Scéalta – The Early Childhood Ireland Blog

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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
1245 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningRelationship BuildingResearch

My Early Childhood Degree at Maynooth University

By Sylwia O’Rourke

Wednesday 15 April 2020

As the extended CAO Deadline gets closer, Sylwia O’Rourke looks back on her experience of completing her BA in Early Childhood Teaching and Learning at Maynooth University.
tags Learning JournalMaynooth UniversityScéalta BlogSiolta blog
1142 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningResearch

Sharing and dialogue for professional practice

By Liz Kerrins

Tuesday 04 February 2020

In this week's Scéalta blog, Liz Kerrins discusses the Early Childhood Ireland Annual Research Day 2020.
tags aistear blogearly years researchNational Early Childhood Research Conferenceresearch submissions
592 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningRelationship BuildingResearchWorkplace relations

Professional Behaviour in Early Childhood Education and Care

By Dr. Mary Moloney

Wednesday 29 January 2020

Ask any early childhood educator what it is they most want and, the answer invariably entails professional salaries (rightly so), to feel valued, respected and treated as and, seen as a professional in their own right. They want to enjoy the status afforded to and enjoyed by other professions. In short, they want to see the professionalisation of the Early Childhood Education and Care sector. Ensuring that this happens rests primarily with Government who are responsible for creating the conditions that enable a profession to emerge and flourish.
tags Aistearaistear blogcode of ethicscode of professional responsibilityECECScéalta BlogSiolta blog
4663 views
0 comments
folder Research

Reaping the Rewards

By Debbie Mullen

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 […]
tags Educator - Leader in Practice AwardInspired Practice AwardLearning Stories AwardLINC Award for Leadership in InclusionNational Awards 2019Partnership with Families Innovation Award
1048 views
0 comments
folder LearningResearch

Formalised Curiosity

By Maire Corbett

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 […]
tags AistearAlbert EinsteinblogEarly Childhood Ireland’s National Early Childhood Research Conference 2019Exploring and ThinkingIdentity and BelongingPobal sector profileresearchResearch Conference 2019Scéalta BlogSíolta
1276 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentDiningResearch

How does your body feel?

By Milica Atanackovic

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 […]
tags foodGrowing up in IrelandmealsMealtimesNutritionObesityRitualsscéaltaScéalta Blog
1535 views
0 comments
folder 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 […]
tags blogKids OwnMinister for Children and Youth AffairsOrla KennyscéaltaScéalta BlogThe Lullaby Book
1778 views
0 comments
folder LearningResearch

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 […]
tags AistearCollegeECEClearningNational Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher EducationScéalta BlogSíoltaUniversity
4381 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningResearch

Children doing it for themselves!

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 01 May 2018

One day, a few months ago, I was walking along a beach. Two little boys ran past me. They were maybe 6 and 4 years old. They came to some rocks and the older boy held out his hand to his little brother or friend. The older one wanted to help the other negotiate the […]
tags AistearCapableCompetentConfidentFeedingIndependenceSíolta
3212 views
0 comments
folder LearningResearch

Inspiring Practice in Pen Green

By Valerie Gaynor

Tuesday 24 April 2018

The staff of Creative Kids and Co. from Dublin, were very lucky to spend the February mid term break on a visit to the Pen Green Centre for Under 5’s and their families. The visit was planned to inspire practice, and to get new ideas for our spaces. Pen Green is located in Corby which […]
tags AisteareducationInspirationaloutdoor spacePen greenplayQualityScéalta BlogSíolta
2561 views
1 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningResearch

Time to Shine!

By Debbie Mullen

Tuesday 13 February 2018

Did you read this Blog post last year? Thank you for the stories Rachel! Or, were you in the audience on that wonderful day last September when people like Maxine O’Donoghue, Nickola Cullen, Anne Macken and Alicia Cormican moved the audience to tears with their beautiful stories of child centred practice and showed what committed educators […]
tags AwardsEducator Award - Leader in PracticeEducator of the Year AwardEducatorsScéalta BlogWesco
2181 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
2016 views
0 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
3311 views
0 comments
folder LearningResearch

Admin Overload?

By Amy McArdle

Tuesday 31 October 2017

My name is Amy McArdle and I have been the Policy Officer in Early Childhood Ireland (ECI) since May 2016. My background is in law, human rights and politics, but I have been working in policy for over 10 years. There are a lot of policy issues relevant to early years services like those inspected […]
tags Administrative BurdenAdvocacyblogDCYAPIPPobalPolicyScéalta BlogValerie Gaynor
4674 views
1 comments
folder DevelopmentPlayResearch

Young Children: The Human Face of the Refugee Crisis

By Dr. Mary Moloney

Tuesday 24 October 2017

I have spent my life believing that every child has a basic fundamental right to survival, to a standard of living that meets their physical and mental needs; to education, to rest, recreation and play as outlined in the UNCRC. Yet, in spite of this legally binding international agreement, the rights of millions of children, […]
tags AfghanistanAistearEritreaIraqrefugeesScéalta BlogSíoltaSyriaUNCRC
3816 views
2 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningResearch

Change in the Air

By Montessori and Early Childhood Professionals Ireland

Tuesday 10 October 2017

This week within the early childhood education and care sector there has been wide-ranging debate on a scale never seen before; a debate which has been refreshingly professional in nature. On Thursday 5th October, the Irish Times printed an article written by Carl O’Brien in which he discussed the release of a 10-point plan for the […]
tags blogMECPIMontessori & Early Childhood Professionals IrelandQualificationsScéalta BlogSeas Suas
3119 views
2 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningPlayRelationship BuildingResearch

Budget 2028 anyone?

By Frances Byrne

Tuesday 03 October 2017

The pace of change in the early years sector is something which only those of us trying to engage with it, can begin to grasp.  When your role, as mine does, involves analysing and responding to this change on behalf of a large, and growing membership, sometimes the grip feels quite tenuous, such is the […]
tags AffordabilityblogBudget 2018ECCEQualityScéalta BlogSustainability
2200 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningResearch

Studying enquiring minds – the challenges of early childhood practice research

By Maja Haals Brosnan

Tuesday 27 June 2017

If we put the researching child at the centre of our own research we do not have to spend weeks or months thinking up the best research question, the kinds of questions we should be asking, what to observe, what to note down, what to analyse. Take any given day in the baby, wobbler or preschool rooms and there is a plethora of questions and lines of enquiry right there!
tags AistearChildren's Research Networkoutdoor playplayresearchSíolta
2957 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningResearch

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

By Dr Emer Ring

Monday 13 March 2017

I have been asked to present a Masterclass at the Early Childhood Ireland Conference on April 1, on the topic of Implementing the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM). In preparing for that session I got to reflecting more on this subject. There are numerous books written about inclusion in the early years and beyond, what […]
tags Access and Inclusion ModelAIMAistearAnnual Conference 2017Dr. Emer RingInclusionMasterclassresearchSíoltaSpecial Needs Assistants
6654 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
3649 views
0 comments
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
4432 views
0 comments
folder Research

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

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 30 August 2016

This week EECERA (European Early Childhood Research Association) rolls into town. This is a huge event which will see close to one thousand people passionate about early childhood arrive in Dublin. For the next few days we will discuss, debate and support research and learning about Early Childhood Care and Education. Inspiring stuff indeed. The […]
tags early years researchEECERA 2016learningresearchtoddlersunder 3's
3353 views
0 comments
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