1st grade is about to start – And now? Building a portfolio to support children’s transition

1st grade is about to start – And now? Building a portfolio to support children’s transition

This message was contributed by Manuela Sanches-Ferreira, from Escola Superior de Educação, Instituto Politécnico do Porto.   When Manuel is upset, he throws a tantrum, cries and tosses objects, he may even hit his class mates. He is impatient, and

The benefits of investing in childcare

The benefits of investing in childcare

By Ruth Heuvelman (CED-group) and Pauline Slot (Utrecht University) Recently, an increasing number of childcare organizations have been taken over by large investors. This evokes reactions from both proponents and opponents. Proponents indicate that this leads to investment in quality,

“What does the child have?” – 6 questions about the meaning of a child’s diagnosis

“What does the child have?” – 6 questions about the meaning of a child’s diagnosis

“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?