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Spaces to Be Me: Quality Environments in Early Years Services
No full textBookEnvironments can be many things to children. They can be places of exploration, of fun, of familiarity, of challenge, of nurture, of wildness and of wonder. Early years educators, through the environments they offer in their service, can provide children with opportunities for a wonderland, an assortment of experiences that will invite and engage them in their thinking and learning. As well as being of immediate value for the child now, these experiences will also bank important memories and pathways within the child’s brain, leading to a store of confidence in their own abilities and resilience for dealing with life’s challenges.
Through this publication, early years educators will discover how to create quality environments. They will be supported as to how best to examine all aspects of the environment, such as the structural aspects, design features, role of the adult, types of play, resources required and, above all, the interplay between each child and the environment, which is dynamic and ever-changing.
The impact of environments on children is discussed – how poor environments can stifle learning and creativity while rich, challenging and stimulating environments can enhance all aspects of the child’s experience. Guidance on how to structure and equip rich environments that support children’s development and how to bring them to life through the dynamic of interactions is defined and illustrated throughout.
This publication provides tips, ideas, thought-provoking stories and thinking points. These will help encourage educators to have a fresh perspective on the environment, recognising that it must not be a static entity, rather it should be fluid, malleable and responsive to the needs, hopes and dreams of those being nurtured within it
Universalism - The Preferred and Most Effective Option
Get PDFReportAs Ireland emerges from the economic and social crisis, attention will turn to the future society that the country will build for its citizens, including its children. From the 1930s, European countries have struggled with what is the best way to help children, the most favoured being supports provided for all children, called universalism. 1 In recent years, especially at times of financial difficulty, arguments have been presented that state supports should be more narrowly focussed on targeted groups of children (targeting, sometimes also called selection). Evidence finds that not only do alternatives to universalism present serious, costly practical problems, but that targeting leads to worse results, lower levels of benefits for poor households and reinforces inequality. There is compelling evidence that universalism - in both supports and services - works best. Countries with the lowest rates of child poverty are those which have invested most in both cash benefits and public services for children. It is far more efficient to address the ‘richer people benefitting needlessly’ argument by increasing income tax - for the tax system is already designed to be and is effective at redistributing wealth. Universalism is also the most effective way to reinforce the rights of all children
Iompar Do Pháiste Óig: Conas is Féidir leat Cuidiú
No full textBookletIs do thuismitheoirí páistí óga suas go dtí sé bliana d’aois an leabhrán seo, cé go bhféadfadh an t-eolas a bheith oiriúnach do
pháistí ag gach aois. An aidhm atá leis ná go bhfaighidh tú tuiscint níos fearr ar iompar do pháiste agus cad é atá do pháiste ag iarraidh a chur in iúl lena n-iompar. Chomh maith leis sin tá roinnt smaointe ann a d’fhéadfadh treoir a thabhairt duit agus tú ag tacú leis an iompar cuí. Is é ceann de na jabanna is tábhachtaí a dhéanaimid ná a bheith inár dtuismitheoir, ach chomh maith leis sin d’fhéadfadh sé a bheith ceann de na cinn is deacra agus bíonn amanna ann nuair a bhímid cantalach, trína chéile agus faoi strus le hiompar ár bpáiste. Uaireanta bíonn gach páiste óg ag mí-iompar, ní de bharr go bhfuil siad ag iarraidh a bheith dalba nó dána d’aon ghnó, ach toisc nach bhfuil a fhios acu conas iad féin a chur in iúl ar aon bhealach eile nó nach bhfuil a fhios acu go fóill cad lena bhfuiltear ag súil uathu i suíomhanna áirithe. Le do thacaíocht agus spreagadh, foghlaimeoidh do pháiste na scileanna atá ag teastáil uathu chun a mothúcháin agus iompar a bhainistiú
Early Years eNews: Issue 3
No full textNewsletterIn this issue of Childcare eNews we bring you details of two recent Barnardos events, the launch of our latest publication Spaces to Be Me and a conference on Parental Mental Health, which was opened by the Minister for State with responsibility for Mental Health, Kathleen Lynch, TD. There is also news of the latest developments in the early years sector including the follow-up programme to last year's Prime Time investigation Breach of Trust, the new Programmes Implementation Platform system and developments in Children First training
Outdoor Play Matters: The Benefits of Outdoor Play for Young Children
No full textBookletThis booklet is for parents and carers of young children up to the age of six, although most of the information applies to children of all ages. It highlights the benefits of outdoor play and shows how playing outside supports your child’s development. Playing in an outdoor environment has huge benefits for young children’s learning and development. It is great for young children’s physical development and, while playing outside, children also learn how to get on with others and manage their feelings. Children also tend to develop a more positive attitude to learning when they are outdoors. They are usually more active, absorbed and involved, and they see a purpose in what they are doing
Snapshot of Parents’ Experiences of Childcare & Afterschool Care
Get PDFPresentationMs Frances Byrne, Director with OPEN presented the survey findings of the online parents’ survey that the four organisations conducted to identify their experiences of current arrangements and wishes for future development in relation to childcare and afterschool care
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Barnardos' Wizards of Words Reading Programme (Executive Summary)
Get PDFEvaluation reportThe independent evaluation of Barnardos’ WoW (Wizard of Words) programme confirms that an evidence-informed, inter-generational reading intervention can significantly improve children’s reading skills, enjoyment, and self-confidence. Inspired by the Experience Corps in the USA, WoW was piloted in 2007 and expanded to 10 schools in Dublin and Limerick, pairing over 300 children aged six to eight with trained volunteers aged 55 and over. The programme’s structured sessions, ongoing assessment, and strong support for volunteers were key to its success, as highlighted by positive feedback from school staff and participants. The evaluation, conducted by the Child and Family Research Centre at NUIG, found improvements in children’s phonemic awareness, word recognition, and enjoyment of reading. The inter-generational aspect was particularly valued, fostering strong bonds between children and volunteers. WoW is also cost-effective for schools, demonstrating that volunteer-led reading programmes can deliver lasting, positive outcomes for young children’s literacy development
Barnardos & One Family Child Contact Centre Service Masterclass
No full textPresentationJoint presentation by Barnardos and One Family on the Child Contact Centres pilot
What about Me? Prioritising Children in Family Breakdown Proceedings
Get PDFReportChildren love growing up in a stable familiar family environment so change to their family circumstances can have a huge impact on their lives. It is a very individual experience for every child, but feelings of isolation, confusion and fear of the unknown are common. Children can feel trapped between their parents and afraid of being honest about one parent to another out of sense of loyalty or fear of further anger within the house. This emotional burden on the child can affect their wellbeing, their ability to cope with the transition and their educational and social development both in the short term and into their future. While in some cases the relationship breakdown might lead to a positive impact on the child in other cases the child, can be very distressed out of fear that they will not see their non-resident parent again. Interestingly, while the majority of children continue to be raised in a traditional nuclear family, one in six children are living in lone parent households. According to the Census 2011, the rate of marital breakdown (number of separated and divorced as a proportion of those ever married) is up from 8.7% to just under 10%. Specifically the number of divorced people rose significantly to 87,770 up from 35,059 in 2006 while the number of separated people levelled off at 116,194 up from 107,263 in 2006
The Nordic Child Care Model: Components, Investments and Outcomes
Get PDFPresentationMuch can be learnt and adopted from the Nordic countries who have a long history of supporting investing in quality service which enable parents juggle their caring responsibilities and work life. Prof Tine Rostgaard, of Aalborg University in Denmark explains the different aspects of the Nordic model