Based on the Dutch Early Years Blog written by Tamara Wally. We ask a lot of young children, sometimes without even knowing it. In class they hear sounds and noise all day long. We tell them to be considerate
Helping children relax
How to enjoy books and stories through trains, little free libraries and walks!
If we want to increase our children’s literacy competences, we should start by strengthening the reading culture inside their families. In Flanders (Belgium), literacy is a top priority for education and child care, which should not be postponed until after
Emotional abuse of children
Early morning. Nursery cloakroom. The nervous mom quickly and tensely unbuttons Jack’s jacket. The boy stands motionless, as if absent, tugged by his mother’s impatient moves. Nothing seems to be happening, but the teacher is worried about it… How to
Early heroes: Early Childhood Education with preterm children
Prematurity is the leading cause of peri and postpartum morbidity and mortality. About 9% of newborns are born prematurely, that is, born with less than 37 weeks of gestational age (GA). The number of gestational weeks determines the development and
Physical play: Healthy for mind and body
Several studies show there has been a decline in the (gross) motor skills of children over the past years. The lockdowns during the current COVID pandemic seem to speed up this process. But why is (gross) motor development important for
Getting started on self-regulation? Together with parents of course!
During the preschool years, children’s self-regulation skills develop at a rapid pace. How to support this development, in particular in vulnerable children? In Belgium, a consortium of teacher trainers and researchers has been developing an approach to support self-regulation in
The importance of gender-neutral toy play
What comes to mind when we have to buy a birthday gift for our child’s friend? For many parents (even if they are ECEC professionals), the first instinct is to make a decision based on the child’s gender, and decide
I participate… Because I am entitled to: Participation rights in time of pandemic
This blog post was contributed by Nadine Correia (ISCTE-IUL). Participation rights are enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child [1] and constitute one of the 3Ps (Provision, Protection, Participation). In fact, from an early age, children have the right
Why is it important to have good memories from the ECEC setting?
What is your earliest memory? One of the first ones I have is of my caregiver from crèche holding me in her arms and cradling in the rocking chair because my jaw hurt a lot (I think my teeth were
On purpose or by accident?
Based on the Dutch Early Years Blog written by Melissa Be and Anouk van Dijk Dani (4) is building a tower on the floor. Very carefully she places one block on top of another as the tower is already at