Managing Contemporary & Quality Practice
Drawing on your current study of Early Childhood discourses in Ireland and beyond, identify an area of interest to you and critique its impact on current practice. Suggest how practice in the future might evolve to accommodate this area and give your rationale for your suggestion.
The area of interest in current practice in Ireland is the role that interactions and relationships have on children’s early learning experiences. The following will discuss the research behind the growing emphasis of interactions and relationships on a local and international scale. It will look at the development of Siolta and Aistear and the impact they have on the current practice in Ireland and how they are evolving into current practice to contribute to a new national level of quality in the early childhood care and education (ECCE) in Ireland.
The discourse ‘In The (Class) Room’ by Helen Penn 2002, discusses the importance of children’s relationships with adults and their peers. Penn’s view of quality includes reciprocal adult/child relationships as an integral part of providing quality services for children. She links this quality with staffs professionalism and training, emphasising the importance of understanding the development of children at a fundamental level (Penn, 2002). The regulation of training in Ireland has only been rectified in the childcare sector since the introduction of the free-pre-school year for 3-4year olds. It ensured that any setting that participates in the scheme must comply with the 2006 childcare regulations which ensures that staff have a minimum of a level 5 qualification (DOHC, 2006). Training provides practitioners with a fundamental knowledge of children’s developmental. Penn believes that this level of understanding is beneficial when building relationships with children. It provides the bases from which to grow and develop in partnership with children so that they can become confident and competent learners.
The revised child care
The area of interest in current practice in Ireland is the role that interactions and relationships have on children’s early learning experiences. The following will discuss the research behind the growing emphasis of interactions and relationships on a local and international scale. It will look at the development of Siolta and Aistear and the impact they have on the current practice in Ireland and how they are evolving into current practice to contribute to a new national level of quality in the early childhood care and education (ECCE) in Ireland.
The discourse ‘In The (Class) Room’ by Helen Penn 2002, discusses the importance of children’s relationships with adults and their peers. Penn’s view of quality includes reciprocal adult/child relationships as an integral part of providing quality services for children. She links this quality with staffs professionalism and training, emphasising the importance of understanding the development of children at a fundamental level (Penn, 2002). The regulation of training in Ireland has only been rectified in the childcare sector since the introduction of the free-pre-school year for 3-4year olds. It ensured that any setting that participates in the scheme must comply with the 2006 childcare regulations which ensures that staff have a minimum of a level 5 qualification (DOHC, 2006). Training provides practitioners with a fundamental knowledge of children’s developmental. Penn believes that this level of understanding is beneficial when building relationships with children. It provides the bases from which to grow and develop in partnership with children so that they can become confident and competent learners.
The revised child care
References: Bredekep, S and Copple, C. (1997) Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programmes. National Association for the education of young children. Washington. Centre for Early Childhood Education Department of Health and Children.(2006) National Childcare Strategy 2006 – 2010. DOHC: Dublin. Department of Health (1996) French, G. (2007) Children’s Early Learning and development. A research paper. NCCA: General Publications: Dublin. Hayes, N MacNaughton, G. (2007) Shaping Early Childhood; learners, curriculum and contexts. Open University Press: England National Council for Curriculum and Assessment National Economic and Social Council. (2005) Early Childhood Education and Care; Report July 2005. NESF. Ireland Organisation of Economic Co-operation and development (2004) Thematic view of Early childhood education and care in Ireland Penn, H. (2011) Quality in Early childhood services; An International Perspective. Open University Press. England Santrock, J., W Schonfeld, H.(2007) Do are pre-school regulations result in high quality provision. The Irish Examiner: Dublin