Scéalta – The Early Childhood Ireland Blog

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The Awards!

By Mag Coogan

Tuesday 22 May 2018

In April, Mag Coogan, Owner of the ABC Club in Dunboyne, Co. Meath, was the overall winner of the first ever Early Childhood Ireland Educator of the Year Award. Here’s what happened in the preschool the week after the Awards Ceremony! Returning to The ABC Club on the Monday after winning the Educator of the […]
tags AwardsCelebrationsCeremonyEducator of the Year AwardNational Awards 2018PartyScéalta Blog
1051 views
0 comments
folder Play

Making it Count

By Michelle Quinlan and Therese Roche

Tuesday 15 May 2018

At Totally Kids we like to play outside. Actually, we love to play outside. In fact, we are almost always found playing outside! But it has not always been this way. We are an ECCE service based in St. Joseph’s School in Tipperary town. Our story began eight years ago, and back then our routine […]
tags Mud kitchensoutdoor playplayWeather
1393 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningRelationship Building

‘I feel complete now’

By Breda Joyce

Wednesday 09 May 2018

In May 2008 my husband and I adopted a 6-month old baby girl from Vietnam. She has brought us nothing but joy and happiness since then. Kayla has always had a keen interest in her birth country, and we have marked her cultural celebrations such as Tet (Vietnamese New Year) every year. Her birthday is […]
tags AdoptionAistearBelongingIdentitySíoltaVietnam
710 views
1 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningResearch

Children doing it for themselves!

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 01 May 2018

One day, a few months ago, I was walking along a beach. Two little boys ran past me. They were maybe 6 and 4 years old. They came to some rocks and the older boy held out his hand to his little brother or friend. The older one wanted to help the other negotiate the […]
tags AistearCapableCompetentConfidentFeedingIndependenceSíolta
1203 views
0 comments
folder LearningResearch

Inspiring Practice in Pen Green

By Valerie Gaynor

Tuesday 24 April 2018

The staff of Creative Kids and Co. from Dublin, were very lucky to spend the February mid term break on a visit to the Pen Green Centre for Under 5’s and their families. The visit was planned to inspire practice, and to get new ideas for our spaces. Pen Green is located in Corby which […]
tags AisteareducationInspirationaloutdoor spacePen greenplayQualityScéalta BlogSíolta
1102 views
1 comments
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Same Thing, in a Different Way

By Lorraine O'Connor

Tuesday 17 April 2018

‘Let’s make playdough’ is a popular sentence with many children. The simplicity of the flour, oil, water and colouring continues to amaze children each time it is made. Each time I engage in making playdough with a child or a group of children, the process appears wonderous, this is evident through their curiosity as they […]
tags AistearblogPlaydoughScéalta BlogSíolta
117 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearning

‘Tuning in’ with Learning Stories

By Catherine Quinn

Tuesday 10 April 2018

As the final countdown commences to Early Childhood Ireland’s Awards night, the amazing stories from our sector continue to blow us away day by day. The hard work and dedication of the educators, who wholeheartedly devote their energies into providing the best care and education for the children in their setting, is oozing from each […]
tags AistearblogdocumentationLearning StoriesLearning Stories AwardNational Awards 2018Scéalta BlogSíolta
908 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearning

What Next?

By Fiona Kelleher

Tuesday 03 April 2018

I don’t think I will ever forget the day I graduated from DIT with my certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education. After 2 years I had achieved a third level education and was ready to start my career working with children. This was also the day that I insisted on having every possible graduation […]
tags CertificateEarly Childhood Care and EducationeducationGraduateMA
982 views
0 comments
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Inspired to Document

By Orlagh Doyle

Tuesday 27 March 2018

Modern day practice in early years education brings with it necessary documentation and our learning stories are simply an extension of this, however taking part in the learning story awards brings the added benefit of making our experiences meaningful and insightful for families and the wider community. We take great pride in the opportunities we […]
tags AistearAwards 2018communityEducator of the Year AwardInspired Practice AwardLearning Story AwardsSíoltaWell-Being
794 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningPlay

Singing your praises

By Carol Duffy

Tuesday 20 March 2018

In my corner of the office it’s not unusual to hear me yelp with excitement, laugh out loud, or have tears streaming down my face (sometimes all at once). Often, I am stunned into silent reflection, affected and humbled by the capacity and humanity of you, the early years professionals, who share your stories of […]
tags AistearAwards 2018InspirationalInspired Practice Awardoutdoor playScéalta BlogSíolta
689 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningRelationship Building

National Holiday!

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 13 March 2018

It’s March and so our thoughts turn to celebrating our National Holiday…St Patrick’s Day. Harps and Shamrocks abound and everything appears though a greenish haze. Leprechauns and shillelaghs are produced and we all feel proud to be Irish. Indeed, the whole world seems to claim Irishness, with rivers dyed green and buildings bathed in green […]
tags AistearCelebrationsCultureIrishLeprechaunsNational HolidaySíoltaSnakesSt. Patrick's Day
1378 views
1 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningRelationship Building

Childcare – A Bad Job?

By Deborah Reynolds

Tuesday 06 March 2018

The phrase ‘I love my job’ is one you’ll often hear from Childcare Practitioners. It’s a feeling I share, I find my job very rewarding. It’s a privilege to be trusted with the care and education of Children under 5. I take my job seriously, I’m a professional, I’ve earned an education and my years […]
tags AistearChildcareChildcare Barometer 2018ProfessionalisationSíoltaTrade Unions
25588 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningRelationship Building

Spotlight on Biting

By Milica Atanackovic

Tuesday 27 February 2018

From an adult perspective, biting is an anti-social behaviour. It is grossly inappropriate to negotiate a situation or express your frustrations, sensory overload or teethache woes by biting your peers. With a child who has only a few years of life experience, the behaviour of biting shouldn’t be seen through an adult lens. As adults […]
tags AistearBehaviourBitingECCEemotionsFrustrationsScéalta BlogSíolta
1789 views
2 comments
folder ArtDevelopmentLearning

Sustainable Gumboots!

By Ricka Walser and Josephine Thompson

Tuesday 20 February 2018

Trying to be sustainable is like being on an adventure of discovery…. you never know what treasures or ideas you’re going to come up with or uncover, while also discovering your own inner creative spirit.  When we started on this adventure back in 2016 we wanted to develop our new preschool around the ethos of […]
tags AistearAwards 2018CreativityRecyclingSíoltaSustainabilitySustainableUpcycling
1586 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningResearch

Time to Shine!

By Debbie Mullen

Tuesday 13 February 2018

Did you read this Blog post last year? Thank you for the stories Rachel! Or, were you in the audience on that wonderful day last September when people like Maxine O’Donoghue, Nickola Cullen, Anne Macken and Alicia Cormican moved the audience to tears with their beautiful stories of child centred practice and showed what committed educators […]
tags AwardsEducator Award - Leader in PracticeEducator of the Year AwardEducatorsScéalta BlogWesco
1358 views
0 comments
folder ArtDevelopmentLearningPlayRelationship Building

Feel the Love

By Evelyn Egan Rainy

Tuesday 06 February 2018

As we emerge from the dark dreary days of January, Valentine’s Day heralds the coming of Spring and love is definitely in the air. No sooner did we ‘ring out the old, ring in the new’, than shop windows were adorned with red and pink love hearts, helium balloons, imitation roses, designer chocolates and Hallmark […]
tags AistearCITCork Institute of TechnologyFabricLoveScéalta BlogSíoltaValentine's Day
3996 views
0 comments
folder LearningPlayResearch

Finding Out & Sharing

By Kathleen Tuite

Tuesday 30 January 2018

Each year Early Childhood Ireland offers an opportunity for researchers, academics and students to present the findings from their research at our Irish Early Years Research Seminar. This year is no different so we are calling all researchers who have an interest in the Early Years to be part of the conversation. Click here to […]
tags AistearIrish Early Years Research & Practice Seminar 2018playresearchResearch Seminarrisky playSíolta
1111 views
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An end to line-ups!

By Sarah Twohig

Tuesday 23 January 2018

I was very fortunate to be invited to attend a study visit to Norway with Early Childhood Ireland a few years ago. Of course, the visit was very exciting. I had never visited Norway and had always admired the country’s reputation for high quality early years experiences especially in risk taking and outdoor play. However, […]
tags Early Years EducatorsLine-upsNorwayQueues
4291 views
2 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningPlay

Montessori Musings

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 16 January 2018

Back when I left school, I knew I wanted to work with young children, very young children. Yes, there was Primary Teaching, but those children were too old! I heard something from someone about Montessori, an approach to working with children under six and I was sold! I bought a book by EM Standing called […]
tags AistearblogECCEEM StandingHome CornerlearningMaria MontessoriMontessoriplayScéalta BlogSíolta
1551 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningRelationship Building

Our vision of children

By Alicia Cormican

Tuesday 09 January 2018

We all hold a set of personal core values and beliefs. Quite often these influence how we see children and how we conduct ourselves in our day to day lives within our classrooms. I value active participatory learning and therefore aim to support children through their active engagement with the environment, the people around them […]
tags ChildrenInspired Practice AwardLearning StoriesScéalta Blog
1273 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningRelationship Building

Keeping the Magic Alive

By Kathleen Tuite

Thursday 04 January 2018

Christmas comes but once a year and despite a long lead up, for many young children the experience of Christmas is only felt once Christmas Day arrives. Early years settings have been busy for months with preparations for Christmas, decorating the rooms, singing songs, making decorations, supporting children to pick out gifts from Santa and […]
tags AistearchristmascurriculumMagicScéalta BlogSíolta
1005 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningRelationship Building

Celebrations – New Traditions and Shared Stories

By Elaine Hynes

Tuesday 19 December 2017

Early childhood settings bring children, families and educators from different cultures and backgrounds together and with each child and family comes a unique story. The wonderful thing is that we all get to benefit from these stories and to draw on aspects of them all, to create new shared stories. This brings incredible richness and […]
tags AistearCelebrationschristmasLearning StoryrelationshipsSíoltaTraditions
1068 views
0 comments
folder ArtDevelopmentLearningPlay

Performing… For Who?

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 12 December 2017

This time of year is full of celebrations, creativity, concerts and plays. But, I wonder, is there a stage where we need to reflect on who this is all for? Surely it is for the children, so that they can experience the joy and wonder of this magical time of the year? I spoke to […]
tags AistearArtCelebrationschristmasGraduationPerformingScéalta BlogSíolta
3075 views
3 comments
folder ArtLearningPlay

Making Scents of Christmas

By Evelyn Egan Rainy

Wednesday 06 December 2017

The Christmas Season is upon us, as evidenced by shopping centre aisles filled to capacity with tons of cheap, commercialized, plastic toys. For months now, great trucks thundered up and down the country delivering their cargo of ‘must have’ Paw-Patrol, Nerf guns and Lovabella dolls, stacks of colouring books and arts and crafts paraphernalia. Similarly, […]
tags ArtblogchristmasChristmas CreativityCraftFrosty the SnowmanGlitterSantaScéalta BlogScentsSequins
4599 views
2 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningPlayResearch

Play – No Overload!

By Amy McArdle

Tuesday 28 November 2017

A few weeks ago, I wrote the first of two blog posts called ‘Admin Overload?’, which documented my learning from a day shadowing Valerie Gaynor, member of ECI’s Policy and Implementation Panel and Manager of Creative Kids in Dublin. Since I have no personal experience in operating, managing or working in an early years service, […]
tags AistearblogFundingInvestmentPolicy and Implementation PanelScéalta BlogSíolta
2432 views
0 comments
folder ArtDevelopmentLearningPlay

Playschool: Not what it used to be!

By Deborah Reynolds

Tuesday 21 November 2017

Over the past decade, there has been a seismic shift in how Early Years Services operate. Parents who have used Early Years Services over this time, will definitely have observed these changes. Every year there seems to be new requirements for settings. It can be difficult for us professionals to keep up with new policy […]
tags AcademicsAistearArtEmergent CurriculumparentsplayPlayschoolPolicyScéalta BlogSíolta
4459 views
6 comments
folder ArtDevelopmentPlay

Winter Activities for Children

By Aoife O'Driscoll

Tuesday 14 November 2017

By Aoife O’Driscoll from Inspire Me Ireland   InspireMe.ie is a new online event guide that will allow you find out what’s going on anywhere in Ireland. You can search for things to do, based on your location, specific interests, accessibility issues or even whether you want an indoor or outdoor activity. With the shorter […]
tags dublinEvent GuideInspireMe.ieKerryLimerickMayoScéalta BlogWinter
1430 views
0 comments
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Technology Guilt?

By Debbie Mullen

Tuesday 07 November 2017

Next week is Science Week. When we think of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects, the issue of Technology and the related screen time can be emotive. Debbie Mullen considers this from a parent perspective. When your child discovers your phone or tablet, should you feel guilty about letting them use it? This […]
tags blogEngineeringLegoMathsScéalta Blogsciencescience weekSTEMTechnologyXbox
1483 views
0 comments
folder LearningResearch

Admin Overload?

By Amy McArdle

Tuesday 31 October 2017

My name is Amy McArdle and I have been the Policy Officer in Early Childhood Ireland (ECI) since May 2016. My background is in law, human rights and politics, but I have been working in policy for over 10 years. There are a lot of policy issues relevant to early years services like those inspected […]
tags Administrative BurdenAdvocacyblogDCYAPIPPobalPolicyScéalta BlogValerie Gaynor
2909 views
1 comments
folder DevelopmentPlayResearch

Young Children: The Human Face of the Refugee Crisis

By Dr. Mary Moloney

Tuesday 24 October 2017

I have spent my life believing that every child has a basic fundamental right to survival, to a standard of living that meets their physical and mental needs; to education, to rest, recreation and play as outlined in the UNCRC. Yet, in spite of this legally binding international agreement, the rights of millions of children, […]
tags AfghanistanAistearEritreaIraqrefugeesScéalta BlogSíoltaSyriaUNCRC
2820 views
2 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningPlay

Stories from the Heart

By Maxine Ryan

Tuesday 17 October 2017

When I set out on my journey writing learning stories I felt very anxious. Would I know what to write? Would I know what to look for? Did I have the right words to explain the story? I soon discovered the more I did it, the more comfortable I became with the process. I realised […]
tags AistearblogLearning StoriesMount EverestScéalta BlogSíolta
1929 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningResearch

Change in the Air

By Montessori and Early Childhood Professionals Ireland

Tuesday 10 October 2017

This week within the early childhood education and care sector there has been wide-ranging debate on a scale never seen before; a debate which has been refreshingly professional in nature. On Thursday 5th October, the Irish Times printed an article written by Carl O’Brien in which he discussed the release of a 10-point plan for the […]
tags blogMECPIMontessori & Early Childhood Professionals IrelandQualificationsScéalta BlogSeas Suas
2155 views
2 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningPlayRelationship BuildingResearch

Budget 2028 anyone?

By Frances Byrne

Tuesday 03 October 2017

The pace of change in the early years sector is something which only those of us trying to engage with it, can begin to grasp.  When your role, as mine does, involves analysing and responding to this change on behalf of a large, and growing membership, sometimes the grip feels quite tenuous, such is the […]
tags AffordabilityblogBudget 2018ECCEQualityScéalta BlogSustainability
1445 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningRelationship Building

Why ‘Time Out’ is ‘Out’!

By Lorraine O'Connor

Tuesday 26 September 2017

If you were asked to wear a jumper today that you had 10 years ago, would you? Probably not; it might be outdated, not in fashion, it doesn’t suit your figure or perhaps it doesn’t fit! A similar question – would you use time out to support a child’s behaviour today? We can say the […]
tags AistearBehaviourSelf-regulationSíoltaSupernannyTime OutWell-Being
3777 views
2 comments
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Let’s Be Positive!

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 19 September 2017

Technology is wonderful. It gives us instant access to so much information, entertainment and it simplifies work lives and saves money! What’s not to like about it! Similarly, social media has transformed the way we live.
tags FacebookOnlinesocial mediaTwitter
2165 views
0 comments
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It’s good to talk!

By Dr. Suzanne Egan

Tuesday 12 September 2017

Talking is an essential human skill in order to communicate our wants, needs, hopes, dreams and to make social connections with others. While infants can make their needs known it takes some time for children to achieve adult like language and communication abilities. The ability to talk is primarily developed through infants being spoken to directly from birth and through exposure to others chatting. This includes overheard conversations such as in the family home, a child care setting, the supermarket or park.
tags
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Looking in on Play

By Dr. Carmel Brennan

Tuesday 05 September 2017

In my previous post Stick to Play, we looked at how children play and how simple loose parts provide opportunities to be creative and imaginative. Just look at the following scenarios and you will see that through all these activities children are building their identities as capable participants, adventurers, possible Mams and Dads and big […]
tags blogFantasy playLearning Storiesoutdoor playplayRole playScéalta Blog
1585 views
0 comments
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Documenting the Connections

By Catherine Quinn

Tuesday 29 August 2017

On Saturday, 9th of September, Early Childhood Ireland has the pleasure of welcoming one of the most influential people in the field of early years’ practice and I for one cannot wait to meet the inspirational Wendy Lee. My relationship with documentation has changed dramatically in recent years and I know that the words of […]
tags documentationLearning StoriesWendy Lee
2085 views
0 comments
folder Play

Stick to play

By Dr. Carmel Brennan

Tuesday 15 August 2017

This week it was really encouraging to hear about a package of sensory play equipment that will be made available free to settings, from the DCYA.  Could this herald another step on our Aistear journey, another step in our national thinking. A shift from talking about literacy and numeracy and giving children an early start […]
tags AistearDCYAplay
2559 views
0 comments
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Making Children Visible

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 01 August 2017

I was lucky enough to spend a month visiting my son in Australia recently. It was an amazing experience. One of the things that struck me was how visible children are in the community. Síolta (Standard: 16 Community Involvement) and Aistear (Theme: Identity and Belonging) talk about community involvement and how important it is for […]
tags AistearcommunitySíolta
1631 views
2 comments
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Are Titles Important?

By Marian Quinn

Tuesday 25 July 2017

Our name defines us. It is one of the first things that people learn about us and so this important piece of information forms the basis of the earliest judgements that people will make about us. The same is true of our professional title. How we name our profession will instantly lead to judgements relating […]
tags Identity and BelongingProfessionalisationTitles
2316 views
2 comments
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The Organisation of Opportunities

By Kathleen Tuite

Tuesday 18 July 2017

This time of year sees many changes in early years’ settings, from children moving on to primary school, running summer programmes, holding special activity camps to perhaps settings closing altogether for the summer months. With all this ebbing and flowing in settings, summer time is a good time to give some thought to how the […]
tags environments
1726 views
0 comments
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Valuing Professionals

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 11 July 2017

On a sunny Saturday in June I delivered a 5-hour training session on Aistear Síolta in Action to a group of early childhood educators. It was a lovely day.  We explored what our image of the child is. We discussed and shared lots of ideas on play, open-ended materials, minimising transitions and enabling children to […]
tags AistearProfessionalisationSíolta
2959 views
2 comments
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Scéalta is 1 year old!

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 04 July 2017

Máire Corbett and Kathleen Tuite in conversation about Scéalta, a year in the life……. Communication with members is important to us in Early Childhood Ireland. Drawing on the expertise and good practice we see in settings every day and finding a way of sharing that with other members is something we felt should be happening […]
tags Scéalta Blog
1503 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningResearch

Studying enquiring minds – the challenges of early childhood practice research

By Maja Haals Brosnan

Tuesday 27 June 2017

If we put the researching child at the centre of our own research we do not have to spend weeks or months thinking up the best research question, the kinds of questions we should be asking, what to observe, what to note down, what to analyse. Take any given day in the baby, wobbler or preschool rooms and there is a plethora of questions and lines of enquiry right there!
tags AistearChildren's Research Networkoutdoor playplayresearchSíolta
1833 views
0 comments
folder LearningPlayRelationship Building

Thank you for the stories Rachel

By Dr. Carmel Brennan

Monday 19 June 2017

I’m reminded of the power of telling everyday anecdotes and stories – the small little incidents that happen throughout the day. They give parents an insight into the everyday and at the same time into their children’s growing relationships and abilities.
tags baby roomparentstransitions
4430 views
0 comments
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Early Years Educators ‘Your Well-being Matters’ too!

By Dr. Jennifer Pope

Tuesday 13 June 2017

As summer approaches, consider the advice they give on the plane before take-off…’In an emergency, put your own life-jacket and mask on first before you attend to your children’. In our day to day work we are usually told to start with the child and be child-centred but when it comes to our health and […]
tags Aistearblogearly childhood educatorrelationshipsScéalta Blog
3914 views
0 comments
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“Well done you!”: A Parent’s Tribute

By Aisling Hearne

Tuesday 06 June 2017

A parent’s tribute to her son’s early childhood teacher Do I have his bag packed, are there nappies in the bag? What about a box of raisins for the journey? How will I carry the coffee back to the table whilst pushing the buggy and holding his toast at the same time? Oh, but how I need that coffee. Wait hang on a second- how much sugar is in that jam he is eating? Which is usually followed by…. ‘I must pick up toothpaste’ (fluoride free obviously).
tags parents
5206 views
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Playing with Roles

By Lorraine O'Connor

Tuesday 30 May 2017

The complexity of children’s play continues to leave me with many questions. Recently, I was visiting my friend, and her curious 2-year-old who has begun to show an interest in doctors and patients. On this day, she ran excitedly across the sitting room, and suddenly, progressed into a slow walk with both hands on her […]
tags Aistearplayrole playing
942 views
0 comments
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Children’s Rights in Small Places

By Aisling Hearne

Tuesday 23 May 2017

Valuing the ECEC professional – Children’s Rights in Small Places Many ECEC practitioners working in early childhood settings in Ireland will have some awareness of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by the Government of Ireland in 1992.   If you were to hold a full copy of the UNCRC in […]
tags AistearChildren's RightsECCEplay
4585 views
1 comments
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Wings to the Imagination

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 16 May 2017

Plato is said to have believed ‘Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.’ I love this quote and I believe that music is a powerful, enjoyable and fun way for children to experience movement, listening, playing and sounds. But, probably like many of […]
tags AistearMusic
1783 views
1 comments
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Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder

By Carol Duffy

Tuesday 09 May 2017

As I scanned the garden I was struck by the “state” of the place. I pondered how earlier in my life I might have been perturbed about what I was looking at. A natural space not as nature may have intended, but as what it can become when it is a loved place of play. […]
tags outdoorsplayScéalta Blog
2487 views
1 comments
folder LearningPlay

Listening to Children: Children’s Perspectives on Quality

By Aisling Hearne

Friday 28 April 2017

Whilst researching the topic “Quality in ECEC” as part of my Degree in Early Years Studies, it became apparent that there were a lot of opinions (from adults!) on what quality in an early years setting looked like. However, I was interested in what the preschool child’s perspective was on quality in an early years’ […]
tags DegreelearningplayQualityTraining
2460 views
0 comments
folder Learning

Reflections on Degree Level Training

By Dr. Mary Moloney

Tuesday 25 April 2017

People often ask why somebody would need a degree to work with young children. The assumption being, that little training is needed to ‘mind’ a child. Thankfully, there has been a shift with regards to the importance of early childhood education and care worldwide, and the complexity of working with young children is increasingly in […]
tags AistearlearningplayScéalta BlogSíoltaTraining
10996 views
2 comments
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Wonderful Loose Parts

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 18 April 2017

In the run- up to Easter I was in a preschool setting. The educator had brought in some polystyrene eggs for the children to paint for Easter. She had them on a counter top ready to introduce them when the time was right. One little boy saw them an immediately appropriated them! You see, he […]
tags EasterplayScéalta Blog
2304 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearning

Reading to Superheroes!

By Aisling Hearne

Tuesday 11 April 2017

As a working Mam, I cherish story time with my son. It is our time. Every night a new adventure. Each story a new place we get to visit together. It is truly my favourite part of the day. Our bedtime routine usually begins with 10 minutes of an intense selection process. If my son […]
tags blogbooksreadingScéalta Blogstory time
2501 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningRelationship BuildingTransitions

What’s in a name?

By Lorraine O'Connor

Tuesday 04 April 2017

Every day we use children’s names without realising. Mark Twain (1835-1910) reminds us names are not always what they seem. The Welsh name Bzjxxllwcp is pronounced Jackson. However, what is in a name? Does it matter if we say a child’s name wrong, shorten it or don’t use it at all? Irelands population is growing, […]
tags AistearblogCultureMark TwainNamesNorwayScéalta BlogSíolta
3603 views
0 comments
folder ArtLearningPlay

The Arts as a Curiosity

By Aisling Hearne

Tuesday 28 March 2017

Deirdre Rogers is delivering a Masterclass at our Annual Conference: The Art as Curiosity. Click to book >> The Arts are a curiosity and children learn through the Arts. Children have a spontaneous desire to move, experiment and explore. I envy how their imagination allows them to create magical imagery and outrageous ideas, which make […]
tags ArtArtsblogcuriosityDeirdre RogersDrawingImaginationPaintingReCreateScéalta BlogSPICE Framework
2371 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningTransitions

The power of transition: supporting children to predict and cope with change

By Aisling Hearne

Tuesday 21 March 2017

“To be responsible for your children at the start of a journey is a daunting prospect. To be in a position to influence the route they take and how they view themselves as they travel is even more of a responsibility.” Drummond (1999, cited in Abbott, 2000) Children in Ireland experience a broad range of educational […]
tags AistearAistear Siolta Practice GuideAnnual Conference 2017Dr Mary O'KaneECCEMasterclassScéalta BlogSíoltatransitions
3392 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningResearch

Making a Difference: AIMing for the Stars in the Age of Inclusion

By Dr Emer Ring

Monday 13 March 2017

I have been asked to present a Masterclass at the Early Childhood Ireland Conference on April 1, on the topic of Implementing the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM). In preparing for that session I got to reflecting more on this subject. There are numerous books written about inclusion in the early years and beyond, what […]
tags Access and Inclusion ModelAIMAistearAnnual Conference 2017Dr. Emer RingInclusionMasterclassresearchSíoltaSpecial Needs Assistants
4850 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningPlayResearch

Builders of the future

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 07 March 2017

It is Engineers Week this week. The purpose is to celebrate engineering in Ireland.  This starts with us, the educators who are passionate about play, the educators who realise that the very young children we work with everyday are the builders, scientists, architects and engineers of the future! The concept of STEM subjects is a […]
tags Aldo FortunatiblogBuildersEngineeringEngineers WeekJengaLegoMathsNAEYCScéalta BlogscienceSTEMTechnology
2535 views
0 comments
folder ArtDevelopmentLearningPlay

X Marks the Spot: Following Children’s Interests

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 28 February 2017

I was in a sessional preschool setting the other day. There was lots of talk about our senses. Children and educators shared ideas about seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching. There were 3 small group activities for children to choose from, one of which involved Skittles and water, so children could discuss what they saw, […]
tags AistearBook ClubInterestsMapSíoltaSweetsTreasureTreasure Chest
2595 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningRelationship Building

Capturing the Wonder of Childhood

By Catherine Quinn

Tuesday 21 February 2017

A day in the life of an early year’s educator can be fun, interesting and full of playfulness. It is commonly heard from educators that they love working with children because no two days are ever the same. Children are spontaneous, unpredictable and full of curiosity. We, as adults, need to find our place in […]
tags AistearblogChildhoodcuriositylearningLearning StoriesSíoltaWonder
4302 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningPlayRelationship BuildingTransitions

Priceless Times

By Emma Reilly

Tuesday 14 February 2017

There’s only one thing more precious than our time and that’s who we spend it on Leo Christopher Recently I was fortunate to be part of an Erasmus plus trip to Italy to job shadow in early years’ services in an area called San Miniato. I visited ‘Nido Pinocchio’ infant and toddler centre and came […]
tags ERASMUS+ItalyroutineSan MiniatoSelf Help SkillsShoesTimetransitions
3684 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningPlayRelationship Building

Valentine’s Day – Sowing The Seeds of Love

By Kathleen Tuite

Tuesday 07 February 2017

The 14th of February, a day when it is traditional to send a card, often anonymously, to a person one is romantically involved with or attracted to. A day which generates millions in sales of cards, flowers, chocolates, and gifts. A day that has a long history dating back to the Romans, with little sight […]
tags AistearCreativityFlowersGardeningKilkennyPlantsScéalta BlogSíoltaValentine's Day
3004 views
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folder ArtDevelopmentLearningPlay

Celebrate the spiders: Encourage Creativity

By Elaine Hynes

Tuesday 31 January 2017

When reading an article recently about creativity, I was reminded of an experience some time ago in an early years setting. The children were colouring in template worksheets with numbers, letters and corresponding objects. I watched as one little boy coloured his sheet quickly. He then proceeded to turn over the sheet of paper, selected […]
tags AistearArtCommunicatingCreativityDrawingExploringIdentity and BelongingSíoltaSpidersThinkingWell-Being
3691 views
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folder DevelopmentRelationship Building

Playing Favourites: From Favouritism to Fairness

By Milica Atanackovic

Tuesday 24 January 2017

I received feedback from a family early into my ECCE career and it was a bitter pill to swallow. The parents felt their child was not happy and thriving. One reason they gave was that their child was quieter in nature, but a more contentious issue was that they felt educators (myself primarily) were not […]
tags AistearBelongingFavouritismIdentityrespectSíolta
5028 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningRelationship Building

Playing to strengths

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 17 January 2017

Over the past while I have been thinking about education a lot. Aldo Fortunati and Ariana Pucci, from San Miniato, inspired the practitioners lucky enough to be able to attend their seminars in Cork, Maynooth and Dublin, last October. They spoke passionately about the Tuscan Approach to Early Childhood Education and Care and showed us […]
tags Aldo FortunatiAriana PucciCorkdevelopmentdublinlearningMaynoothPositivityPotentialSan MiniatoTuscan Approach
3756 views
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Nothing Without Joy: The Children’s Book Club

By Dr. Carmel Brennan

Tuesday 10 January 2017

‘Nothing without joy’ Loris Mallaguzzi, Reggio Emilia Have you seen our new Book Club? The aim of the book club is to allow children share their stories with other children. The way it works is that a group of children create a story – a story from their play or a story they enact, draw […]
tags AistearBook ClubbooksMagnavacchiMalaguzziOur Little SeedreadingReggioSíoltaThe Jelly KingToby Bears Camping TripWilenski
2103 views
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folder DevelopmentLearningRelationship Building

Traffic Lights – a child’s perspective

By Milica Atanackovic

Wednesday 04 January 2017

‘I feel a bit sad today,’ said my five-year-old daughter when I collected her. ‘Did anything happen to make you feel sad?’ I asked. She had just started primary school and it was a few weeks into the term. She described a behaviour management strategy in place in her classroom, ‘It’s the traffic lights, when […]
tags AistearBehaviourExclusionlearningplaySelf-EsteemSíoltaTraffic Lights
2744 views
1 comments
folder DevelopmentRelationship Building

Christmas: The way we always do it…

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 20 December 2016

Christmas is the only time these words are acceptable! As early years professionals we reflect, review and keep our practice fresh all year round. However, at this time of year, tradition is key! In any group of people, at Christmas parties, lunches and various gatherings you’ll hear “what do you do for Christmas” many times […]
tags AistearBelongingchristmasIdentitySíoltaTraditions
2605 views
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folder ArtDevelopmentLearningPlay

Christmas Creativity: Doing it their way

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 06 December 2016

This time of year is magical! Yes, it’s chaotic, noisy, messy, fun, exhilarating…and really, we wouldn’t want it any other way! Between Santa, Christmas Crackers, holly, ivy, snowpeople…there is so much scope for children’s imaginations to have free rein…so much for them to talk about, think about, explore and discover. But, when I see a […]
tags AistearArtchristmasChristmas CreativityCreativeCreativityGlitterSantaSíolta
3596 views
2 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningPlayRelationship Building

Sharing Play Stories

By Dr. Carmel Brennan

Tuesday 22 November 2016

‘The tigers can’t be near the giraffes ‘cos they might hurt them’ I’m intrigued by the stories that children tell in their play. They are stories that one player suggests and another player continues, contributing another idea or initiative. So the stories are emergent because the players have to respond to one another’s ideas and […]
tags Aistearplayplay storiesSíoltastories
2855 views
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folder ArtLearningPlayResearch

Early Years Educators supporting scientific enquiry with young children

By Kathleen Tuite

Tuesday 15 November 2016

– Kathleen Tuite and Máire Corbett   Aistear’s Exploring and Thinking theme is all about supporting children to learn about and make sense of the world around them. Curiosity is one of the learning dispositions central to Aistear. Children are naturally curious and fascinated by plants, animals, nature, cause and effect and how things work. […]
tags Aistearbabiescuriositysciencescience weekSíoltatoddlers
2047 views
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folder DevelopmentPlayRelationship Building

Young Children and Pets – Emotional Bonds and Enduring Friendships

By Kathleen Tuite

Tuesday 08 November 2016

I have been struck many times watching my grandson playing with our family pet, a small Jack Russell terrier, how he shows such love and affection for this small animal. He treats him like his best friend, he talks to him, shares secrets with him, knows what he eats, helps with feeding him, settles the […]
tags animalsbondsdogsemotionsfriendshipspets
975 views
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folder DevelopmentLearningRelationship Building

The walls have ears – How does political debate or “adult” dialogue impact on young children’s lives?

By Rita Melia

Tuesday 01 November 2016

It is just amazing how much children hear or assimilate. Watching children engrossed in play one would not expect they are aware of all the things happening or being said in their surrounding environment. I think back to my own childhood and I am struck by recollections which are embedded in my mind as a […]
tags communicationconversationsearslistenlisteningoverhearworries
1054 views
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folder DevelopmentRelationship BuildingTransitions

My personal journey of being involved in my children’s playschool

By Debbie Mullen

Tuesday 25 October 2016

As the mum of Eoghan and Elliot, now 5, being involved in their preschool year was a wonderful experience. The experience affected my life in so many ways – I got to know my two boys as they became part of a group and developed an identity as pre-schoolers, while seeing their individual interests and […]
tags AistearcommunityexperiencejourneymemoriesparentspreschoolrelationshipsSíolta
1600 views
2 comments
folder LearningPlay

Playfully becoming the Mathematicians of tomorrow

By Catherine Quinn

Tuesday 18 October 2016

It’s that time of the year again… Maths Week has arrived. Last year, Maths Week Ireland engaged well over a quarter of a million people. What an accomplishment! Children from all corners of Ireland celebrated their passion for learning maths. As early year educators we all know that it is not a time to sit […]
tags AistearMathematiciansMathsMaths WeekMaths Week IrelandplaySíolta
2682 views
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folder LearningPlay

Educating Feisty Children

By Dr. Carmel Brennan

Tuesday 11 October 2016

    Margy Whalley is coming to Dublin. She will present a keynote, along with Aldo Fortunati, at the Early Childhood Ireland conference on Working with Children from birth to 3 years in Marino Institute of Education, Dublin on the 27th October. It’s an occasion not to be missed. Margy has been a long-time friend […]
tags AistearAldo FortunatieducatingfeistylearningMargy WhalleyplaySíolta
1258 views
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folder LearningRelationship BuildingRisk Assessment

Extraordinary curiosity, full of desire and delight

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 04 October 2016

I’m really looking forward to the last week of October this year. This is the week that Aldo Fortunati, from San Miniato comes back to Ireland. He is speaking in Cork on October 25th and in Dublin (with Margy Whalley from Pen Green) on October 27th. Since I last heard Aldo Fortunati speak in Dublin, […]
tags AistearAldo Fortunatilearningrelationshipsriskrisky playSíoltatrust
1950 views
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folder Relationship Building

Relationships – Relax, Relate, Communicate

By Milica Atanackovic

Tuesday 27 September 2016

In this post I continue to explore Magda Gerber’s RIE philosophy, and I look at how relationships can influence practice. In the first post in this series, I spoke about Respect starting at birth and in the second I looked at how trust can influence practice.  All humans need relationships that are secure, respectful, consistent, and trusting. The […]
tags AistearbabiescommunicationeducarerMagda GerberrelationshipsRIE philosphySíolta
2511 views
1 comments
folder Learning

How slowing down builds better curriculum

By Lilian Joyce

Monday 19 September 2016

As an early years educator do you feel you have to be constantly doing something all of the time? Yet we know that just watching and listening to children at play is an important part of the role of an educator. Many educators can immediately tell you what activities interest particular children, “He loves playing […]
tags AistearcurriculumlearningplanningSíolta
1433 views
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folder Development

Trust – their own way, their own time

By Milica Atanackovic

Tuesday 13 September 2016

In this post I revisit some thoughts around Magda Gerber’s RIE philosophy, and discuss how trust can influence practice. RIE, pronounced wry, stands for Resources for Infant Educarers and encourages us to see infants as capable and competent. As Magda Gerber says, ‘All babies accomplish milestones in their own way, in their own time.’ Trust […]
tags babiesdevelopmentrelationshipsrespecttrust
1340 views
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folder Play

Discovering Play with a Grandchild

By Dr. Carmel Brennan

Tuesday 06 September 2016

The Power of Human Nature I became a grandmother to Dónal almost a year ago. I’m obviously a mother (4 times over) and I’m an early childhood specialist with a particular interest in children’s play. I bring all that experience to being a grandmother – and yet what a learning journey grandparenting is all over […]
tags AistearbabiesdevelopmentgrandchildinteractingplayrelationshipsSíolta
1362 views
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folder Research

Why? How? What?… Researchers in Early Years settings

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 30 August 2016

This week EECERA (European Early Childhood Research Association) rolls into town. This is a huge event which will see close to one thousand people passionate about early childhood arrive in Dublin. For the next few days we will discuss, debate and support research and learning about Early Childhood Care and Education. Inspiring stuff indeed. The […]
tags early years researchEECERA 2016learningresearchtoddlersunder 3's
2026 views
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folder Dining

Come Dine with Me: Quality Dining Experiences

By Rita Melia

Tuesday 23 August 2016

When we share a meal or snack together, we are creating memories, memories that weave through the stories of our lives. When we as adults invite friends or colleagues to share a meal, snack or picnic with us, we expect and hope that it will be an enjoyable experience. We create an ambience which conveys […]
tags Aisteardiningdining experienceseatinginteractingmealsSíolta
3099 views
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folder Relationship Building

Respect – It Starts at Birth

By Milica Atanackovic

Tuesday 16 August 2016

We not only respect babies, we demonstrate respect every time we interact with them. Respecting a child means treating even the youngest infant as a unique human being, not as an object. Magda Gerber This quote resonated with me when I first heard it, especially the word ‘object’. Did I do this, I asked myself, […]
tags AistearbabiesrelationshipsrespectSíolta
2466 views
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folder Transitions

Just Give me 5 Minutes: Toddlers Transitions within the Daily Routine

By Kathleen Tuite

Tuesday 09 August 2016

Have you ever heard a toddler say ‘I’m right in the middle of something, just give me 5 minutes’? In early childhood settings we recognise that toddlers are capable and competent, with interests, emerging interests and needs all of their own. They experience many changes throughout their lives, some small, some big and learning to manage [...]
tags AisteardevelopmentroutineSíoltatoddlerstransitions
2157 views
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folder Play

Outdoor Play: A Prayer for Mushroom Hill

By Carol Duffy

Tuesday 02 August 2016

“Soon they discovered a very big hill with mushrooms growing all over it, and they very aptly named it “mushroom hill”.  Deansrath Family Centre winner of our Innovation in Outdoor Provision Award  shared with us their story of the children experiencing their local park. One part of their story refers to the hill. Images and […]
tags Aistearmushroomsoutdoor spaceoutdoorsplaySíolta
1270 views
2 comments
folder Learning

Sweet like Chocolate: Encouraging a taste for reading

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 26 July 2016

When I say to a parent, "read to a child", I don't want it to sound like medicine. I want it to sound like chocolate. Mem Fox - As an avid reader I just love these words of wisdom from Mem Fox, a leading Australian author of books for children. There is nothing to beat the [...]
tags AistearbookslearningreadingSíolta
2389 views
2 comments
folder Risk Assessment

Child’s Play – Risky Business

By Carol Duffy

Tuesday 19 July 2016

RISKY ENVIRONMENTS, – do the words conjure up interesting engaging spaces that are exciting to be in, or do they stir up feelings of apprehension within early years educators? Risk of course means different things to different people. In early years terms, we often celebrate risk-taking without maybe realising it. Think about the cheers of […]
tags Aistearplayriskrisk assessmentSíolta
10330 views
3 comments
folder Play

Outdoors – Simply Spectacular

By Carol Duffy

Tuesday 12 July 2016

Do you find yourself watching travel shows and longing for the pleasure of sinking into that azure sea, or practically eating that scrumptious dish with Jamie Oliver as he tantalisingly raves about its taste? You can almost feel the frustration of sensory deprivation. I feel the same frustration when I try to write about the […]
tags Aistearoutdoor spaceoutdoorsplaySíolta
11648 views
0 comments
folder Relationship Building

Consistent relationships with the under threes

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 05 July 2016

Aistear reminds us that relationships are at the very heart of early learning and development. Through positive early attachments and interactions babies learn to feel secure, to communicate and to enjoy being with people. Some years ago I was in a baby room in a crèche. The room was quiet; many of the babies were […]
tags AisteardevelopmentlearningrelationshipsSíoltaunder 3's
9917 views
4 comments
folder Learning

Developing curriculum for children in mixed age groups

By Kathleen Tuite

Wednesday 29 June 2016

Is your curriculum designed to follow the interests of children? Is it open-ended enough to meet the needs of mixed-age groupings? With the introduction of the second free pre-school year many practitioners are wondering about their curriculum.  How will they cope with children from maybe 2 and a half years old to 5 years plus, all […]
tags AistearcurriculumlearningplaySíolta
14219 views
10 comments
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