Tuning in to babies: Nurturing relationships in early childhood settings

Babies are born primed to engage with people and to explore the world around them. They are learning and developing from their day of birth in every context in which they find themselves. As babies’ participation in out-of-home early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings is rising (OECD, 2012), the quality of this education and care is of the utmost importance. This article explores why we should focus on babies in ECEC settings in Ireland, the unintended consequences of some policy actions, the specialised knowledge and relational skills required for working with babies, and some recommendations for policy and practice

How to encourage empathy from birth: neurological roots and the importance of responsive practice

Studies in social neuroscience and brain imaging that have investigated the neural basis of human empathy reveal that the development of empathy is rooted in early infancy, well before the emergence of verbal abilities and more complex capacities in in social understanding (Tousignant, Eugène & Jackson, 2017). The key focus of this article is to demonstrate how experiences and interactions in the earliest months of life impact on neural circuits, overall brain development and, in particular, the development of empathy and altruist motivation in children from birth. Guidance on supporting empathy in early childhood education and care practice through responsive reciprocal relationships is also offered

The high scope approach to early learning

Learning Objectives: After studying this chapter the reader should be able to: • Describe the historical origins, the longitudinal research, and the theoretical underpinnings of the HighScope approach. • Identify the teaching strategies adopted by HighScope educators. • Appreciate the curriculum content. • Understand the HighScope approach to the assessment of children’s learning. • Consider some criticisms of the HighScope research and approach to early learning. This chapter aims to provide an overview of the HighScope curriculum. It is presented in order of the learning objectives listed above

The childhood development initiative: developing quality services

The Childhood Development Initiative (CDI) has created a ten-year strategy to improve the health, safety and learning of the children of Tallaght West, and to strengthen their sense of belonging in their own communities. This paper portrays an overview of the strategy, the principles of freedom and prevention which underpin the project and outlines two of the eight activities, namely the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme and the Enhancing Quality through Integration and Training (EQIT) programme. These two activities seek to develop high quality services in accordance with international evidence on early childhood development, local quantitative and qualitative research, national policy developments and scientific service design and will be rigorously evaluated. We will argue that given the process adopted and positive evaluation results, these services should be replicated and mainstreamed

The Youngest Ages Can Turn Pages

We think of literacy as reading and writing, something children learn at school. But literacy is much more basic than that and begins at birth. Children develop the ability to learn and communicate very early in life from their parents and carers. They learn to listen and to speak before they read and write. Not all parents and carers realise the important role they play in the future development of their children. By helping to develop a child’s literacy levels they can give them a really good start not just in school but in life. Simple things like engaging children in conversation, sharing a picture book or reading with them can do so much to enhance literacy skills and help them develop their full potential. The Fingal Libraries Early Years Literacy Strategy is designed to raise awareness of early literacy among the significant adults in children’s lives. The strategy aims to motivate and equip parents and carers with the means to promote literacy among children under six. I am very proud that Fingal County Council has one of the highest library memberships in the country. We also have one of the most innovative and proactive library services. Over the years it has grown and developed by listening to the needs of our citizens. This early years literacy service is part of a process of working with the community to increase the level of literacy and enrich the lives of our people. It will foster a joy of learning and help many children develop the most delightful habit in the world – the habit of reading