Scéalta – The Early Childhood Ireland Blog

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Kindness Elves

By Eilish Balfe

Friday 08 January 2021

Happy Days Childcare, Ratoath winning the Inspired Practice Award has been a tremendous boost to everyone involved in our service and most especially in this difficult Covid dominated year. It is personally a huge boost as it gives recognition to all my team’s and my own hard work over these past 7 years in establishing […]
tags Early Childhood IrelandInspired Practice AwardKindnessKindness Challengemulti-generational community
420 views
0 comments
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Happy Creativity!

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 08 December 2020

I recently spoke with Milica Atanackovic for Early Childhood Ireland’s podcast. She believes creativity is at the heart of childhood and learning and our role as educators is to support children as they make meaning of the world around them through enquiry and shared learning. Aistear supports and encourages us to see creativity in that […]
tags AistearblogCreativityEarly Childhood EducationEarly Childhood IrelandPrimary SchoolscéaltaSíolta
1351 views
0 comments
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Celebrating Quality in Early Learning and Care Practice

By Milica Atanackovic

Tuesday 01 December 2020

  This year we were unable to host our annual national award celebrations in person. Therefore, we made the decision to celebrate the shortlisted entries and winners through short online videos. Our aim was to show examples of the love, laughter, passion, and adventures facilitated by educators in quality Early Learning and Care services. The […]
tags annual awardsblogEarly Childhood IrelandECIAwards20National Annual Awards 2020scéaltaSíolta
1059 views
0 comments
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Relationships and Interactions

By Lilian Joyce

Monday 09 November 2020

In this week’s Scealta, Lilian Joyce discusses how “Relationships are at the very heart of early learning and development” – ‘this has always been my favourite quote from Aistear’, (Learning and developing through interactions, Aistear, Guidelines for good practice [NCCA, 2009, p.27]). The impact of the Covid 19 pandemic has shown just how much relationships between children and their families, and the early years educators, matter.
tags COVID-19European Early Childhood Education Research Associationinspiring interactionsInspiring PracticeInteractionsLoving Relationshipsrelationships
1923 views
0 comments
folder AdvocacyDevelopmentLearningPlayRelationship BuildingResearch

Coming of Age

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 27 October 2020

Last Tuesday night, October 20 Professor Anne Looney, Dean of Education at Dublin City University launched the Proceedings of the Early Childhood Ireland National Research Conference, held in Dublin in April 2019. The launch of this publication came during Early Childhood Ireland’s very first online Research Symposium, which was due to be held last April, […]
tags AistearblogNational Research Conference 2019Online Research SymposiumProceedings JournalscéaltaScéalta BlogSíolta
2249 views
0 comments
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There is more to maths than counting!

By Sandra O'Neill

Monday 19 October 2020

I’m not great at maths. My other half thinks it hilarious that I teach mathematics in a university, when I have no understanding of basic math concepts like distance (the two metre COVID restriction is a real struggle for me). The type of maths I teach is maths that can be seen in young children’s […]
tags AistearblogCountingMathsScéalta BlogShapesSíolta
1935 views
0 comments
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Early Childhood Ireland’s Learning Hub

By Margaret Garland

Monday 12 October 2020

You have seen by now about the launch last week of Early Childhood Ireland’s Learning Hub. This new member benefit has the potential to save members hundreds of euros, as it provides up to €850 worth of high-quality online training, at no additional cost to members. For courses with a practical component, such as Manual […]
tags Covid pandemicCOVID-19Early Childhood IrelandEarly Years Educationlearning hubonline trainingReturn to Work Training
2146 views
0 comments
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Celebrating Scéalta 200

By Dr Emer Ring

Monday 05 October 2020

Painting a picture of a dynamic, innovative, responsive and committed sector I was delighted and indeed honoured to receive an invitation from Early Childhood Ireland to write a guest Scéalta edition to mark the 200th edition of the blog and this significant milestone for early childhood in Ireland.  For me, the invitation coincided with two significant […]
tags COVID-19 landscapeEarly Childhood IrelandLeadership for INClusion in the Early YearsscéaltaSíoltaUNICEF report
2184 views
0 comments
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Reopening – Silver Linings – Mixed Age Pods

By Sarah Twohig

Monday 21 September 2020

Since I began my studies in the Early Years, I have often wondered how mixed age groups worked in practice. The Montessori method stresses that multi-age groups can be of benefit to all children. Our curriculum has always been tailored to the individual child anyway and so we became quite excited by the possibilities presented […]
tags AistearblogCOVID-19Mixed age groupspeer groupplay podsscéaltaSíolta
1736 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentEnvironmentsLearningPlayRelationship BuildingTransitions

Reopening – Compromises and Silver Linings

By Sarah Twohig

Monday 14 September 2020

“Dream big, work hard, stay focused and surround yourself with good people.” I’m a big fan of inspirational quotes and Facebook memes because sometimes they just hit the right note. In our service, we like to dream big which includes a collaborative dream of a “perfect” creche. This idea forms the centre or ethos of […]
tags blogCOVID-19COVID-19 Reopeningcrecheoutdoor environmentplayscéaltaSíolta
1295 views
0 comments
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Finding creativity inside of yourself!

By Marlene McCormack

Monday 07 September 2020

  The recent death of Sir Ken Robinson got me thinking again about creativity. I went back and leafed through his book ‘The Element: How finding your passion changes everything’, which I had read at a time when I was reflecting on what drives me in life.  Then I re-watched his famous TED talk on […]
tags blogchildren’s learningCreativityearly childhoodeducation systemPedagogyscéaltaSíolta
906 views
0 comments
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Play Talk

By Patricia Curtis

Tuesday 01 September 2020

David Crystal describes learning a first language as “…… the most complex skill anyone ever learns. And this task needs to be virtually complete by the time a child reaches school age.” Learning a language is hard work but made easier by the fact that we have so much fun doing it – it is […]
tags Exploratory PlayLarge Doll PlayPretend PlaySmall World Play
737 views
0 comments
folder LearningPlayRelationship BuildingWell-being

Loving Relationships

By Dee Finn

Monday 24 August 2020

In response to the question “how would you describe love?” my darling friend Biel said “it feels like everything. Love the people and love the trees, love everything. It’s a really happy feeling of your heart, the heart which you feel in your body”. Biel, at five years of age, has true wisdom of the […]
tags blogemotional well-beingLoveLoving RelationshipsscéaltaSíolta
1049 views
0 comments
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Stay Safe. Stay Outdoors!

By Edel Graham

Monday 17 August 2020

In 2009, I opened Corrig Kids Playschool, a huge one-acre facility, which I have developed over the course of the subsequent years. When COVID-19 hit on the 12th March, and over the following months and with emerging guidelines, I took time to consider how I could best serve the needs of my staff, pupils and […]
tags blogCovid responseCOVID-19outdoorsscéaltaSíolta
2042 views
0 comments
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Reopening: We were ready!

By Anne Macken

Tuesday 28 July 2020

Looking back on the past few weeks since reopening, and if I had the gift of hindsight, my mental health and wellbeing might not have had to suffer as much as it has over the past six weeks.  When we had our date for reopening my mind started working overtime with so many ‘what about….’, […]
tags COVID-19DCYAEarly Childhood IrelandIrish guidelinesreopeningscéaltaSíolta
2712 views
3 comments
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Lockdown Effects – ‘Not the Same Child At All’

By Dr. Suzanne Egan

Wednesday 08 July 2020

In this week’s Scealta – Dr Suzanne Egan shares preliminary findings from PLEY Survey which measured the play activities of children aged 1 – 10 years at home due to COVID-19 crisis. Findings show that Children’s lives have changed dramatically, suggesting that some children will need a lot of additional support in the coming months. With the closure of schools, creches, playgrounds and restrictions on physical movement and interactions, a number of effects on many aspects of children’s lives, including on their play, their social relationships and emotional development were found.
tags blogCOVID-19 crisisEffect of LockdownscéaltaSíoltaThe Play and Learning in the Early Years
1620 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentEnvironmentsLearningPlayRelationship Building

Reopening – ‘Seeing Joyful Faces’

By Sharon Skehill

Monday 29 June 2020

In this week’s Scealta, Sharon Skehill talks about reopening and says that ‘The children are at the centre of everything we do. Am I nervous about re-opening this week? I don’t think I am. I know that we have done everything we can to minimise risk to children, their families and the staff. I also know that those children coming back to us this week will be greeted with joyful faces and huge hearts. We will be grand!’
tags AistearblogCOVID-19 Reopeningjune29reopening irelandscéaltaSíolta
1526 views
0 comments
folder EnvironmentsLearningPlay

Reopening Childcare – Reimagining it as it Could be

By Lee Herlihy

Tuesday 23 June 2020

As many settings approach the final days of preparation for reopening on June 29th Lee Herlihy takes a look at what really matters most for the children. She says ‘I didn’t want the children to see worried, stressed, anxious adults. I wanted them to see familiar, welcoming happy and relaxed adults, excited to show them how this space, their own space, still belongs to them
tags blogELClockdownReopening ChildcareSACscéaltaSíolta
2526 views
1 comments
folder EnvironmentsLearningPlayRelationship Building

Your Place

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 16 June 2020

As we count down the weeks to the reopening of many full day care settings, Máire Corbett discusses some considerations for changes to our environments and keeping the child central to those considerations. She mentions the excitement, as well as the apprehension we may feel about having personal connections to children and families after months of virtual contact.
tags blogEarly Childhood IrelandHand HygienescéaltaSíoltaUniversal Design GuidelinesYour place
816 views
0 comments
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Pod Talk

By Milica Atanackovic

Wednesday 03 June 2020

Since early March, the way we live our lives has been changed by COVID-19. This has been the same for children. As researchers learn more about COVID-19 and as more definitive answers emerge on how to manage the virus, we need to continually balance the health guidance and practicality, keeping loving relationships at the heart of our work in pods. In Scéalta this week, Milica Atanackovic teases out the how of this.
tags Aistearchild-centricCOVID-19play podScéalta BlogSíolta
2385 views
0 comments
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Together while apart

By Veronique Didi

Monday 25 May 2020

Early Learning and Care settings all over the country have been so creative and innovative in how they are keeping connected with children and families. Veronique Didi from Co. Wicklow tells us how she has responded to the children interests and maintains an emergent curriculum on line!
tags AistearblogCovid19 crisisGoToMeeting appkeep in touchscéaltashow and tellstaying connected
1173 views
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What the Children Say – SAC

By Deirdre Horgan

Tuesday 12 May 2020

Deirdre Horgan discusses School Aged Childcare from the child’s perspective and highlights what children want, is play, home-from-home environments, and to be able to relax and feel comfortable after school. They highlighted how important Relationships with family, extended family, friends, childminders and other carers were to them.
tags childcare servicesNational Childcare Schemeplayplay storiesScéalta BlogUNCRC
1057 views
0 comments
folder PlayResearchWell-being

Play Therapy

By Mary Barry

Wednesday 06 May 2020

In this weeks’ Scealta, Mary Barry, a long-time practitioner, discusses play therapy. Mary shares her passion for working with children in a supportive, facilitative manner, enabling them to use the curiosity, drive, fun and spontaneous traits that support their optimum learning and development.
tags art of the relationshipChildrenchildren developmentemotional environmentplayplay therapy
1452 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentEnvironmentsLearningPlayRelationship BuildingWell-being

Trust, Opportunity, and Time

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 28 April 2020

Aldo Fortunati from Tuscany has spoken at a few Early Childhood Ireland events, most recently in Carlow last September. I am always taken by his mantra of Trust, Opportunity and Time. He says children need to be trusted to lead their own learning and experiences, must be given the opportunities to do this and have […]
tags Aistear Siolta in ActionCovid pandemicCOVID-19family timeOpportunitiesScéalta Blogtrust
1315 views
2 comments
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Structure Supports Uncertainty

By Fiona Ferris

Wednesday 01 April 2020

The introduction of COVID-19 into our lives at the end of February brought with it uncertainty, disruption to routine and perhaps most difficultly, unpredictability. These are discomforts that many of us will find incredibly difficult to process, and that is with us being kept fully informed by the news and online sources. This has been […]
tags AsIAmAutismChildcareCOVID-19Routinesstructure
2067 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningPlayRelationship BuildingWell-being

Staying connected through Super Shed Stories

By Samantha Hallows

Monday 23 March 2020

Over the past week we have been hearing about the trojan efforts that Early Childhood Ireland members are making and finding innovative ways to stay connected to their children while all early learning and care settings are closed. In this week’s Scealta blog we hear from our member Samantha who describes how she uses stories […]
tags COVID-19Reading TimeScéalta BlogStorytellingSuper Shed StoriesYoutube Series
2934 views
0 comments
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Young children’s use of apps

By Sandra O'Neill

Tuesday 10 March 2020

Increasingly, children are seen using wi-fi enabled devices out and about, on public transport, in cafes or restaurants and in their own homes. On average, children under five are using tablets and other screen media for up to 2.5 hours per day (Australian Child Health Poll, 2017; Rideout, 2017; Marsh et al., 2015). Many children […]
tags Aistearaistear blogapps for childrenbloom appimotioniOSkeezylearnerspablophone appsSíoltaSiolta blogyoudoodle
1881 views
0 comments
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A night to celebrate the work of Early Years Educators

By Debbie Mullen

Tuesday 18 February 2020

Early Childhood Ireland National Awards celebrate and highlight the exceptional contributions that individuals, teams and settings make in early learning and care settings all over Ireland.  The impact these contributions have in improving the experiences of children and their families in early years settings across Ireland is immense.  This year we will be celebrating our […]
tags awards 2020Awards NightEarly Childhood Ireland National AwardsFirst 5 transitions for children awardInspired Practice AwardsLearning Story AwardsLINC Award for Leadership in InclusionPartnership with Families Innovation Award
1218 views
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‘The Couch’

By Jane Jackson

Tuesday 11 February 2020

Against the backdrop of a wonderfully diverse modern Ireland, we are challenged to consider how we can ensure the meaningful participation of all parents and families in our ECEC settings. As the manager of a small sessional setting in a thriving multicultural and societally diverse Dublin suburb, I am acutely aware of the importance of […]
tags Early Years EducatorsECCEECEC SettingEducatorsparentspreschoolpreschool settingsScéalta BlogSessional service
1225 views
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Capturing Children’s Voices at Story Time!

By Kathleen Tuite

Wednesday 22 January 2020

Reading and storytelling with children promotes brain development and imagination, teaches children about language and emotions, and strengthens relationships. Dr Mary Roche in her blog ‘Books and stories are important in the early years‘, also wrote about the importance of storytelling and its effect on children’s development. In this blog we want to highlight the […]
tags AistearChildrenSíoltaSiolta blogstory timeStorytelling
2352 views
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So, this is Christmas!

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 17 December 2019

Over the past few weeks we have been looking back at seasonal posts from the past few years of Scéalta. In this final post of 2019 Máire Corbett reflects on the popularity of one particular post, Performing….for Who?, both 2 years ago when it was first published and on Facebook this past week.
tags AistearChildrenchristmasScéalta BlogSíoltaSiolta blog
661 views
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folder DevelopmentPlayRelationship BuildingTransitions

Where did the summer go!

By Arlene Forster

Tuesday 03 September 2019

Where did the summer go! Hard to believe another ‘year’ is starting. She’s off to preschool this September… these are some of the familiar statements we hear at this time of the year when thousands of children all over Ireland return or move on to the next exciting stage in their educational journey. A new […]
tags AistearplaySettling inSíoltaSummer
1027 views
0 comments
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Social Skills Versus Academic Skills – Why the Conflict?

By Carol Duffy

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 […]
tags Academic SkillsAisteardevelopmentlearningplayScéalta BlogSíoltaSocial Skills
3882 views
1 comments
folder DevelopmentPlay

Growing Up Outdoors

By Dr. Suzanne Egan and Dr. Jennifer Pope

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 […]
tags AisteardevelopmentGrowing up in IrelandGrowing up Outdoorsoutdoor playplayscéaltaScéalta BlogSíolta
5617 views
1 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningPlay

Through the looking glass

By Lorraine O'Connor

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, […]
tags AistearchristmasHalloweenScéalta BlogSíoltaThrough the looking glassWindow
2917 views
0 comments
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Mixing the Ages: Part 2

By Maire Corbett

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 […]
tags AistearERASMUS+Meal timemealsMixed age groupsMontessoriscéaltaScéalta BlogSíoltaTuscan Approach
1972 views
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Let the Children Play – Children’s Rights and our Responsibilities

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

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 […]
tags AsIAmblogINTOlincNCCAplayScéalta Blog
4284 views
0 comments
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A Hop, Skip and a Jump to School!

By Dr. Suzanne Egan and Dr. Jennifer Pope

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 […]
tags AistearblogGamesHealthoutdoor playplayPrimary SchoolRunningScéalta BlogSíoltaSporttransitions
3489 views
0 comments
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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
3212 views
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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 AistearMud kitchensoutdoor playplaySíoltaWeather
3244 views
0 comments
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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
1683 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
6165 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
2109 views
0 comments
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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
4885 views
0 comments
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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
5508 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
8337 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
3401 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
11293 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
3102 views
0 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
3902 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
2948 views
0 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
2279 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
3851 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
5204 views
0 comments
folder LearningPlay

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’ […]
tags DegreelearningplayQualityTraining
7897 views
2 comments
folder ArtLearningPlay

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 […]
tags ArtArtsblogcuriosityDeirdre RogersDrawingImaginationPaintingReCreateScéalta BlogSPICE Framework
4322 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
3816 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
4823 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
4663 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
4134 views
0 comments
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
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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
5384 views
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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
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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
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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
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folder LearningPlay

Playfully becoming the Mathematicians of tomorrow

By Catherine Mc Hugh

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
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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
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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
2261 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
2099 views
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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
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