Scéalta – The Early Childhood Ireland Blog

Wednesday 31 July 2019

Throughout my career, I have worked with babies. I fully understand the challenging nature of meeting the diverse and individual needs of babies. It is not an easy job. It is physically and mentally demanding. Too often, we do not discuss the complexities of the role. Every day wasn’t perfect; we can’t strive for perfection […]

Aistear babies relationships respect RTE Investigates Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Allow me to introduce myself!

By Liz Kerrins

Wednesday 17 July 2019

I’m delighted to have recently been appointed Early Childhood Ireland’s Director of Research and Professional Learning. I am really looking forward to meeting with members over the coming year, and to collaborating with you in learning programmes to enhance your professional practice. Here’s a little bit of information about me. My academic background is in […]

Liz Kerrins New Appointments research Research and Professional Learning Scéalta Blog

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Environments Transitions Well-being

Settling Babies

Tuesday 09 July 2019

Sometimes we hear of people describing childcare as ‘leaving a baby with strangers.’ This always makes me sad. By the time a baby is spending a full day in the setting, ideally, the relationship between the baby, the educator and the parent should be well past being strangers. The process of settling in, in my […]

Aistear babies community Environment relationships Scéalta Blog Settling in Síolta

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Development Relationship Building

Speaking Through Body Language

Tuesday 02 July 2019

Early Childhood Ireland has been working in collaboration with universities in Spain, Italy, Denmark, UK and Croatia on the Horizon 2020 Child-Centred Diversity EU Project. We have developed three online modules which present and discuss child-centredness from a number of perspectives. These modules are free, and are available to educators, students and those with an interest […]

Aistear Body Language child-centred approach Horizon 2020 Interaction Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Development Play

Social Skills Versus Academic Skills – Why the Conflict?

Tuesday 25 June 2019

Recently we had a call to the Early Childhood Ireland office. A journalist was writing a piece on the importance of developing social skills over academic skills at the preschool stage, and wondered if we had a comment. As I played with the reply in my head, I quickly recognised the complexities of providing an […]

Academic Skills Aistear development learning play Scéalta Blog Síolta Social Skills

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Environments

Evan’s Story

By Geraldine Delahunt

Tuesday 18 June 2019

Takaharu Tezuka, the famed Japanese architect who spoke at the launch of the newly published Universal Design Guidelines for Early Learning and Care settings on June 10, spoke about inclusion. One of the things he said that struck me was “Children with disabilities need adventure too”. Evan’s story features in the Universal Design Guidelines. Geraldine Delahunt, owner […]

Aistear development Inclusion Music Nonverbal scéalta Scéalta Blog Síolta Universal Design Visual Impairment

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Environments

Universal Design: Design for all

Tuesday 11 June 2019

The culmination of a year and a half of research, consultation, collaboration and learning took place yesterday, June 10, when Dr. Katherine Zappone, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, launched the Universal Design Guidelines for Early Learning and Care settings. It was a great occasion, marked by inspiring words from many. Minister Zappone spoke about […]

AIM Aistear Autism DCYA Department of Children and Youth Affairs Design Japan San Miniato Scéalta Blog Síolta UD Universal Design

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Workplace relations

Taking “AIM” at Workplace Inclusion

By Gillian Moore

Monday 27 May 2019

If we think of it like this, diversity is being invited to the party and inclusion is being asked to dance. Legally, it is well established that you cannot discriminate against someone under the nine protected grounds under equality legislation. This covers access to employment and beyond, but this is the bare minimum. As employers, […]

Access and Inclusion Model Aistear Diversity Equality & Inclusion Guidelines Training Inclusion Síolta Siolta blog Workplace Relations

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Relationship Building Workplace relations

‘Taboo or Topical’ – Focus on Women

Monday 20 May 2019

I attended an event last week on ‘Perinatal Mental Health in Focus’ in St. Patrick’s Mental Health Services, Dublin. There were a number of interesting presentations which highlighted the importance of a mother’s well-being before, during and following pregnancy. There were thought provoking discussions about women’s physical and mental health during pregnancy and following the […]

Aistear Childcare emotional environment maternity health Maternity Leave Mental Health Síolta supportive environments Well-Being Workforce Workplace Relations

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Workplace relations

Look Who’s Talking…

By Gillian Moore

Tuesday 14 May 2019

At a recent HR event I attended, Kieran Mulvey, former Director General of the Workplace Relations Commission, spoke and he said he always applied the rationale that “conversation trumps investigation”. It struck me that often in the workplace we can jump in and start investigating and disciplining when really a simple word to someone could […]

Aistear Communications Early Years Employee Performance Management Síolta Siolta blog Workplace Relations Workplace well-being

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Art Development Learning

Reggio Emilia – Quality Never Grows Old

Tuesday 30 April 2019

At the beginning of the year I spent a week with other Reggio Emilia network partners to engage in continuous professional development. It was an opportunity to activate a journey with the Reggio Children Network and discuss some plans towards 2020. Reggio Emilia is a term used often to describe curriculum approaches in Early Childhood […]

Aistear Reggio Children Network Reggio Emilia scéalta Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Development Learning

Celebrate Good Times!

Tuesday 16 April 2019

Sitting in the function room at The Alex in Dublin city centre last Friday night at the Annual Early Childhood Ireland Awards was an amazing feeling. The words of that song, ‘celebrate good times, come on!‘ kept ringing in my ears as I reflected on the talent, passion, commitment and dedication of the people in the […]

Aistear Annual Conference 2019 Awards 2019 Celebrate Early Childhood Ireland National Awards Síolta

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Well-being

Controlled Breathing: The 90 Second Rule

By Dr Mary O'Kane

Tuesday 09 April 2019

Childhood Anxiety, Controlled Breathing and the ‘Ninety Second Rule’ Child mental health is a growing concern for parents and educators in Ireland. Research shows increasing numbers of our children are experiencing mental health challenges. By the age of thirteen, one in three are experiencing some form of difficulty (Kelleher et al, 2012). To put this […]

Aistear Anxiety Breathing Child mental health ECCE Mental Health Síolta Stress Well-Being

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Minding yourself

Tuesday 02 April 2019

Working in early learning and care settings is fun, enjoyable, relaxed, happy, entertaining, amusing, and stimulating. That is why we do what we do. We love being with young children, we love their confidence, their huge capacity for fun, laughter, smiles, love, and learning. However, it is also challenging, messy, and can be very stressful. […]

Aistear Anxiety Challenges Change Dance Laugh Mindfulness Music Scéalta Blog Síolta Stress

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Well-being

Little Buddies

By Samantha Synnott

Tuesday 26 March 2019

Evidence tells us that good mental health is essential for children to learn and achieve. By providing opportunities for young children, and the adults surrounding them, to develop the strengths and coping skills that underpin resilience early learning and care settings can help their children (and staff) flourish and succeed. To be effective, the ethos […]

Aistear Buddies Buddy Bench Little Buddies Maynooth University Mental Health scéalta Scéalta Blog Síolta Well-Being

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Transitions

Moving from Preschool to Primary School: Identities and Connections

By Arlene Forster

Tuesday 19 March 2019

Were you out and about at the weekend enjoying the St Patrick’s Day festivities? The special day brought crowds to villages, towns and cities across the country as ornate and creative floats passed by carrying groups of excited children (and adults!). While green, white and orange featured prominently marking Ireland’s national celebration, the day also […]

Arlene Forster Mo Scéal National Council for Curriculum and Assessment NCCA preschool Primary School scéalta Scéalta Blog transitions

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Well-being

Mindfulness at Work

By Natasha Bryant

Tuesday 12 March 2019

As a children’s yoga instructor, I often get asked by parents and caregivers for ways in which they can encourage mindful practices with their young ones. Now I could give you lots of different techniques, breathing exercises etc. but my most solid bit of advice would be look after yourself first. How often have you […]

Aistear Breathing Exercise Mantra Mindfulness Relaxation scéalta Scéalta Blog Síolta Yoga

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Development Learning

Budding Engineers

By Lilian Joyce

Tuesday 05 March 2019

It’s Monday again, and as usual the weekend has flown. As you wait for the children to arrive you do a quick visual check around the room. The table in the home corner is set invitingly for four, complete with tablecloth, a small vase of flowers and empty plates. As you wonder what exotic dishes […]

Aistear Engineering Ireland Engineers Week Imagination play Scéalta Blog Síolta Sociodramatic play

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Research

Reaping the Rewards

Tuesday 26 February 2019

In April 2019, we will be celebrating our seventh annual Early Childhood Ireland National Awards. This inspiring event will take place in The Alex Hotel in Dublin 2 and the evening is not to be missed! Guests will come together to enjoy a luxurious gala dinner, during which Early Childhood Ireland will present awards to our […]

Educator - Leader in Practice Award Inspired Practice Award Learning Stories Award LINC Award for Leadership in Inclusion National Awards 2019 Partnership with Families Innovation Award

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Development Learning

Making the world a better place

By Marlene McCormack

Tuesday 19 February 2019

Not a day goes by without sustainability in some form appearing in the news. We clutter the seas with plastic, in Ireland we dispose of half a million coffee cups, and flush away 400 million litres of water every day (Kelleher, 2019). The world that we hold in stewardship for future generations is in danger and […]

Aistear National Pyjama Day Plastic Recycling scéalta Scéalta Blog Síolta Sustainability UN UN Sustainable Development Goals United Nations

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Relationship Building

Valentine’s Day – ‘Appreciation Day’!

Tuesday 12 February 2019

This time two years ago I wrote about ‘sowing the seeds of love’ with children on Valentine’s day. This year, let’s focus on nurturing those seeds of love with the adults/early learning educators who provide loving care each day to our children. While Valentine’s day is associated with chocolates, cards, flowers and gifts (all ok […]

Appreciation blog Love scéalta Scéalta Blog Smiles Teamwork Thanks Valentine's Day

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Development Learning

Shapes are Everywhere

By Anne Fitzpatrick and Carmel Gallagher

Tuesday 05 February 2019

Maths was never my thing. I am proof that just because something has been taught, it does not mean it has been learned. I don’t know how many maths classes I sat through up to my Leaving Cert… but I never understood the relevance of trigonometry and theorems. Beyond arithmetic I was lost… and was […]

Aistear Arithmetic Maths Patterns Shapes Síolta Trigonometry

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Development Relationship Building

“Who would have thought a 2-year-old’s best friend would be a 92-year-old who also loves dinosaurs?”

Tuesday 29 January 2019

Inter-generational learning is the oldest form of learning. It typically involves learning that takes place in families and communities as part of daily life. “The most important theme was the development of relationships between the grannies and the children and not just in school, but also in the community when they met at the […]

Aistear IGL Inspired Practice Award Inter-generational Inter-generational learning scéalta Scéalta Blog Síolta Together Old and Young Programme TOY Programme

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Learning Research

Formalised Curiosity

By Dr. Suzanne Egan and Dr. Jennifer Pope

Tuesday 22 January 2019

I recently came across this quote: ‘Research is formalised curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose’ (Zora Neale Hurston). As we in Early Childhood Ireland plan our fifth annual National Early Childhood Research Conference, it struck me as very apt. Aistear encourages curiosity. The themes of Identity & Belonging and Exploring & Thinking both […]

Aistear Albert Einstein blog Early Childhood Ireland’s National Early Childhood Research Conference 2019 Exploring and Thinking Identity and Belonging Pobal sector profile research Research Conference 2019 Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Development Play

Growing Up Outdoors

Tuesday 15 January 2019

Did you know that nearly one in six Irish parents don’t think it’s safe for their five year old child to play outside at home during the day? Irish and international research indicates that neighbourhood safety has an impact on levels of outdoor play in young children. We recently analysed data from the Growing Up […]

Aistear development Growing up in Ireland Growing up Outdoors outdoor play play scéalta Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Development Dining Research

How does your body feel?

Tuesday 08 January 2019

Open your hand and make it into a fist, that’s roughly the size of your stomach. A child’s stomach is the size of their fist. It’s easy to see how children can easily be overfed but undernourished. A child’s relationship with food starts from day one. We must listen to children when they are saying […]

food Growing up in Ireland meals Mealtimes Nutrition Obesity Rituals scéalta Scéalta Blog

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Art

Wrapping up Christmas

By Kevin McLoughlin

Tuesday 18 December 2018

Ten tips on how families can ReCreate something festive using leftover packaging this Christmas! There’s no denying that Christmas is a special time of year. We all enjoy spending time with family and friends, recharging the batteries and unwinding in front of the fire with a box of chocolates attached to the hip. Of course, […]

blog christmas ReCreate Recycle scéalta Scéalta Blog Wrapping paper

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Development Learning Relationship Building

An irresistible invitation to learn

By Caitriona Cooney

Tuesday 11 December 2018

At this time of year, we can get caught up in making and doing and performances. The sentiments in this post apply all year, but this is a timely reminder of the importance of getting silly, the value of laughter and having fun! I recently attended the Cork Autism Conference and listened with wonder and […]

Aistear Autism Laughter Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Advocacy

First 5 – first impressions

By Louise Kilbane

Tuesday 04 December 2018

19th November – First 5 Launch First 5 – My first day impression! The long awaited day for those of us who work with children in Ireland was finally here – the much talked about, debated, and discussed ten-year strategy was to be launched. Having heard snippets over the weekend in the media, I was […]

DCYA Department of Children and Youth Affairs Early Learning and Care Early Learning and Care Centres First 5 First 5 strategy Minister Katherine Zappone scéalta Scéalta Blog

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Learning Relationship Building

Shaping community involvement

By Orlagh Doyle

Tuesday 20 November 2018

Sometimes life can throw us happy celebratory times and we know for sure life can throw some difficult and sad times too! In Carraig Briste & Killegney we understand that our connection and support with families through their involvement in our settings develops quality relationships, essential for creating learning and understanding environments for young children. […]

Aistear community Community involvement Motor neuron disease parents scéalta Scéalta Blog Sculptures Síolta

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Development Relationship Building

Children living with loss

By Phil Lynch

Tuesday 13 November 2018

Most of us working in the early years sector have experienced grief at some point in our lives, whether in childhood or in our adult lives. This holds true for the families and children we work with. As early years educators, we must be aware that children grieve too. While children assume that their family […]

Aistear Bereavement Death Grief ICBN Irish Childhood Bereavement Network Loss National Bereaved Children's Awareness Week scéalta Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Learning

What’s the story, baby?

By Dr. Suzanne Egan

Tuesday 06 November 2018

Lots of book events take place all across Ireland in October during the annual Children’s Book Festival. These events support literacy, promote a love of books and the joy of reading. But how often is a love of books and reading supported for the youngest members of society in early childhood settings, community settings and […]

Aistear books Cognitive development Growing up in Ireland reading scéalta Scéalta Blog Síolta Socioemotional development Story

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Development Learning

Halloween – A Trick or a Treat?

Tuesday 30 October 2018

Coming so soon after the settling in period, for many children Halloween is often a mixed bag of tricks and treats. On the one hand it can be a treat, a time of great excitement negotiating the emotions of scary and funny, the concepts of real and pretend, and the delights of being out in […]

Aistear blog Halloween Scéalta Blog Síolta Trick or treat

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Development Learning Play

Through the looking glass

Tuesday 23 October 2018

Take a moment, look out the window. What do you see? The trees are filled with autumn colours to warm your heart. Bursting with a rainbow of amber, gold, red and green. The rain drops are falling from the sky to glisten the grass with a glossy coat of moisture. The light begins to break, […]

Aistear christmas Halloween Scéalta Blog Síolta Through the looking glass Window

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Advocacy

We need to talk about trade unions

By Deborah Reynolds

Tuesday 16 October 2018

There is a feeling of crisis in the Irish childcare sector. Early years professionals are experiencing burn-out, low pay, unaffordable housing and precarious contracts. Providers suffer the stresses of high turnover, low levels of funding, unfair commercial rates and frustration due to lack of consultation. Many of these issues have been highlighted in Early Childhood […]

Aistear Budget 2019 Professionalisation Rising to the Challenge scéalta Scéalta Blog Síolta Trade union

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Advocacy

Rising to new challenges

Tuesday 09 October 2018

As a member of the Policy and Communications team at Early Childhood Ireland, I have been exposed to a vast amount of knowledge in my first few months on a new team. Last Thursday, 4th October we hosted our very first Meet the Members event. This event brought together our members and members of the […]

budget Budget 2019 Jillian van Turnhout Meet the Members Oireachtas Rising to the Challenge scéalta Scéalta Blog

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Development Relationship Building

The Power of Touch

Tuesday 02 October 2018

Touch is powerful. For most of us, a hug or pat on the shoulder from a partner, friend, or colleague can work wonders when we feel down or upset. It won’t solve the problem or make the hurt go away, but it shows us someone is there, someone cares, and the world doesn’t seem quite […]

scéalta Scéalta Blog Touch

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Development Learning Relationship Building

Interacting with the Brain

By Fiona Kelleher

Tuesday 25 September 2018

As I read last week’s Scéalta blog post, I really started to think about the important role of the adult working with children under the age of three. Kathleen Tuite discussed care routines for children under three and how these times are a wonderful opportunity to build trusting relationships with children. I couldn’t agree more. […]

Brain Care routines relationships scéalta Scéalta Blog

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Development Relationship Building

Under 3s – Care-giving Routines

Tuesday 18 September 2018

Now that we are moving into the third week of September, we want to focus on care routines for young children. In early childhood care and education settings, care routines form an important part of the young child’s day. These are busy periods for educators, attending to nappy changes, sleep requirements and mealtimes, but also […]

Aistear Care-giving routines Interactions Nuturing interactions Routines scéalta Scéalta Blog Síolta under 3's

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Development Relationship Building

Visitors – A Child’s View!

Tuesday 11 September 2018

The early childhood environment is a place in which children feel safe, it is their sanctuary. They need to feel safe and secure, so they can learn and develop in this space. However, throughout the day, many people walk into their room. Children, parents, grandparents, other practitioners, the manager, or the cook. Externally, you may […]

Aistear communication Environment Identity scéalta Scéalta Blog Síolta Visitors

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Relationship Building Transitions

Getting to know you

Tuesday 04 September 2018

Now that the initial new year busyness is easing, the ‘new’ children are settling in and parents are a bit less anxious about letting their little ones off to embark on a new journey. We think about building a community in the preschool and we know that it takes more than a few weeks of […]

Aistear Family wall Learning journals relationships Settling in Síolta transitions Wendy Lee

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Development Learning Play

Mixing the Ages: Part 2

By Dr. Emer Ring and Dr. Lisha O'Sullivan

Tuesday 28 August 2018

In the last Scéalta post, Mixing the ages, Sarah O’Leary described how in her setting, Cheeky Cherubs in Cork, children of mixed ages play and learn together very effectively. I have long been an advocate of children being in mixed age groupings. My initial training was as a Montessori teacher and the Montessori approach views […]

Aistear ERASMUS+Meal time meals Mixed age groups Montessori San Minia scéalta Scéalta Blog Síolta Tuscan Approach

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Development Learning Relationship Building

Mixing the ages!

By Sarah O'Leary

Tuesday 14 August 2018

With the introduction of the second free preschool year, we in Cheeky Cherubs began questioning how we could best integrate children of varying ages into the same space. We operated as a traditional preschool up to 2014, where children were cared for in separate rooms according to age, only having the opportunity to mix with […]

Aistear communication curriculum Empathy Mixed age groups scéalta Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Research

Orla Kenny: A tribute

By Teresa Heeney

Tuesday 31 July 2018

I was very sad to hear of the death of Orla Kenny on July 19. Many of you will know Orla from her work as an artist and more so as the co-founder and passion behind Kids Own, the children’s book publishing partnership. Many Irish early years organisations will have worked with Orla and produced […]

blog Kids Own Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Orla Kenny scéalta Scéalta Blog The Lullaby Book

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Development Learning

Cillian and Adam

By David King

Tuesday 24 July 2018

At Creative Kids & Co., we build our curriculum around the children. We base it on their interests and on what emerges from our observations within the group. Sometimes this leads to learning about dance, sometimes dinosaurs or buildings. Sometimes the children’s interests can take us on a journey that lasts weeks, or on occasion […]

Aistear Autism Blocks blog Learning Stories Learning Stories Award Light table Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Learning Research

Preparing Professionals

By Dr. Mary Moloney

Tuesday 17 July 2018

Is classroom-based learning enough to prepare early childhood teachers for their professional responsibilities? Early childhood is a time of great opportunity and tremendous vulnerability for young children. Decisions made and actions taken during early childhood, affect children’s attitudes towards, and engagement with, learning for life. Yet, there is no consensus nationally or internationally about […]

Aistear College ECEC learning National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Scéalta Blog Síolta University

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Development Learning

San Miniato: Quality Early Years Education – A Tuscan Perspective

By Susan Quirke-Crowley

Tuesday 10 July 2018

On Sunday June 10th 2018, I had the privilege of travelling to San Miniato, Italy, with a group of 15 like-minded individuals on the Early Childhood Ireland Erasmus+ Léargas Study Trip in pursuit of international perspectives on quality within the Early Years Education Sector. Our host, Barbara, at La Bogetta Di Gepetto afforded us the […]

Aistear blog CPD curriculum ERASMUS+Family Leargas San Miniato Scéalta Blog Síolta Vertical grouping

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Play

Let the Children Play – Children’s Rights and our Responsibilities

Tuesday 03 July 2018

As early childhood educators, we have a strong belief in the value of play for children’s learning and development. This belief is based on national and international research, which repeatedly highlights the significant contribution of play to enriching children’s well-being, cognitive, social-emotional and physical development and for children’s success in school and beyond. For children […]

AsIAm blog INTO linc NCCA play Scéalta Blog

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Relationship Building Transitions

Prexit (the preschool exit)

By Dr. Suzanne Egan and Dr. Jennifer Pope

Tuesday 26 June 2018

We all know the feeling of closing one chapter in life and opening a new one. Some people sail through this transition seamlessly and for others it is an unsettling period. I belong in the latter of the two. I seek a sense of closure, a moment of reflection and a chance to recap on […]

Aistear Exit interview Gratitude Impact Prexit scéalta Scéalta Blog Síolta Thank you transitions

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Development Play Transitions

A Hop, Skip and a Jump to School!

Tuesday 19 June 2018

As we come towards the end of the preschool year, parents may now be focused on the summer holidays and making the transition to primary school. Parents may be asking you what they should be doing over the summer to prepare their children for school. Based on our research, our advice is to encourage them […]

Aistear blog Games Health outdoor play play Primary School Running Scéalta Blog Síolta Sport transitions

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Learning

Who’s for a Photo?

By Michelle Quinlan and Therese Roche

Tuesday 12 June 2018

Have you as an Early Years Educator ever been in the situation in your setting, where you want to take a photograph of an individual child or a group of children and suddenly realise that one or other of the children’s parents have not given consent for the child’s photo to be taken? What do […]

Aistear blog Consent GDPR General Data Protection Regulation Photographs Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Dining Learning Transitions

Snack time at anytime

By Sinead Early O Brien

Tuesday 05 June 2018

Snack time was an area of practice I struggled with but wasn’t brave enough to change until I was inspired by Dr. Mary O’Kane, on the Level 8 BA in Early Childhood Teaching and Learning, to reflect and acknowledge daily transitions in our service. In doing so I realised that we, the adults, were deciding […]

Decision Making Decisions play respect Scéalta Blog Snack Time Snacks transitions

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Development Learning

Síolta – Our Journey

By Sharon Skehill

Tuesday 29 May 2018

While our sector is inundated with paperwork, inspections and training opportunities in recent years, one might question why one would take on more work with the Síolta Quality Assurance Programme. Our full day care facility has just celebrated ten years of service and while we began the Síolta QAP process confident of our practice, our […]

Aistear Scéalta Blog Síolta Síolta QAP Síolta Quality Assurance programme

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Development Learning Play

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 […]

Awards Celebrations Ceremony Educator of the Year Award National Awards 2018 Party Scéalta Blog

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Play

Making it Count

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 […]

Aistear Mud kitchens outdoor play play Síolta Weather

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Development Learning Relationship 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 […]

Adoption Aistear Belonging Identity Síolta Vietnam

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Development Learning Research

Children doing it for themselves!

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 […]

Aistear Capable Competent Confident Feeding Independence Síolta

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Learning Research

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 […]

Aistear education Inspirational outdoor space Pen green play Quality Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Art Development Learning

Same Thing, in a Different Way

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 […]

Aistear blog Playdough Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Development Learning

‘Tuning in’ with Learning Stories

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 […]

Aistear blog documentation Learning Stories Learning Stories Award National Awards 2018 Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Development Learning

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 […]

Certificate Early Childhood Care and Education education Graduate MA

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Development Learning Relationship Building

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 […]

Aistear Awards 2018 community Educator of the Year Award Inspired Practice Award Learning Story Awards Síolta Well-Being

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Development Learning Play

Singing your praises

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 […]

Aistear Awards 2018 Inspirational Inspired Practice Award outdoor play Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Development Learning Relationship Building

National Holiday!

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 […]

Aistear Celebrations Culture Irish Leprechauns National Holiday Síolta Snakes St. Patrick's Day

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Development Learning Relationship 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 […]

Aistear Childcare Childcare Barometer 2018 Professionalisation Síolta Trade Unions

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Development Learning Relationship Building

Spotlight on Biting

By Ricka Walser and Josephine Thompson

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 […]

Aistear Behaviour Biting ECCE emotions Frustrations Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Art Development Learning

Sustainable Gumboots!

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 […]

Aistear Awards 2018 Creativity Recycling Síolta Sustainability Sustainable Upcycling

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Development Learning Research

Time to Shine!

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 […]

Awards Educator Award - Leader in Practice Educator of the Year Award Educators Scéalta Blog Wesco

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Art Development Learning Play Relationship 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 […]

Aistear CIT Cork Institute of Technology Fabric Love Scéalta Blog Síolta Valentine's Day

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Learning Play Research

Finding Out & Sharing

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 […]

Aistear Irish Early Years Research & Practice Seminar 2018 play research Research Seminar risky play Síolta

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Development Learning

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, […]

Early Years Educators Line-ups Norway Queues

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Development Learning Play

Montessori Musings

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 […]

Aistear blog ECCE EM Standing Home Corner learning Maria Montessori Montessori play Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Development Learning Relationship 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 […]

Children Inspired Practice Award Learning Stories Scéalta Blog

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Development Learning Relationship Building

Keeping the Magic Alive

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 […]

Aistear christmas curriculum Magic Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Development Learning Relationship 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 […]

Aistear Celebrations christmas Learning Story relationships Síolta Traditions

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Art Development Learning Play

Performing… For Who?

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 […]

Aistear Art Celebrations christmas Graduation Performing Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Art Learning Play

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, […]

Art blog christmas Christmas Creativity Craft Frosty the Snowman Glitter Santa Scéalta Blog Scents Sequins

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Development Learning Play Research

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, […]

Aistear blog Funding Investment Policy and Implementation Panel Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Art Development Learning Play

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 […]

Academics Aistear Art Emergent Curriculum parents play Playschool Policy Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Art Development Play

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 […]

dublin Event Guide InspireMe.ie Kerry Limerick Mayo Scéalta Blog Winter

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Development Learning

Technology Guilt?

By Montessori and Early Childhood Professionals Ireland

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 […]

blog Engineering Lego Maths Scéalta Blog science science week STEM Technology Xbox

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Learning Research

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 […]

Administrative Burden Advocacy blog DCYA PIP Pobal Policy Scéalta Blog Valerie Gaynor

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Development Play Research

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, […]

Afghanistan Aistear Eritrea Iraq refugees Scéalta Blog Síolta Syria UNCRC

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Development Learning Play

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 […]

Aistear blog Learning Stories Mount Everest Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Development Learning Research

Change in the Air

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 […]

blog MECPI Montessori & Early Childhood Professionals Ireland Qualifications Scéalta Blog Seas Suas

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Development Learning Play Relationship Building Research

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 […]

Affordability blog Budget 2018 ECCE Quality Scéalta Blog Sustainability

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Development Learning Relationship Building

Why ‘Time Out’ is ‘Out’!

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 […]

Aistear Behaviour Self-regulation Síolta Supernanny Time Out Well-Being

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Let’s Be Positive!

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.

Facebook Online social media Twitter

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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.

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Looking in on Play

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 […]

blog Fantasy play Learning Stories outdoor play play Role play Scéalta Blog

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Documenting the Connections

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 […]

documentation Learning Stories Wendy Lee

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Play

Stick to play

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 […]

Aistear DCYA play

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Making Children Visible

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 […]

Aistear community Síolta

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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 […]

Identity and Belonging Professionalisation Titles

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The Organisation of Opportunities

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 […]

environments

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Valuing Professionals

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 […]

Aistear Professionalisation Síolta

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Scéalta is 1 year old!

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 […]

Scéalta Blog

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Development Learning Research

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!

Aistear Children's Research Network outdoor play play research Síolta

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Learning Play Relationship Building

Thank you for the stories Rachel

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.

baby room parents transitions

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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 […]

Aistear blog early childhood educator relationships Scéalta Blog

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“Well done you!”: A Parent’s Tribute

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).

parents

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Playing with Roles

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 […]

Aistear play role playing

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Children’s Rights in Small Places

By Sheila Long

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 […]

Aistear Children's Rights ECCE play

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Wings to the Imagination

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 […]

Aistear Music

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Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder

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. […]

outdoors play Scéalta Blog

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Learning Play

Listening to Children: Children’s Perspectives on Quality

By Karen Cremins

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’ […]

Degree learning play Quality Training

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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 […]

Aistear learning play Scéalta Blog Síolta Training

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Wonderful Loose Parts

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 […]

Easter play Scéalta Blog

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Development Learning

Reading to Superheroes!

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 […]

blog books reading Scéalta Blog story time

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Development Learning Relationship Building Transitions

What’s in a name?

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, […]

Aistear blog Culture Mark Twain Names Norway Scéalta Blog Síolta

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Art Learning Play

The Arts as a Curiosity

By Deirdre Rogers

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 […]

Art Arts blog curiosity Deirdre Rogers Drawing Imagination Painting ReCreate Scéalta Blog SPICE Framework

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Development Learning Transitions

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

By Dr Mary O'Kane

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 […]

Aistear Aistear Siolta Practice Guide Annual Conference 2017 Dr Mary O'Kane ECCE Masterclass Scéalta Blog Síolta transitions

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Development Learning Research

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 […]

Access and Inclusion Model AIM Aistear Annual Conference 2017 Dr. Emer Ring Inclusion Masterclass research Síolta Special Needs Assistants

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Development Learning Play Research

Builders of the future

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 […]

Aldo Fortunati blog Builders Engineering Engineers Week Jenga Lego Maths NAEYC Scéalta Blog science STEM Technology

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Art Development Learning Play

X Marks the Spot: Following Children’s Interests

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, […]

Aistear Book Club Interests Map Síolta Sweets Treasure Treasure Chest

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Development Learning Relationship Building

Capturing the Wonder of Childhood

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 […]

Aistear blog Childhood curiosity learning Learning Stories Síolta Wonder

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Development Learning Play Relationship Building Transitions

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 […]

ERASMUS+Italy routine San Miniato Self Help Skills Shoes Time transitions

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Development Learning Play Relationship Building

Valentine’s Day – Sowing The Seeds of Love

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 […]

Aistear Creativity Flowers Gardening Kilkenny Plants Scéalta Blog Síolta Valentine's Day

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Art Development Learning Play

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 […]

Aistear Art Communicating Creativity Drawing Exploring Identity and Belonging Síolta Spiders Thinking Well-Being

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Development Relationship Building

Playing Favourites: From Favouritism to Fairness

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 […]

Aistear Belonging Favouritism Identity respect Síolta

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Development Learning Relationship Building

Playing to strengths

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 […]

Aldo Fortunati Ariana Pucci Cork development dublin learning Maynooth Positivity Potential San Miniato Tuscan Approach

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Nothing Without Joy: The Children’s Book Club

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 […]

Aistear Book Club books Magnavacchi Malaguzzi Our Little Seed reading Reggio Síolta The Jelly King Toby Bears Camping Trip Wilenski

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Development Learning Relationship Building

Traffic Lights – a child’s perspective

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 […]

Aistear Behaviour Exclusion learning play Self-Esteem Síolta Traffic Lights

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Development Relationship Building

Christmas: The way we always do it…

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 […]

Aistear Belonging christmas Identity Síolta Traditions

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Art Development Learning Play

Christmas Creativity: Doing it their way

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 […]

Aistear Art christmas Christmas Creativity Creative Creativity Glitter Santa Síolta

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Development Learning Play Relationship Building

Sharing Play Stories

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 […]

Aistear play play stories Síolta stories

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Art Learning Play Research

Early Years Educators supporting scientific enquiry with young children

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. […]

Aistear babies curiosity science science week Síolta toddlers

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Development Play Relationship Building

Young Children and Pets – Emotional Bonds and Enduring Friendships

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 […]

animals bonds dogs emotions friendships pets

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Development Learning Relationship 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 […]

communication conversations ears listen listening overhear worries

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Development Relationship Building Transitions

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

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 […]

Aistear community experience journey memories parents preschool relationships Síolta

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Learning Play

Playfully becoming the Mathematicians of tomorrow

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 […]

Aistear Mathematicians Maths Maths Week Maths Week Ireland play Síolta

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Learning Play

Educating Feisty Children

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 […]

Aistear Aldo Fortunati educating feisty learning Margy Whalley play Síolta

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Learning Relationship Building Risk Assessment

Extraordinary curiosity, full of desire and delight

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, […]

Aistear Aldo Fortunati learning relationships risk risky play Síolta trust

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Relationship Building

Relationships – Relax, Relate, Communicate

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 […]

Aistear babies communication educarer Magda Gerber relationships RIE philosphy Síolta

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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 […]

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Development

Trust – their own way, their own time

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 […]

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Play

Discovering Play with a Grandchild

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 […]

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Research

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

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 […]

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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 […]

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Relationship Building

Respect – It Starts at Birth

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, […]

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Transitions

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

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 [...]

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Play

Outdoor Play: A Prayer for Mushroom Hill

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 […]

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Learning

Sweet like Chocolate: Encouraging a taste for reading

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 [...]

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Risk Assessment

Child’s Play – Risky Business