Cultural and Linguistic Capital in Early Years Education and Care

This paper discusses the concept of cultural and linguistic capital in relation to early years education and care (EECE) in Ireland. Bourdieu describes cultural capital as a form of symbolic capital or non-economic asset. Linguistic capital is a subset of cultural capital and refers to linguistic competence and control of linguistic resources. At a time of great change in ECCE it is appropriate to consider the cultural references on which early childhood education and care in Ireland is premised. What is distinctly Irish about ECEC in Ireland? How do we develop an inclusive viewpoint that values the totality of our linguistic and historical heritage on the one hand, and that also welcomes relatively recent newcomers to Irish shores on the other? What store of early childhood language, lore and literature do we draw on? How locally connected are early years’ services in their own communities and districts? Putting the principles of Aistear, the national early years curriculum framework (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment [NCCA], 2009) and Síolta, the national quality framework (Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education [CECDE], 2006), into practice provides an opportunity to consider these questions anew. Drawing on relevant sources in related areas, the paper examines cultural beliefs, attitudes and behaviours that constitute ECCE in Ireland and suggests some areas for future discussion

Child Language in the Early Years

This chapter describes how children acquire their first language in the early years. Some children also acquire a second language in early years setting and the processes and adult supports that assist them are described. These include dynamic scaffolding and environmental supports. The main theories of first and second language acquisition are reviewed and the importance of supportive facilitation by nurturing adults is emphasised

Strategies in Working with Children Learning English as a Second Language

This paper describes a study carried out in four early years’ centres in Dublin in 2007 with practitioners who were working with children learning English as an additional language. The aim of the study was to investigate the views and experiences of practitioners on a number of aspects of this work. Interviews were conducted with the practitioners regarding their views on the social and linguistic factors affecting the children, their understanding of the process of second language leaning, the strategies they used to assist second language learning, their classroom organisation, their contact with parents and the challenges and issues that they faced. The findings indicate that staff were drawing on and extending their existing interaction skills in working with second language children, that they were sensitive to the cultural differences they encountered and that they had formed close bonds with the newcomer families. The main difficulties they had were in relation to finding out about cultural practices and in accessing help for newcomer children with developmental or language problems. Access to translators for communication with parents was also a difficulty. Overall, the practitioners were extremely positive about their experiences of working with second language children and regarded their inclusion as an opportunity to learn about other cultures and languages

Reflections on a Language Planning Project in Context

The aim of this paper is to reflect in broad terms on issues which arose in the context of an early years language planning project in Irish-medium preschools (naíonraí) in the Irish-speaking (Gaeltacht) areas of the west of Ireland. Borradh Language Planning Project was commissioned in 2009 to provide guidance and planning templates for early years educators to develop the Irish language competency of children in their early years groups. Due to the changing language ecology of the Gaeltacht areas, many families now raise their children through both Irish and English and children enter the early years services with differing Irish language competency levels. Three phases of the project were developed and evaluated and a high level of satisfaction was recorded with the planning templates and guidance provided. The final project report was delivered in 2015. Of particular interest in the findings is the data on educators’ views on child agency and language use and their implementation of preschool-home links. These issues will be discussed in the light of the professionalization of the early years sector in Ireland; professional development opportunities and policy initiatives in both early years education and Gaeltacht education. Finally tensions between competing discourses in language and education pedagogies will be recognised and the importance of shaping approaches to meet sector specific needs acknowledged

Intercultural Books in Practice

This paper examines the practical use of intercultural and multicultural books in Early Years settings in the Irish context. Questionnaires were sent to seventy early years’ settings in the Dublin region, focusing on the criteria they used for selecting such books. These responses indicated that staff viewed inclusion, the story, age appropriateness, illustrations and the language of the books as being important. The practitioners’ responses are compared with the views of authors on diversity issues and similarities and differences identified. Overall there was a greater emphasis on children in the practitioners’ survey while the authors focused on issues. A list of books recommended by practitioners is also included. Practitioners also reported the parents’ views on their use of intercultural books and positive responses were reported by those who consulted the parents. Key issues arising from the study indicate that in-service training needs to build on practitioners’ views and experience, insights gained from international research and experience will continue to be helpful and settings would benefit from involving parents in the selection, reading and discussion of intercultural books

The history and work of the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education (CECDE) (2001-2008)

Growing international interest in ECEC policy in the 1990s resulted in increasing awareness of its significance for education policy in Ireland. Arising from this, in 1999, Ready to Learn: A White Paper for Early Childhood Education was published. This led to the establishment of the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education (CECDE). This chapter charts in chronological order the history and work of the CECDE from its inception in 2001 until its closure in 2008. It documents the governance, structures, strategic direction and management of the Centre. It foregrounds the outputs of the Centre including research reports, international conferences and its programme of funded Ph.D. studies. A particular focus is the development of Síolta. The National Quality Framework (2006) and its significance and impact on the issue of quality provision of ECEC in Ireland. The authors offer an insider view on the outputs and legacy of the CECDE, while at the same time drawing on key publications of the time to include objective commentary

Why Parents Chose to Send Their Children to Irish-Medium Immersion Preschools: learning from parental choice strategies in Celtic countries

This study investigated the reasons Irish parents chose to send their children to Irish-medium preschools settings over other forms of early childhood education. The international literature on parental decision making regarding childcare and relevant studies on immersion education in Celtic countries were reviewed. A parental questionnaire, informed by this literature, was distributed through selected immersion settings in Ireland. Social and cognitive development were the main reasons parents cited in regard to early childhood education and an interest in the Irish language and bilingualism along with the good reputation of the immersion preschool were the reasons they chose immersion preschooling. Comparisons were made with the reasons parents chose immersion primary education in Scotland, Wales and Ireland and the findings were broadly similar across the studies. Recommendations include disseminating information about immersion preschools more widely as well as reviewing the impact of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act (DES, Admission to Schools Policy. Dublin: DES.http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2018/act/14/enacted/en/html, 2018)) on enrolment in Irish-medium preschools and primary schools

Early childhood education and care provision through the medium of the Irish language

This chapter will give an overview of the history of naíonraí or Irish-medium preschool settings in Gaeltacht1 and non-Gaeltacht areas from their beginnings in the 1960s to date. The material for this chapter is based on desk research, interviews with the founding member of the naíonra movement and the personal involvement of the chapter authors. The rationale for establishing naíonraí will be described and the role of the pioneers who led the movement in the 1970s and 1980s will be analysed in light of their principles and philosophy. These principles are visible in the structures they set up to manage and promote naíonraí and in the resources they commissioned. These resources included children’s songs and rhymes based on the oral tradition, suitable for the urban environment as well as rural areas, and the provision and mediation of children’s books in Irish. A number of support agencies were set up and evolved over time, sometimes willingly, sometimes not. The current roles of support agencies in both the North of Ireland and the Republic will be examined and challenges facing the sector will be identified. Finally, proposals for the future direction of immersion early childhood education and care (ECEC) through the Irish language will be made, including the need for specialized training, evaluation of current practice, and cooperation among all participants and stakeholders

Pleanail Curaclam agus Teanga sa Naionra

Is gá don bhainisteoir cur chuige oiriúnach a aimsiú agus tabhairt faoi go tuisceanach eolasach chun bunaidhmeanna an naíonra, is iad sin forbairt iomlán an linbh agus sealbhú na Gaeilge, a bhaint amach. Is dlúthchuid den chur chuige sin an phleanáil teanga. Éireoidh níos fearr le sealbhú na Gaeilge má bhíonn sé pleanáilte roimh ré, ar bhonn atá céimithe ach atá scaoilte ag an am céanna. Beidh an stiúrthóir in ann an phleanáil a bhunú ar an aithne atá aici ar na páistí agus ar a gcuid spéiseanna, ar a cuid eolas ar na réimsí gníomhaíochtaí atá oiriúnach do pháistí óga agus ar a cuid tuisceana ar phróiseas sealbhaithe teanga. Déantar sainmhíniú ar an mbrí ata le curaclam agus pléitear na creatlaí reachtúla a bhaineann leis an réimse seo, ar Aistear and Síolta ach go háirithe. Molann Aistear trí mhórleibheál pleanála a leagan amach, sé sin plean bliana, plean téarma agus plean gearrthréimhseach is tugtar moltaí ar chonas tabhairt fúthu seo ar bhealach a oireanna d’aidhmeanna an naíonra. Moltar an obair a bhunú ar ábhair spéise na bpáistí is taifead a choimeád ar a gcuid foghlama

Litriocht na nOg sna Naionrai: Na Luathbhlianta

Déanfar cur síos san aiste seo ar bhunú agus ar fhorbairt samhail nua luathoideachais, mar atá na naíonraí, a chuireann oideachas luathóige ar fáil do pháistí óga trí Ghaeilge. Rianófar na cúiseanna a bhain le bunú na naíonraí, cúlra agus ról na gceannródaithe a bhí páirteach sa ghluaiseacht le linn na 1970í agus 1980í, an saghas litríochta do pháistí a bhí ar fáil ag an am agus na moltaí a bhí á gcur chun cinn faoi conas an litríocht sin a úsáid sna naíonraí