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This report examines the question "How can professional development in learning laboratories enhance professional identity, a holistic perspective approach to education and care (educare) and collaboration among and between core and assisting practitioners within Danish ECEC settings?"

Overall, VALUE aims to support diversity and democracy among children through coordination of pedagogical activities and exchange of experiences among and between those working with the children: both core and assisting practitioners. It is assumed that focusing on the conditions for ECEC professionals’ work, such as their expertise and the resources available, will lead to better opportunities for successful collaboration between these groups.

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In this VALUE endline report, the following question is examined: How can continuous professional development (CPD) strengthen professional identity, holistic approaches to educational work (educare) and cooperation between core and assisting practitioners working within the field of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)? This question is explored through pilot projects conducted by research groups located in four different countries (Belgium, Denmark, Portugal and Slovenia). The report highlights the findings from the pilot projects in the four countries.

The report first presents the different VALUE pilot projects as snapshots from the four countries. It is then followed by a description of the overall lessons learned from the projects and the insights that emerged regarding important conditions at both policy and practice levels, which can be used as a framework for the future development of CPD at all levels of ECEC. Finally, we present our conclusions and make a number of recommendations based on the descriptions and examples in this VALUE endline report.

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This report outlines how the access to childcare and employment can be enhanced for families living in vulnerable conditions by investing in strong systems, organisations and staff. It highlights what measures can be taken to support families into childcare and employment and to enhance their overall quality of life.

During the lockdown, the Child Development Institute at Ilia State University continued its activities by providing services at the distance. All distance interventions included parents or other family members. In order to support their work at home, specialists were designing tailored activities for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Written visual materials alongside phone or online guidance were provided to any the family who was willing and able to participate in such an exchange.

Online connections have led to more close contact with family members identifying some areas which needed an urgent response. Therefore, the team of specialists designed distance parent education courses and invited all parents to engage. Talks were transferred on ISU’s page. The Institute Talks were held in Georgian on a weekly basis.

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As soon as the lookdown was declared by the Prime Minister, Associazione 21 luglio conducted a research to monitor the condition of Roma communities living in housing emergency in Rome.

Association 21 luglio carried out an investigation within the institutional Roma settlements in Rome, to understand how the COVID-19 emergency and the strict rules imposed by the Government to prevent the virus contagion, could impact on the Roma living in camps. Noteworthy results are that there are no health workers in the camps for the distribution of material or to provide information about Covid-19; families cannot go out to work and don’t have money to buy food; the suspension of school activities and the impossibility of using technological tools essential to follow distance education puts minors of school age in a state of serious isolation in relation to their peers and teachers. To face these health conditions of over 6000 people living in housing emergency in the camps in Rome, Associazione 21 luglio launched an appeal to the Mayor and the Prefect of Rome to map the conditions of greater fragility inside the formal and informal settlements with the main aim of guaranteeing the distribution of basic necessities, adequate hygienic-sanitary conditions and ensuring access to drinking water.

First lines of the research: On March 9, 2020, “in order to counteract and contain the spread of the Covid 19 virus,” Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree implementing a complete lockdown aimed at “avoiding any movement of individuals.” The government also recommended that stringent hygiene and sanitary measures be taken throughout the country. Associazione 21 Luglio (“July 21 Association”), began an applied research project aimed at understanding the impact of these measures in formal settlements in Rome, which are inhabited by families that generally define themselves—and are identified by the local authorities — as belonging to varied Roma communities.

This research revealed how such settlements struggle with public health concerns and access to food, among other deprivations, and underscores the need for emergency interventions. Those results allowed us to elaborate a strategy to contain the negative effects generated by the lockdown.

In our opinion, this resource can be used to inspire other association to use our methodology. Indeed, the research was the first step to implement a food aid program focused on the fight against food deprivation for children 0 to 3 years old living in poor Roma settlements.

Contact person: Francesca Petrucci, educazione@21luglio.org

The materials aim to develop preventive skills of hygiene, behaviors of healthy lifestyle and awareness raising regarding COVID-19 for early childhood educators. The goal is to establish healthy lifestyle routines through age-appropriate thematic studies that can be incorporated in play time and time for reading.

The SBS team developed lesson plans and corresponding learning materials for preschool educators about introducing topic of hygiene and protection from coronavirus. The topic was introduced through series of thematic units and as a result the skills and knowledge are taught in an enjoyable and interactive ways, such as through play. This approach enables educators to integrate content from various subject areas for exploration of a central topic. In these times, when children listen a lot about coronavirus from different sources it is appropriate to use the momentum and based on emerging issue provide richer learning opportunities for them.

The SBS team outlined the following main sections of the thematic unit:
• What we should know about coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and how to protect yourself and your family members?
• What are the modes of transmission of COVID-19: what can children do to prevent spread of coronavirus (the book “Hello I am virus’’, handwashing posters, songs, etc.).
• Actions we need to practice for general hygiene (the story “Five actions before I go to sleep”).

During the thematic study we focus on developing some of the skills listed below:
• Shaping healthy lifestyle behaviors, such as coughing and sneezing in the elbow and washing hands often.
• Singing songs while washing hands to maintain the recommended 20 seconds.
• Cleaning hands with disinfectant.
• Use puppets or dolls to show symptoms (sneezing, cough, fever) and developing empathy and safe care behavior.
• Keep the children away from each other, let them try to spread and shake their hands.

The lesson plans were developed according to ERR framework, and included all the necessary learning materials (thematic pictures, coloring sheets, small cards, activity sheets, etc.) and step by step guidance for teachers. Background reading materials for educators are also included in the lesson plans. In the thematic studies the adapted version of the Armenian translation of the book “Hello I am virus” was used. We have adapted and used handwashing song, posters and a text “Five things to do before going to sleep”.

The thematic unit is based on “Developmental and Education Standards for Children Birth to Six” as well as national preschool curricula for children from 3 to 6 year of age. The thematic unit consists of lesson plans with activities.

Deliverables:

Developed thematic units included all the necessary learning materials (thematic pictures, coloring sheets, small cards, activity sheets, etc.) and step by step guidance for teachers. Background reading materials for educators are also included in the lesson plans. In the thematic studies the adapted version of the Armenian translation of the book “Hello I am virus” was used. We have adapted and used handwashing song, posters and a text “Five things to do before going to sleep”.

This presentation shows how one early childhood educator managed to cope with the new method of teaching – online learning with Year 2 students. She explains how to make online learning a meaningful journey for her young students and their parents. It served as an example of good practice to early childhood educators in ECDAM.

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Calendar with ideas for the family was developed by the Center for Interactive Pedagogy as an immediate response to COVID-19 pandemic. The resource was developed with the ultimate aim to support parents/caregivers in organizing activities for their children during self-isolation. The Calendar includes ideas for 31 activities which foster learning, exploration, and quality interaction among family members whereas at the same time encourage online exchange among families and children. The Calendar also invites parents/caregivers and children to document their day to day activities.

Although initially intended for families and caregivers, the Calendar can (and has been) used also my teachers and NGO’s working with families, in order to inform the (online) activities they organize for children and their families.

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Bridge Back to School was created by the Irish National Autism Charity ‘AsIAm’ and education exper/researchers at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Ireland, with the support of the supermarket chain SuperValu. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact society in unimaginable ways, with children identified as among a specific and vulnerable section of the population who have experienced the pandemic differently, notably from the removal of the stability in their lives that pre-school and school brings. COVID-19 has posed challenges for everyone globally and for many autistic people, the loss of structure and routine has been particularly challenging. While many have been struggling, there are also many who find the lack of pressure to go to school, social events and everyday activities a relief. However, as children return to education re-establishing routines in settings that may have changed substantially will be a challenge. Acknowledging that autistic children and their families have been particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bridge Back to School learning resource has been developed to help autistic children from early years to post-primary level prepare during the summer months to return to school in September.

The aim of the resource is to support a facilitator (parent, para-professional, teacher or home support worker) in working with an autistic student to support them in preparing for this transition back to pre-school and school through specifically addressing the challenges experienced by autistic children in managing transitions effectively. Based on the four key principles of promoting research-informed practice, universal design for learning, the centrality of student voice and adopting an autism-specific lens, the toolkit provides guidance in key areas that will enable autistic students to navigate the transition back to education as Ireland re-opens.The open access resource covers key topics from social skills to “my first day back in school” and are augmented by an online bank of further information and activity sheets. A focus is maintained throughout the resource on adopting a strength-based approach; managing the transition back to school; the role of executive functioning in autistic children’s learning and development; communication and social skills; self-regulation from both a sensory and emotional perspective; motor skills and self-care. While Bridge Back to School is firmly located in research on how best autistic children learn and develop, the resource is presented in an easily accessible manner to ensure that parents, teachers, para-professionals, home support workers and autistic children themselves can engage with, and benefit from the resource.

The Toolkit aims to support the work of nursery teachers with young refugee children and their families. It consists the Guidebook with methodological and theoretical guidelines; Activity cards with examples of activities for children under 4 years of age organized in 3 clusters: Welcoming the child = Welcoming the family, Dictionary with key words and phrases in Greek, French, Arabic and Farsi; Belonging and We are all different, we are all equal. It is accompanied with downloadable children’s songs from Syria, Afghanistan, Congo, and Iran played by one of the famous Greek musician Georgos Xaronitis.

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These Guidelines are the outcome of the second part of the SEED project, during which a group reflection pathway, called WANDA1, was piloted with 80 ECEC practitioners with the aim to help them to deal with daily challenges in their practice so they could better support the socio-emotional well-being of children in their care.

The Guidelines include a mix of insights from research and i.e. practitioners’ reflections, as well as practical tools that coaches, mentors and facilitators can use to guide and support ECEC practitioners to reflect on their practice. They are meant to be an inspiration for ECEC pedagogical coaches, mentors and trainers who want to invest in reflecting on practice with teams or groups of practitioners, in order to support the socio-emotional well-being of children.

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Transitions across the home environment, early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings and compulsory school education (CSE) mark significant changes in the life of children and their families and communities. Positive experiences of transition between educational levels can be a critical factor for children’s future success and development, while negative experiences can have lasting challenges leading to poorer educational performance, especially for more disadvantaged children. Adopting a more unified approach to caring and learning (educare) across educational settings in order to sustain continuity of children’s experiences over time, can significantly improve children’s educational achievement and socio-emotional development. In turn promoting inter-institutional professional learning communities of ECEC and primary school staff as well as involving parents in the transition process are considered to be key factors in ensuring successful transitions. Taking these crucial elements into account, practitioners and researchers from four different countries have collaborated in a transnational action-research study (START/Erasmus +) in order to foster warm and inclusive transitions across the early years. This final report will discuss the challenges of the lack of well thought out transitional practices on children and families, how this problem can be addressed and what the implications are for policies and practices in the EU and its member states (EU MS).

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Learning through play has gained momentum in early childhood education and beyond. Yet translating well-meaning policies into concrete teaching practices is a complex process.

This technical brief by VVOB (1) zooms in on the proven positive effects of learning through play on a child's wellbeing and involvement in learning, (2) discusses characteristics and types of learning through play, and (3) delves deeper into VVOB's approach to implementing learning through play, with case studies from partner countries Vietnam and Zambia.

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One in a hundred Roma makes it to University, why is that? The study One in One Hundred: Drivers of Success and Resilience among College-Educated Romani Adolescents in Serbia, is a collaboration between the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University (Harvard FXB) and the CIP - Center for Interactive Pedagogy ISSA's member from Belgrade, Serbia.

The research goes beyond the scrutiny of educational deficits and obstacles to find out what actually works.Although the focus of this research is on Serbia, the statistics (and related patterns) reverberate throughout Europe. As Dr. Margarete Matache, director of the FXB Roma Program, concludes, “Instead of focusing on Roma ‘behavior’ to improve the educational performance of Roma students, both research and policy development need to target the deeply prejudicial and rights-violative institutional and societal enviroments in which Roma try to access their right to education.”

Researchers studied the responses from surveys, interviews, and a “Writing Romani Lives” workshop conducted with 89 Romani adolescents who made it to college and 100 who did not. The findings showed that strong teacher and peer support systems, access to early childhood development services, and a high level of education among immediate family members corresponded to educational success.

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This literature review, written under the EDUCAS project, investigates the meanings, relevance, and importance of physical indoor and outdoor space in early childhood education and care (ECEC) services for children from birth to school age. Authors map, synthesize and critically analyze the findings of studies carried out internationally as well as national studies from Italy, Lithuania, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Special attention is placed on the Educare approach and on the involvement of children and families in the discourse. Three specific questions guided the authorship of this review:

- how can space support children’s development?
- how can space support an Educare approach?
- how can space support the inclusion of all children and families?

The particular value of this literature review is the inclusion of both scientific international peer-reviewed publications and local contributions published in the national language of each country participating in the EDCUAS project (Italy, Lithuania, and Belgium).

Drawing from the findings of the literature review, implications for practice are discussed and some key recommendations are provided, to orient education professionals, researchers and policymakers on space issue in ECEC centers and its connection with an Educare approach.

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For over 25 years, the Step by Step Program, flagship initiative for Early Childhood Education reform of the Open Society Foundations, has implemented a democratic child-centered classroom approach where families and children are placed at the heart of the pedagogical practice. For everyone to take advantage of the multiple benefits such a program delivers, ISSA is offering the comprehensive guide Child-centered Democratic, Pre-school classrooms: The Step by Step Approach specially addressed to early childhood educators and pre-school staff who work with children aged from 3 to 6 years.

Throughout its six chapters, the book provides both the theoretical background and the practical tools to implement evidence-based, high-quality practices that facilitate young children’s development and learning regardless of the national context. The book dives into everything from how to build strong partnerships with families and communities, strengthening their role as educators, to how to set the stage for active learning. A thorough explanation of the Step by Step approach is provided, detailing the promotion of a democratic, inclusive and respectful culture in the classroom- and outdoors- in which each child’s identity is reinforced. In addition to this, the reader is provided with a detailed methodology on the implementation and development of Step by Step competences in all areas of knowledge: Mathematics, Language and Literature; Civic and Culture; Science; Creative Arts; Technology and interactive media competences; Physical competences as well as tips on specific practices.