Scéalta – The Early Childhood Ireland Blog

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folder DevelopmentEnvironmentsLearningPlayRelationship Building

Quarantine Children – Learning to adapt during lockdown

By Yvonne O'Keeffe

Monday 25 January 2021

Learning to adapt while maintaining positive child & family interactions during the lockdown During the first lockdown from March through to the end of June 2020, the team at Cottage Childcare, Killavullen designed a unique weekly template as a means of staying connected with the children and families of our service. This template was filled […]
tags an postblogCovid-19 lockdownquarantinescéaltaSíolta
377 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentEnvironmentsLearningPlayRelationship BuildingTransitionsWorkplace relations

Carol Duffy, master of the outdoors

By Lilian Joyce

Monday 18 January 2021

Last month we said a fond farewell to our colleague Carol Duffy, who retired from Early Childhood Ireland after nearly 40 years of working in the early years. Back in the 1980s, there were no childcare regulations, no accredited training for early year educators and no funding for Early Learning and Care services. There were, […]
tags blogEarly Childhood IrelandplayleaderscéaltaSíolta
803 views
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folder DevelopmentWell-being

Looking back and looking forward

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 22 December 2020

As we approach the end of another year, we traditionally tend to take stock of the year that has passed and look forward to the new year in anticipation. We reflect on what we want to change perhaps and what we want to continue into the new year to come.  But if this year has […]
tags AistearblogCOVID-19Looking BackLooking ForwardscéaltaScéalta BlogSíolta
1748 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentEnvironmentsLearningRelationship BuildingWorkplace relations

Christmas connections through social media!

By Kathleen Tuite

Tuesday 15 December 2020

Now that Christmas is just around the corner you might be thinking of ways to share the end of year celebrations with families of children attending your ELC setting.  With this in mind, we wanted to remind you all of the many ways of connecting and how important it is to have some procedures in […]
tags blogearly years settingsscéaltaSíoltasocial mediasocial media policy
1966 views
0 comments
folder ArtDevelopmentEnvironmentsLearningPlay

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
1425 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentEnvironmentsLearningPlayRelationship Building

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
1090 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentEnvironmentsLearningRelationship Building

The beauty of ‘being’

By Catherine Mc Hugh

Tuesday 24 November 2020

“I can’t wait until….” Here is a simple quote that personally passes through my lips numerous times a day. It has become apparent to me in recent times that looking for the ‘what next’ in my future has almost overcome me to an extent where the ‘now’ is overlooked. There is such beauty in the ‘now’. A glistening feeling […]
tags AistearblogCovid responseCOVID-19MindfulnessscéaltaScéalta BlogSíolta
1942 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentEnvironmentsLearningRelationship BuildingResearch

EECERA – virtual!

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 03 November 2020

  The European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EERECRA) conference each August/ September is a calendar fixture for many in the Early Learning and Care world. It is held in various locations around Europe; indeed, it has taken place in Dublin twice and attracts delegates, who share a passion for the education and care of […]
tags AistearblogEECERAEuropean Early Childhood Education Research AssociationInternational Narrativesscéalta
1348 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
2273 views
0 comments
folder EnvironmentsLearningPlayRelationship BuildingResearch

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
2195 views
0 comments
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Tell me a story!

By Marlene McCormack

Tuesday 29 September 2020

I am wondering if I have the hang of blogging. A blog, I think, is meant not only to tell but to engage – maybe to share a story! Sir Ken Robinson, who died recently, was a great storyteller.  Make no mistake about it, he had a perspective on education, one that many subscribed to […]
tags blogLearning through StorytellingscéaltaSeanchaíSíoltaStoryStorytelling
1723 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentEnvironmentsLearningPlayRelationship Building

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
1758 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
1308 views
0 comments
folder ArtDevelopmentEnvironmentsLearningPlay

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
935 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
1079 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentEnvironmentsLearningPlayWell-being

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
2085 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentEnvironmentsLearningPlayRelationship Building

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
2727 views
3 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningWell-being

Trauma Sensitive Early Childhood Care and Education

By Dr. Judith Butler

Monday 20 July 2020

Early childhood adversity is a topic that is widely covered in the literature and in initial practitioner education.However, until recently the topic of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) has been less well covered.The World Health Organisation’s recognition of ACEs as a major public health challenge has raised awareness and as a result, societal change is happening […]
tags Adverse Childhood ExperiencesblogECECmental health problemsresponsive relationshipsscéaltaSíoltaTrauma-SensitiveWorld Health Organisation
2479 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentEnvironmentsLearningRelationship Building

Being Nice is not Enough!

By Colette Murray

Tuesday 14 July 2020

In this week’s Scealta Colette Murray discusses ‘Becoming more aware of our unconscious and conscious bias both personally and professionally means we are in a better position to support children and families in our services. None of us think of ourselves as racist, sexist, ableist, classist or homophobic but how sure are we about that? Most of us are confident we are not discriminating against others but is it enough to think that and say that?’
tags AistearblogEarly Childhood IrelandEqualityracismscéaltaSíolta
1444 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentEnvironmentsPlayRelationship Building

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
1652 views
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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
1549 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
2544 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
831 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentEnvironmentsLearningRelationship Building

Pedagogical Leadership

By Kathleen Tuite

Tuesday 09 June 2020

In the Scéalta this week Kathleen Tuite outlines why she feels that pedagogical leadership is a key aspect of the reopening of our settings. She says that Having to carve out new pathways to cope and come up with innovative ways to ensure that our children, families and communities are safe, nurtured and supported requires rethinking the old ways of doing things and effective leadership is needed to do that.
tags AistearblogPedagogical leadersPedagogyplay podsscéaltaSíolta
1218 views
0 comments
folder ArtDevelopmentEnvironmentsLearningPlayRelationship Building

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
1214 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentEnvironmentsLearningRelationship BuildingTransitions

What are we doing to our boys?

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 25 February 2020

In Scéalta this week Máire Corbett reflects on how gender stereotypes can be damaging to children, following the online reaction to the winning project in the BT Young Scientist competition and a conversation she overheard in a supermarket.
tags Aistearbehavioural scienceearly years learninggender biasgender stereotypelearning biasman upscéaltasocial science
1703 views
0 comments
folder Well-being

Let’s talk about dying!

By Mary Daly

Wednesday 20 November 2019

Mary Daly reflects on her own experience of bereavement when she was a child. She outlines the impact bereavement has on children and how we need to give time and space to understand and how we can support this process. We have included some books that might be useful.
tags AistearBereavementDeathscéaltaScéalta Blog
1254 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningRelationship Building

Montessori and Intergenerational Care

By Maire Corbett

Tuesday 05 November 2019

In this week's Scelta blog Máire Corbett discusses her experience at at the Montessori Europe Congress last month. Máire heard about intergenerational initiatives in the USA and how some settings provide residential care for older people using Montessori Principles to enhance the lives of the Elders in those settings.
tags EldersInter-generationalInter-generational learninglife long learningMontessorirelationshipsscéaltaScéalta Blog
1793 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentRelationship BuildingWell-being

Are you feeling heard?

By Dr. Jennifer Pope

Wednesday 02 October 2019

Have you ever been in a situation where it feels like you are not being listened to? Ever been waiting at the end of a customer service helpline listening to… ‘you are a valued customer, but all our lines are busy so please hold…you are in a queue, all our operators are busy, you are […]
tags Children's RightsLearning StoriesscéaltaScéalta BlogWell-Being
4435 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearning

Books and stories are important in the early years

By Dr. Mary Roche

Tuesday 24 September 2019

If you were told that you could improve your child’s imagination, thinking ability, vocabulary, oral language, literacy skills, interpersonal relationships, empathy, attachment, and have great fun at the same time, you would rush to sign up for such an amazing programme. Imagine if you were told that you can do it yourself and it’s free? […]
tags readingscéaltaScéalta BlogSíolta
5076 views
2 comments
folder 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 […]
tags AisteardevelopmentInclusionMusicNonverbalscéaltaScéalta BlogSíoltaUniversal DesignVisual Impairment
1598 views
1 comments
folder ArtDevelopmentLearning

Reggio Emilia – Quality Never Grows Old

By Milica Atanackovic

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 […]
tags AistearReggio Children NetworkReggio EmiliascéaltaScéalta BlogSíolta
4945 views
0 comments
folder 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 […]
tags AistearBuddiesBuddy BenchLittle BuddiesMaynooth UniversityMental HealthscéaltaScéalta BlogSíoltaWell-Being
2668 views
7 comments
folder 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 […]
tags Arlene ForsterMo ScéalNational Council for Curriculum and AssessmentNCCApreschoolPrimary SchoolscéaltaScéalta Blogtransitions
5855 views
0 comments
folder 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 […]
tags AistearBreathingExerciseMantraMindfulnessRelaxationscéaltaScéalta BlogSíoltaYoga
1919 views
1 comments
folder DevelopmentLearning

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 […]
tags AistearNational Pyjama DayPlasticRecyclingscéaltaScéalta BlogSíoltaSustainabilityUNUN Sustainable Development GoalsUnited Nations
1480 views
0 comments
folder Relationship Building

Valentine’s Day – ‘Appreciation Day’!

By Kathleen Tuite

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 […]
tags AppreciationblogLovescéaltaScéalta BlogSmilesTeamworkThanksValentine's Day
1008 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentRelationship Building

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

By Anne Fitzpatrick and Carmel Gallagher

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 […]
tags AistearIGLInspired Practice AwardInter-generationalInter-generational learningscéaltaScéalta BlogSíoltaTogether Old and Young ProgrammeTOY Programme
2083 views
0 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
5671 views
1 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
1628 views
0 comments
folder 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, […]
tags blogchristmasReCreateRecyclescéaltaScéalta BlogWrapping paper
1627 views
0 comments
folder 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 […]
tags DCYADepartment of Children and Youth AffairsEarly Learning and CareEarly Learning and Care CentresFirst 5First 5 strategyMinister Katherine ZapponescéaltaScéalta Blog
4060 views
1 comments
folder LearningRelationship 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. […]
tags AistearcommunityCommunity involvementMotor neuron diseaseparentsscéaltaScéalta BlogSculpturesSíolta
2042 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentRelationship 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 […]
tags AistearBereavementDeathGriefICBNIrish Childhood Bereavement NetworkLossNational Bereaved Children's Awareness WeekscéaltaScéalta BlogSíolta
2249 views
0 comments
folder 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 […]
tags AistearbooksCognitive developmentGrowing up in IrelandreadingscéaltaScéalta BlogSíoltaSocioemotional developmentStory
2313 views
0 comments
folder 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 […]
tags AistearBudget 2019ProfessionalisationRising to the ChallengescéaltaScéalta BlogSíoltaTrade union
8294 views
0 comments
folder Advocacy

Rising to new challenges

By Aisling Hearne

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 […]
tags budgetBudget 2019Jillian van TurnhoutMeet the MembersOireachtasRising to the ChallengescéaltaScéalta Blog
1642 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentRelationship Building

The Power of Touch

By Maire Corbett

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 […]
tags scéaltaScéalta BlogTouch
25368 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningRelationship 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. […]
tags BrainCare routinesrelationshipsscéaltaScéalta Blog
1686 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentRelationship Building

Under 3s – Care-giving Routines

By Kathleen Tuite

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 […]
tags AistearCare-giving routinesInteractionsNuturing interactionsRoutinesscéaltaScéalta BlogSíoltaunder 3's
8834 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentRelationship Building

Visitors – A Child’s View!

By Lorraine O'Connor

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 […]
tags AistearcommunicationEnvironmentIdentityscéaltaScéalta BlogSíoltaVisitors
2650 views
1 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningPlay

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
1982 views
0 comments
folder DevelopmentLearningRelationship 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 […]
tags AistearcommunicationcurriculumEmpathyMixed age groupsscéaltaScéalta BlogSíolta
5939 views
2 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
1895 views
0 comments
folder Relationship BuildingTransitions

Prexit (the preschool exit)

By Aisling Hearne

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 […]
tags AistearExit interviewGratitudeImpactPrexitscéaltaScéalta BlogSíoltaThank youtransitions
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