This blog post was contributed by Astrid Cornelis (Thomas More). Playing games together is simple, cheap and fun. Moreover, a recent study shows that children with behavioral problems benefit from playing games with their parents (Healey & Healey, 2019). Playing
This blog post was contributed by Pauline Slot (Utrecht University). Pedagogues, special education teachers or other types of specialists working in ECEC sometimes have to deal with teacher’s concerns about a child’s development, behaviour or home situation. It is good
This blog post was contributed by Eva Dierickx (AP). In general educators agree that an ideal preschool class offers every child the opportunity to develop optimally by providing an environment where they can improve their executive functions, establish healthy socio-emotional interactions,
This blog post was contributed by Nadine Correia (ISCTE-IUL). “This classroom is so beautiful because the teacher listens to children. Boys and girls can choose and do what they want to”(A., 5 years old). Children’s right to participate has gained
This blog post was contributed by Helena Taelman (Odisee). Emotions run high, when early childhood education experts and professionals debate about the degrees of freedom in a curriculum. I want to blog about my favorite research article that bears on
Not all children attending early childhood education classrooms speak the same first language. What to do when children express themselves in their mother tongue, and not in the language of instruction? If we invest in the first language (i.e., the mother tongue), can we delay learning the language of instruction or, conversely, can we foster the successful development of the two languages? How to respond to immigrant or ethnic minority parents when they ask what they should do at home to promote language development in general or to promote the learning of the language of instruction?
“We still don’t know what the child has…”, told me a teacher about the difficulties she was experiencing with a child who demonstrated behavioural problems. That sentence kept me wondering. Gathering information about what the child “has”, i.e., trying to know “his/her” diagnosis, underlies a genuine concern. But are those difficulties due primarily to something he/she “has”? To what extent knowing the diagnosis is essential to plan interventions at home, daycare or kindergarten?
“Ooh, too little exercise? No, my preschoolers move more than enough and can hardly sit still!” This is how teacher Nathalie describes her 4-year-olds during my class visit. However… recent research in Flemish preschoolers reveals a completely different picture. Slightly less than 90% of the preschoolers do not reach the international guidelines for physical activity on weekdays.
Teacher, why is that girl so dirty? When young children make such statements, we are inclined to pass over them (‘she does not know what she is saying’), to blame the parents (‘they must have picked it up at home’) or to quickly and generally condemn these statements (‘you cannot say that, that is not nice’). We assume that children will grow up to be unprejudiced adults if we do not talk about ‘it’. Contrary to what we believe, young children are not ‘colour-blind’.
“When I have something on my mind, I just walk to the teacher. Yes, I’ll ask for suggestions like ‘how do I need to do these things at home? Do you have suggestions?’ Yes, I can always count on her..” – Batoul, parent of Dahbi (4 years old).
