware of your body are the starting points and remember everyone can practice mindfulness in everyday work-life.

Example: Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Breathe in slowly hold for a second and breathe out.

Allow the whole body to relax. Be

Slowing down, stopping, becoming aware of your body are the starting points and remember everyone can practice mindfulness in everyday work-life.

22 early times summer 2014

conscious of your arms, your legs, your toes. Focus your attention on the breath, if your mind wanders bring it back to the moment, just see it for what it is, a moment of awareness. You cannot fail at this only experience it.

Gradually, extend the duration of time to suit you.

many transitions can be difficult for some children to manage. Allow time for children to wallow in play as Tina Bruce advises. Ensure we make time to sit with children in small groups and on a one to one basis to listen. A mindful approach on our part will develop the child’s concentration and sense of self.

Mindfulness is a skill, it can be learned and it gets better with practice. Make a commitment to learn the techniques, to use them regularly and see how it changes the way you think, act and feel. Mindfulness is not just for adults. Children are naturally mindful but can easily be distracted in busy environments. As a starting point early childhood educators need to look to the schedule or daily routine.

Be mindful of the pace of the day, too

Of course, in thinking about mindfulness we need to start with ourselves. So, over the Summer try to find some time for yourself, recharge the batteries and become more mindful.

Mindfulness expert Daniel Siegel, well respected for his work developing the field of interpersonal neurobiology, offers tactics on promoting social and emotional well-being http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=LiyaSr5aeho

Business

BUSINESS ADVANTAGE

How to Market your Brand

A

strong theme of this issue is that of change. For many services competition is a reality and ensuring places are filled is an ongoing challenge. How can you have a competitive advantage in a difficult economic climate? There is a growing need to market the business, to stand it out from others and to begin to highlight the unique and positive aspects of your work with children and families. These business challenges are relevant and real for all services, whether in the community or private sector.

In the world of marketing the language is of ‘Brand’. Your brand is your identity, your name, your beliefs and it is how you and your staff portray your business in every message you write and in every Facebook posting as well as in the language you use and in the tone you set. It is the ‘gut’

feeling people have about the service.

It is important to understand that branding is not about getting parents to choose you over the competition, but it is about getting your families to see you as the only one that provides a solution to their problem.

A good strong brand will:  Convey your key message clearly (we provide high quality care and education for your child)  Confirm the credibility of your business (we have the best staff team, they are well trained and are always learning)  Connect with potential families and motivates them to engage with you (a warm, inviting and individual feel in all your connections or dealings with parents)  Create loyalty with your existing parents (they stay with you because

they trust in you and know they are getting the best service and value) As an early childhood education and care service provider you must consider two key areas: How does your brand communicate with your existing parents?  What do parents see and experience every day (good atmosphere; staff who are interested and engaged; celebrating good moments)  How do you communicate with parents and is that process consistent with your brand promise? (sharing information with parents regularly)  Are you delivering what you said you would? (high quality service, home from home for children)  What are you doing to build loyalty and a sense of community among

early times summer 2014 23

BUSINESS

parents? (loyalty emerges from trust, satisfaction and consistency)  What does this internal communications plan look like (social media may have a role to play here) How does your Brand communicate with your potential parents?  What is it that you want your brand to communicate about your business to this audience? (What do you want to convey to parents)  How are you going to communicate this message? (in the look, feel, tone and language of every message that comes from you and your staff)  What does this external communications plan look like (social media has a role to play here) Branding is about your team all having and giving the same strong message to everyone in your community. Working with your colleagues and staff around branding will immediately achieve two things, one it will build capacity and two develop a sense of pride.  Do your staff have a strong sense of the service, the beliefs and value system?  Can everyone in your setting say what is great about the service and

Your brand resides in the hearts and minds of your existing parents and your potential parents.

It is effectively the sum total of their experiences and perceptions, some of which you can influence and some that you cannot.

24 early times summer 2014

Think about your brand Do a quick audit and think about your:  Logo (Name of your business; look of your logo and colours you use)  All communications with parents/potential families (newsletters; flyers; phone; email; social media and above all face-to-face)  The culture of the service – how you recruit and induct new staff; what messages you give them about the setting and your expectations of them.  Be real in what you put out – ensure a coherence between what you say and what you do  Be consistent – in your messaging and in leaving an impression with parents

what one thing makes it different from others in the area?  Remember Branding is about making people remember your service for all the right reasons In terms of your target market, Ireland is one of the few countries experiencing growth in population and it is something of an echo boom – we had a baby boom in the 70’s and early 80’s (David McWilliams coined the phrase ‘Pope’s Children’ to describe this new generation) - 30 years on the Popes Children are now having their own children and they are forming an important part of your target market.

Market research shows that couples are marrying later and the average age of the first child is being born to mothers in the 30 to 31 age bracket.

This has a parallel in the surge of the under 5’s. To access this target market then you must understand this segment in terms of their power, decision making and specifically their spending power.

Research also tells us that in this segment mothers are the key decision makers in household purchases and it is likely that they do a lot of the research work behind identifying potential early childhood education settings education services for their children.

Looking at the sources of influence on this decision making, things like word of mouth come through as very crucial plus advice from their own mothers, other mums and friends. The rewards of engaging Irish mums today are very significant in terms of growing your business. Brand loyalty is very strong in this category. This is a highly informed market segment and more empowered and more knowledgeable than other generations.

So it is important to remember brand resides in the hearts and minds of your existing parents and your potential parents. It is effectively the sum total of their experiences and perceptions, some of which you can influence and some that you cannot.

A strong brand is invaluable as the battle for customers, in this case families, intensifies. It is the foundational piece in your marketing strategy and marketing communications and now more than ever you do not want to be without it.

books

top books For you

For kids ALIENS LOVE UNDERPANTS

spreagúil. Maith sibh Carol Betera, tá sé go hálainn! Bainfidh idir páistí agus túistí taitneamh agus tairbhe as.

by Claire Freedman and illustrated by THE POWERS Ben Cort.

Written by Kevin This is a very Stevens, Illustrated charming and

by Sheena Dempsey well-illustrated rhyming text tale Poor Suzie! Dad about aliens who fly down to earth has set the kitchen love simply to steal your underpants! on fire again! Enter Cute aliens who love pants of all shapes the chaotic world of The colours and sizes, putting on spotted Powers, the not-so-super-superheroes! bloomers, small pants, pirate pants, Clare and Ted have 2 children Suzie in fact all kinds of pants! Children will and JP and a dog Pucker. Suzie does giggle at the naughtiness of it all, a fun not appear to have any superpowers rhyming book for 3 to 5 year olds. but Mum, Dad and JP have. The family decide to go to Cork on holiday and vow to take a break from their superpowers, HUGLESS but things don’t quite work out that way DOUGLAS and the consequences are hilarious!

by David Melling Written by Kevin Stevens, the Powers Douglas is a big will entertain and charm readers. For brown bear who young children, kids would love to read wakes up one this book after school.

Spring morning after a deep sleep and goes off in search of a BIG HUG! Where will he find HIS THE RAVENOUS perfect bear hug? Children will love the BEAST pictures in this book and it will be hugs Written and illustrated for everyone!

by Niamh Sharkey This is a colourful fun book with great FIONNUALA illustrations.

The ravenous beast is Written by Siobhán HUNGRY HUNGRY HUNGRY. It tells Parkinson, illustrated the story of lots of very hungry animals

by Carol Betera listing wonderful and unusual things that Tá an-chuid they could eat. The ravenous beast has to ceachtanna le prove how hungry he is. The little white foghlaim nuair a mouse, marmalade cat, gigantic whale bhíonn tú óg. Tagaimid ar an dtuiscint and other animals all claim that they gur duine speisialta í gach duine againn, are hungrier than the ravenous beast. It go bhfuil leigheas ar gach fadhb, go ends with the ravenous beast being ‘the gcaithfimid bheith cróga uairenta agus hungriest animal of all’. Lots of different nuair a bhíonn cara grámhar le do thaobh, characters allows you to use different nár gá duit bheith faitíosach faoi’n voices when telling the story. Illustrations dorchadas. Tá scéalta Fionnuala lán le allow children to tell the story without tuiscint, le héisteacht, le meas agus le grá being able to read the words. agus iad fite fuaite le foclóir dramaiticiúil,

we

Early Years Practice: Getting it right from the start.

By Nóirín Hayes This book was written specifically for students taking certificates, diplomas and degrees in early childhood education, and for practitioners working in the field of early childhood education and care. The book provides a timely update on early years practice in contemporary Ireland and gives direction for the combined effective use of our national frameworks of Síolta and Aistear. It explores a range of issues from the importance of children’s temperaments and dispositions to nurturing children’s learning as part of a caring educative process. It does this through a lens of the child that is active, capable and competent, and through a practice lens that views the child’s development and learning as a ‘dynamic and discontinuous process’ that happens through quality interactions with others.

It offers suggestions as to how practitioners can support children’s higher-order thinking skills. This book describes rich environments and enabling curricula that provide appropriate challenges and risks to the young child. It considers a range of theoretical perspectives and cites examples of child-initiated activities from practice. The book also recognises the importance of the need for high quality settings staffed by reflective practitioners that are well trained and who engage in ongoing professional learning.

early times summer 2014 25

REGIONAL FOCUS

Farmyard In Your Schoolyard Visits Linda Madden Preschool In Roscommon Town

L

inda Madden Preschool has been in operation for 22 years. It caters for 22 children five mornings per week and has 3 staff. The preschool is situated in a cul de sac in Roscommon town and most of the children live in or around the town. Two of this years 22 children live on a farm and the rest of the children have never had an opportunity to touch, feel or smell an animal. This is where Farmer John and Lucy fit in!! Farmyard in your Schoolyard is a multi-sensory, mobile, farmthemed experience for younger children attending preschool and national schools. Farmyard In Your Schoolyard has visited our service for the past two years and it was a wonderful experience.

We decided to incorporate this year’s visit with the Spring theme while linking the children’s learning from this activity to Aistear. For example in Exploring and Thinking Aim 1 `Children will learn about and make sense of the world around them`, the children learn all about the natural environment by meeting a new animal and learning all about the animal, how it is born, how it feeds, who looks after it, where it lives, etc. The children can see, touch, feel and smell the animal and this experience is invaluable.

Feedback from the parents was very positive. They were delighted that their children could take part and one little girl has overcome her huge fear of all animals by rubbing the rabbit!

26 early times summer 2014

Some of the children were really nervous the first day and had never been near a real animal before. But as the weeks went on these children became more confident and explored a little more each time until eventually they felt comfortable enough to rub a lamb.

The children learned what the various animals eat and had an opportunity to feed baby lambs and calves.

John and Lucy are very aware of health and safety and always spend time with the children explaining to them the importance of hand washing after handling the animals. They always clean up after the animals themselves and so there is very little organisation required by the staff. There is good variety to each visit and John and Lucy include stories, rhymes, songs and various props during the session. They interact really well and they spend lots of time talking to and explaining things to the children. At the end of the session they give the children some pictures of the animal and some other props like wool from the sheep, etc. Martin, one of the staff who has a farm, brought in a calf and the children had an opportunity to feed it and pick a name for him.

This year they celebrated the Chinese New Year with us. They had a big box of props wrapped with a big yellow ribbon. The children were all involved in opening the box, inside was an Aladdins Cave of things to do with China and the Chinese culture. This was a fantastic learning experience for the children.

Feedback from the parents was very positive. They were delighted that their children could take part and one little girl has overcome her huge fear of all animals by rubbing the rabbit! Also one of the mums is a farmer and she was so impressed with the reaction of the children that she offered to bring in her own pet lamb called Áine. This she did and the children loved it, they knew all about sheep and lambs from John and Lucy’s visit. Having Farmyard In Your Schoolyard visit the service was an enjoyable, interactive learning experience for the children and staff and we felt very lucky to be involved.

NEWS

GREAT

EXPECTATIONS

O

n 8 May Early Childhood Ireland welcomed TD Charlie Flanagan as the new Minister for Children & Youth Affairs. His priority challenge must be to fuel the early childhood education sector with the right level of investment.

Elected to the Dáil in 1987 when he succeeded his father, Oliver J Flanagan, he held several important responsibilities as Opposition spokesperson, including Spokesperson on Children. A vociferous advocate in the Dáil not afraid to air his views, he urged the government to push ahead with its programme of political reform. CEO Teresa Heeney says “We look forward to a very positive working

relationship with Minister Flanagan and we will be seeking a meeting with the new Minister for Children & Youth Affairs to discuss the six key recommendations in our pre-budget submission entitled ‘Getting the Best Start’ which was based on a nationwide consultation process with members.” http://www.earlychildhoodireland.ie/ getting-the-best-start The Minister of State for Children was a junior ministerial post created in December 1994, with special responsibility for children’s affairs. The list below shows, in chronological order, the previous holders of the office of Minister of State for Children.

Minister for Children & Youth Affairs Charile Flanagan TD

“We will be seeking a meeting with the new Minister for Children & Youth Affairs to discuss the six key recommendations in our pre-budget submission.”

Teresa Heeney, CEO Early Childhood Ireland.

Previous holders of the office of Minister of State for Children Name

Term of Office

Party

Austin Curry

20 December 1994 to 26 June 1997

Fine Gael

Frank Fahey

8 July 1997 to 1 February 2000

Fianna Fail

Mary Hannafin

1 February 2000 to 6 June 2002

Fianna Fail

Brian Lenihan

19 June 2002 to 14 June 2007

Fianna Fail

Brendan Smith

20 June 2007 to 7 May 2008

Fianna Fail

Barry Andrews

7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011

Fianna Fail

Frances Fitzgerald was appointed as first Minister for Children in March 2011 and we want to say a big thank you for being a real children’s champion over the last 3 years. We congratulate her in her new role as Minister for Justice.

early times summer 2014 27

Who’s Who

hi!

Who’s Who Teresa Heeney,

I

n listening to our members we know that sometimes they are not sure ‘who is who’ in Early Childhood Ireland. Not sure who to contact with a specific query or request?

Chief Executive Officer Phone: (01) 4040641 Email: theeney@earlychildhoodireland.ie Teresa Heeney is Chief Executive Officer. The Office of the CEO leads out on strategic and policy development, having the overall responsibility for the day to day working of the organisation.

Marlene McCormack, We know that can be frustrating and so over the next few issues we will be introducing our staff members, giving you a sense of their areas of work and expertise.

Head of Knowledge Phone: (01) 4040696 Email: mmccormack@earlychildhoodireland.ie Marlene McCormack Head of Knowledge. The Knowledge Directorate leads out on communicating with members through the web and social media, ezine and magazine, along with a research and evaluation brief.

The best place to start is with the CEO and Heads of Directorates.

Susan Selfridge, Head of Corporate & Finance Phone: (01) 4040646 Email: sselfridge@earlychildhoodireland.ie Susan Selfridge Head of Corporate & Finance. As well as dealing with the financial business management and funding, corporate services also ensure the successful and continuous functionality of the organisation.

Marion Brennan, Head of Training Phone: (01) 4040684 Email: mbrennan@earlychildhoodireland.ie Marion Brennan Head of Training. Training leads out on the development, delivery and evaluation of accredited training from Levels 5 up to and including Level 8 (Honours Degree) along with continuing professional learning programmes which meet the needs of our members and the broader sector.

Dr. Carmel Brennan,

line

n us o d.ie Visit ldhoodirelan chi

early

28 early times summer 2014

Head of Practice Phone: (01) 4040691 Email: cbrennan@earlychildhoodireland.ie Carmel Brennan Head of Practice. The Practice team leads out on supporting pedagogy in services, developing and delivering Siolta and Aistear programmes and through their work inspiring learning stories and innovations within the sector.

NEWS POLICY UPDATES

s n o i t s e 3 qu from the ctor se 1

What’s happening with Siolta/Aistear?

WE have two great frameworks Siolta (Quality) and Aistear (Curriculum) but sometimes the links between the two are not clear and for some practitioners it is quite confusing. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) is leading out on the development of a new practice guide which will bring Siolta and Aistear together. The new practice guide which will be ready in the second part of the year, will be practical (with lots of resources) to help implement the frameworks, and will be available free online. The guide will be useful to managers and staff in services and will be used by the Mentors from the National Quality Support Service. We are delighted that Maire Corbett, one of our colleagues from Early Childhood Ireland is currently on secondment to NCCA to support this new development.

2

What is the National Quality Support Service (NQSS)?

The realisation has grown at a policy level that the quality of early childhood care and education services is enhanced by mentoring. A small number of services around the country have had access to and have benefited from engaging with Siolta and Aistear programmes. Indeed other services have also enjoyed the support of a mentor through programmes such as the NEYAI and PEIP. As part of a quality agenda for early childhood, the government is establishing a new national initiative which will involve 30 new mentors around the country working directly with services. Recruitment of a National Manager, of three Regional Service Co-Ordinators and 30 Early Years Specialists is underway. The new service is expected to commence towards the end of the year.

3 What are the National Standards?

The National Standards will complement or offer guidance in relation to the Child Care (Pre-School Services) Regulations (No. 2) 2006. They will not replace the Regulations but they will be used instead of the Explanatory Guide, offering guidance on interpreting the Regulations. In short, the National Standards will be the basis for operation and inspection and as such will be most important for early childhood services. Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Mr. Charlie Flanagan recently announced that the new National Standards are due to be published in the coming weeks.

Early Childhood Ireland will update members directly on all new developments.

For the most current information look to our web site www.earlychildhoodireland.ie

early earlytimes timessummer summer2014 2014 29

NEWS POLICY ROUNDUP

h t i w p u g n i p e Ke s t n e m p o l e v e Changes & D in the Sector

I

f anything is certain, it is that change is certain and nowhere is that more evident than in the early childhood care and education sector.

There was a time in the not too distant past when paperwork meant paying wages, keeping an attendance register, giving your accountant (if you had one) a bag of receipts, when being trained involved having a 10 week nonaccredited course and basically being qualified for the job meant that you liked children. This description is a little too simplistic but of course over the past decade and a half we have shifted from:  Being childcare workers to practitioners and maybe even early childhood educators  Completing minimal paperwork to having a paperwork overload  Operating as an independent community or private service to

30 early times summer 2014

working with or for Government through the funding schemes  Thinking about minding children to providing early childhood care and education for children and their families  Working informally with minimal guidance to operating in a policy rich environment with high accountability and insufficient resources In under a year the following are some of the main policy changes impacting on the sector.

Tusla Tusla, the Child & Family Agency, was established in January 2014 under the Child & Family Agency Bill. In relation to our sector, it has responsibility for child protection, registration and

inspection of all early childhood care and education settings. The Bill also provided the Minister with the power to set qualification levels for the sector.

Registration From 1st January 2014 all existing early years’ services were deemed to be registered (move from notification to registration). Over the next 3 years all services will be re-registered.

All new services must be registered in advance of opening and before opening they must provide proof of First Safety Compliance, Garda vetting, Planning Permission and other documentation. Under the new system services will be deemed (a) Registered (b) Registered with Conditions (improvements to be made) or (c) Not Registered (in which case they will not be able to operate).

NEWS POLICY ROUNDUP Inspection

Qualifications

From July 2013 onwards HSE Inspection Reports have and continue to be published online. Inspections will be against the new Standards and there will be four key areas of focus: (a) Is the child safe (b) Does the service support the health, welfare and development of the child (c) Is the service well governed (d) Are the premises structurally sound and fit for purpose

New qualification requirements were announced last year. The requirements are that by September 2015:  All staff working in early childhood care and education settings will have to have a Level 5 qualification.  All preschool leaders delivering the free preschool year / ECCE programme must have a Level 6 qualification (or equivalent).

Standards The publishing of New Standards is expected in May/June. The Standards are intended as a guide for inspectors, service providers and parents. They will replace the existing Child Care (Pre-School Services No. 2) Regulation Guidelines. The 2010 Standards are grouped under four headings:  Choosing a Service (aimed at parents)  Management and Staffing (aimed at service providers)  Quality of Care  Premises and Safety

Learner Fund A Learner Fund was introduced towards the end of 2013 to financially help those already working in the sector to meet the new qualification requirements. A new round of the ‘Learner Fund’, will commence in September 2014, will be administered

by Pobal with the help of local City and County Childcare Committees.

The Learner Fund will subsidise the cost for eligible learners to undertake accredited Level 5 and Level 6 courses provided by approved training providers.

National Early Years Quality Support Service A new National Early Years Quality Support Service is currently being set up. The new body will co-ordinate all existing quality supports and will provide mentoring at a local level to early childhood services, helping them to develop and implement quality improvement plans underpinned by Siolta and Aistear.

Garda Vetting Garda Vetting is currently taking around 4 weeks to process. Problems are occurring between Tusla and the Data Protection Commissioner around student vetting, which has now gone for consideration to the Attorney General. Garda are developing an e-vetting system.

Child Protection  New standardised Child Protection Training (Child Protection & Welfare: Basic Level) is now delivered through your local CCC.  New legislation, The Children First Bill (2014) is currently going through the Dáil and will put Children First National Guidance on a statutory footing and among other things will bring about a change from ‘should report’ to ‘must report’. This Bill will bring around other changes in services, for example a Child Safeguarding Statement which will identify how as a service you will manage risk.

early times summer 2014 31

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Early Childhood Ireland Hainault House Belgard Square Tallaght Dublin 24 Tel: 01 4057100 Fax: 01 4057109 Email: info@earlychildhoodireland.ie Web: www.earlychildhoodireland.ie