Knowledge Hub

The article  ISSA's Principles of Quality Pedagogy: Quality Early Childhood Education and Care Through Democratic Processes published in the first edition of Learning for Well-being online journal, is exploring  how ISSA's Quality Principles, their accompanying resources, and the collaborative mechanisms for reflecting on pedagogical practice (observation, peer mentoring and professional learning communities)  help early childhood educators be more democratic in their practice.  

You can read the full article here.

This report was written within the INTESYS project in order to map the state of integration of ECEC provision in EU Member States, with a special focus on vulnerable groups regarding workforce policies and practices, stakeholders, governance and also key success factors, gaps (policies, practices etc.), obstacles and inspiring good practices.

The report was developed based on collected data through a European survey focusing on promising and inspiring practices regarding the integration of services, a survey in each of the four piloting countries in the INTESYS project (Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Slovenia), and literature review.

The European survey aimed to answer the underlying, and somewhat paradoxical question: if integrated work and close cooperation are so evidently positive, how did we end up with such segregated services in the first place? Complementary to the survey, the literature review provides a well-rounded picture of the state-of-play concerning the current approaches to and levels of integration (or lack of it) in different European countries. Drawing on previous and other on-going work by the project partners, it focuses on governance, systems, workforce, transitions and what is meant by addressing the needs of the 'whole child'.

Communication, Speech, and Language Guidebook for professionals in early education is a guidebook based on contemporary, evidence based knowledge in the field of speech, language and communication. Most logopeds (speech therapists) in Georgian kindergartens are part of the kindergarten team that are responsible for the development of early inclusive education in their centres. The guide addresses the practical needs of these professionals.  

This resource is a collection of personal stories and experiences shared by people marginalised due to their ethnicity or level of ability. The views and the voices of these people are presented in a way to evoke solidarity and emphaty.

The resource promotes friendship as a way to combat and overcome prejudice, stereotyping and marginalisation of certain individuals and groups. Storytelling is a powerful tool for building friendships - by telling stories and listening to other people's unique stories empathy is nurtured and and bridges among people are built. 

Manual for educators and parents for use of picture books is an adaptation of ISSA’s activity books "Opening Magic Doors – Reading and Learning together with children" done by Step by Step Foundation for Education and Cultural Initiatives Macedonia (FECIM). The ISSA's activity books are adapted for eight of the 20 children's picture books that FECIM had selected to publish under the USAID "Readers are Leaders Project".

Additionally, the project team developed activities and guidelines for reading and learning with young children for the remaining 12 picture books. In this manual, educational and creative activities combining reading, math, science, and art are offered for all 20 picture books, along with recommendations for how both parents and educators can adapt these activities for different age groups of preschool and early-grade children, in accordance to the children’s needs and interests.

The Aflatoun Manual for Non Formal Education is developed for all children who happen to be learning in a non-formal environment. The partnership with Liliane Fonds has encouraged us to pay particular attention to issues of inclusivity and diversity, especially where disabled children are involved. It is a sobering thought that around the world, the majority of children with disabilities remain out of schools.

This Manual is written out of a conviction that inclusive learning environments, where children of all abilities work together, offer at least as many advantages to children with disabilities as do projects or systems which segregate them in the interests of affording them specialized care. This Manual hopes to promote diversity as a source of richness and as a celebration of the varied and unique nature of human life.

The publication Teacher Assistant in the Inclusive Classroom outlines the necessary information about the position of the Teacher Assistant (introduced in 2010 in Ukraine). It includes legislative documents, description of the main functions and tasks, etc. It also includes the main content related to inclusive education: how to develop individual educational plans, team work, co-teaching practices, basic information about different kinds of disabilities and examples from practice. 

Roads to Quality - Strengthening Professionalism in Early Childhood Education and Care Systems is showcasing ISSA’s approach towards practitioners’ professional growth and nurturing their professionalism.

It helps organizations to find and establish clear targets to their practitioners’ professional growth by continuous improvement and nurturing of their professionalism. This guidebook also serves as a quality framework for early childhood education practices including helpful tips to turn theory into practice, a “know-how” approach that reflects the consistency between scaffolding children’s development and learning, and scaffolding practitioners’ professional growth in such a way that each achieves their full potential.

In the article 'Power of Associations in Early Childhood Education and Care,' published in the Official Journal of the Association for Childhood Ecucation International, ISSA Program Director, Mihaela Ionescu, unpacks the power of membership associations in the early childhood field, with a particular spotlight on ISSA and the added-value the organization brings to the field by strengthening knowledge and capacity among the its membership.

The full article is avaliable here.

Published by Bernard van Leer Foundation, Early Childhood Matters is a journal about early childhood, which looks at specific issues regarding the development of young children, in particular from a psychosocial perspective. In June 2015 issue, ISSA contributed the article Quality in Early Childhood Settings: universal values and cultural flexibility.

The book, Professional Learning Communities, provides both the theoretical background and the practical experience as it came about while building Professional Learning Communities in Croatian schools around ISSA’s Definition of Quality Pedagogy and the Quality Resource Pack. The book provides an in depth overview of research and findings that underline the importance of professional development based on teacher's and school’s needs, and how a learning community can be created by teachers through professional collaboration. The book describes all developmental steps of a learning community, offers lessons learned and practical guidelines for activities.

Open Academy Step by Step, ISSA’s member organization in Croatia, has worked for many years on developing Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) within preschools and primary schools, as a school-based professional development model using ISSA’s Quality Resource Pack. They developed a training module for teachers who are leaders of learning communities. As a result of their experience, the NGO published the book Professional Learning Communities (PLC) in Croatia, authored by Sanja Brajkovic, at that time Program Director at Open Academy Step by Step.The book, which promotes ISSA’s definition of Quality Pedagogy and the Quality Resource Pack, provides both theoretical background and practical experience in building PLCs in Croatian schools.

‘The values of this book are numerous. It provides an overview of research and findings that underline the importance of professional development for teachers based on teacher’s and school’s needs, which teachers create through professional collaboration. Furthermore, the book describes in detail all the steps in the development of a learning community, gives warning of possible problems and provides practical guidelines for activities. Finally, the special value of the book is that it was built on experience in Croatian schools, which confirms the high motivation of our teachers for changing themselves and the school from the "inside."’ (Prof Vlatka Domovic, Reviewer of the book).

The book, Professional Learning Communities, provides both the theoretical background and the practical experience as it came about while building Professional Learning Communities in Croatian schools around ISSA’s Definition of Quality Pedagogy and the Quality Resource Pack. The book provides an in depth overview of research and findings that underline the importance of professional development based on teacher's and school’s needs, and how a learning community can be created by teachers through professional collaboration. The book describes all developmental steps of a learning community, offers lessons learned and practical guidelines for activities.

Open Academy Step by Step, ISSA’s member organization in Croatia, has worked for many years on developing Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) within preschools and primary schools, as a school-based professional development model using ISSA’s Quality Resource Pack. They developed a training module for teachers who are leaders of learning communities. As a result of their experience, the NGO published the book Professional Learning Communities (PLC) in Croatia, authored by Sanja Brajkovic, at that time Program Director at Open Academy Step by Step.The book, which promotes ISSA’s definition of Quality Pedagogy and the Quality Resource Pack, provides both theoretical background and practical experience in building PLCs in Croatian schools.

‘The values of this book are numerous. It provides an overview of research and findings that underline the importance of professional development for teachers based on teacher’s and school’s needs, which teachers create through professional collaboration. Furthermore, the book describes in detail all the steps in the development of a learning community, gives warning of possible problems and provides practical guidelines for activities. Finally, the special value of the book is that it was built on experience in Croatian schools, which confirms the high motivation of our teachers for changing themselves and the school from the "inside."’ (Prof Vlatka Domovic, Reviewer of the book).

Launched in 2012, the TOY project (Together Old and Young) is about bringing young children, up to 9 years old, together with older people for them to meet, get to know each other, learn and have fun. Funded by the European Commission and implemented in several European countries like The Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Poland, Ireland and Slovenia, the project counts now with a practical manual on how to organize intergenerational workshops.

The toolkit provides background information on this new learning approach, guidelines on how to structure and organize a TOY training workshop and five modules with examples of activities, hand-outs and additional research material.

Measuring and Improving Quality in Early Childhood Environments report reflects discussions and conclusions from the international consultation organized by ISSA, UNICEF, UNESCO and the Bernard van Leer Foundation, in partnership with the World Bank and the Brookings Institution met in in September 2015 in Leiden, the Netherlands to draw attention to the importance of measuring and improving quality in early childhood environments.

Early childhood experts and stakeholders representing different regions of the world, who have experience in the measurement and improvement of quality of early years services came together to identify points of consensus in measuring quality and future directions for increasing the strength, innovation and cultural applicability of quality measurement.

Discussions around quality in early childhood environments have increased in recent years, while dilemmas concerning methodology, measuring and consistency remain largely unresolved. The aim of the meeting was to establish an agenda around which these questions can be answered. 

This exceptional opportunity for specialists from around the world to converge and combine their thoughts and skills was held in Leiden’s Child Rights Home. 

You can read the full report here.

All about language is a resource offering  concrete tips and ideas to support professionals in language stimulation for young children. It is generally acknowledged that language development is an important aspect of the overall development of children and consequently, a stimulating language environment is a crucial aspect of quality early childhood education and care.  Language cards and coaching cards are immediately inspiring and answer frequently asked questions about language stimulation and language coaching. The book is useful for caregivers as well as for their coaches, and can be integrated in the bachelor programs for early childhood professionals. 

Invest in Quality Teachers is an easy to use advocacy leaflet aiming to promote the importance of quality educators and mobilize policy and governance level to invest in educators, their education, professional development, working conditions and status of profession. 

Evidence shows that high quality teaching derives from qualified, motivated and supported teachers. The key to an effective and successful education system lies in improving the teacher´s practices, through:

• Providing policy support and funding for high quality pre-service and in-service training of early childhood educators.
• Developing responsible and responsive practices that meet the needs of children and families.
• Ensuring good working conditions, appropriate wages and paid time for professional development.
• Creating competent Early Childhood Development systems that nurture reciprocal relationships between individuals and teams, institutions and competent governance at the policy level.

With its twenty years of experience in the field of early childhood education and a network of more than 80 NGO´s worldwide, ISSA firmly believes that through the implementation of its Quality Resource Pack, decision makers are investing in quality teachers, making a lifelong difference for their society and the new generations.

Russian 

Give Your Child the Best Start in Life is an easy to use advocacy leaflet aiming to inform parents and caregivers how important the role is that they play in a child's life. Building on ISSA Quality Principles this tool is aiming to help parents and caregivers understand what Early Childhood Education and Care services should provide for their children, and provides guidance in choosing quality services. 

As parent, you are your child´s first educator. As your child moves from home to an early education facility, building a relationship with the educators becomes important for your child´s well being. Therefore, ISSA supports parents in identifying a quality early childhood environment that should meet the following set of principles:

• Interactive learning, with constant communication between the educator and the child.
• An inclusive approach to the family and the community.
• Embracing inclusion, diversity and democratic values.
• A teaching process that is well planned and continuously assessed.
• Effective learning strategies based on the crucial role of play.
• A warm, welcoming and personalized learning environment.
• An ongoing professional development of the educators.

ISSA firmly believes that parents are key actors in shaping an enriching environment for their children, making a difference in the lives of children, families and communities  through advocating for quality education.

Russian

Early Childhood Educators Change Lives is an easy to use advocacy leaflet aiming to promote importance of the role that educators play in young child's life and profession in general. Building on ISSA Quality principles it offers 7 ‘golden rules’  to help them keep their personal, social and professional knowledge in good health at all times.

As an early childhood educator, you are one of the child's most important guides into his/her surrounding world, spending hours and hours daily in direct interactions with young children. As research has shown:

• The ways that educators teach strongly influence a child’s learning outcomes.
• Educators can have a positive impact on a child’s progress regardless of his/her socio-economic background and level of preparation for schooling.
• Proactive educators invest great energy on individual progress. They adapt their teaching strategies for each child and ensure warm and caring interactions all around.
• Quality educators do not see a child’s learning as a result of his/her personal strengths and capabilities alone. They take into account individual differences and acknowledge their own potential in shaping child’s learning outcomes. They do not leave the responsibility of the child’s development to the family alone.

You have the power to make a difference! In ISSA we are aware that turning educational policies into reality can be hard work. To support educators in their professional development, ISSA has developed the Quality Resource Pack through which they can find ways to broaden their skills and assess their work.

Click below for the russian version: