Learner
Record Entry 9
Effective
Implementation of care and education routines in an ECCE setting linking
theory
to practice
In routines, young
children enable to anticipate what happens next and gives them a great deal of
control over what they do during each part of the day. A change from one place, a state, an act or a
change in one set of circumstances to another are classified as a passage
called transitions. To give children a
sense of knowing, routines and transitions work together. To add to the predictability and used as
valuable learning opportunities for children to explore and experiment in a
safe and secure environment. These help
children to develop self-control, independence and decision-making skills. To support active learning, consistent daily
routines help.
Also, these components
are used to effectively meet individual children’s needs and challenges. It helps children to focus and connect in
their daily activities, because they spend a major part of the child care day
in routines and transitions. These are
considered as a need to plan and to optimise the value of learning
opportunities. It occurs through
experience during nappy changing, morning tea and at the same time making the
most of routine times for one-on-one or in small group experiences.
Throughout the day,
routines and transitions can be included but not limited to the arrival time,
self-selected activities, meal breaks, rest time, packing away and
farewell. During routines and
transitions, children’s time are valuable and they need purposeful experiences
and planned activities.
Implementation for care routine
My
activity started at 3:15 pm 29th of November in an ECCE setting, a
toddler room with 4 kids ages 2 – 3 years old.
I was there at 2:30 pm. It was the same room where I did my observation
in cognitive development. To give time to kids to be comfortable with me, I
sung some children’s songs and demonstrated to them how to make a paper
airplane. They liked it and asked me to
make them. While they were playing with
their paper airplanes, I gathered all the needed materials with the help of
staff, like scissors, coloured pencils, coloured paper, glue or stapler, ribbon
and powder glitters for my activity. We cleared the table and let the kids sit
on their chairs.
While they were still
playing the staff played music and told the kids to tidy up. When all kids were settled on their chairs,
they were given scissors, coloured pencils, coloured paper, glue, and powder
glitters. First, I demonstrated how to make a perfect square using a coloured paper. Fold in two in a triangular shape, cut until
the edge in five and fold alternately. I
finished the five-perfect square and joined them together to look like a
star.
I talked to the staff and
told my observation, it seems that it is too difficult for them. I asked the staff what is the best thing to
do and she suggested to let them draw their own star and let them design and
cut it out. We gave them an A size bond paper.
The kids spread glue on it, put the glitters and cut it out using a safe
scissors. They were talking with each other while a girl encourages the other
to share some of the glitters. All their crafts were gathered and displayed on
the wall.
I feel it was achieved
even though my original activity was changed. The kids were interested in doing
their own star by drawing the star on the paper, spreading glue on it, putting
glitters and cutting it out. Doing this activity shows their different areas of
development.
In physical development they showed
their skills by drawing, putting and spreading glue on their paper and cutting
it using the scissors. This area of
development is in line with Siolta 2006 “Ensuring that each child’s rights are met
requires that she/he is enabled to exercise choice and to use initiative as an
active participant and partner in her/his own development and learning”
In cognitive
development they showed their imagination, creativity, memory skills,
concentration skills, problem solving skills and concept formation by using
their imagination to draw a star and putting some glitters on it to look like a
Christmas star. Children use their sense, their minds and their bodies to find
out about and make sense of what they see, feel and experience in the world
around them (Flood 2013). This linked to
exploring and thinking, one of the Aistear theme.
In their language
development they talk to each other sharing the glue and glitters which
form a communication. (Flood 2013) The kids were able to communicate by saying
to each other if they wanted to borrow or share glue or glitters, this linked
to theme of communicating.
In social development
they show their ability to interact with others and form friendship by
exchanging words and sharing their materials. (Flood 2013) This linked in theme
of “Identity and Belonging” where
children develop a positive sense of who they are, and feeling that they are
valued, are respected as part of family and community by giving them a chance
to express a right to belong to the group and explore their own attitudes in
relation to equality and diversity.
In emotional
development they showed and recognized and deal with emotions in a positive
healthy and socially acceptable way which includes self-esteem and self-concept
by willingly doing the activity for themselves and they are happy while doing
it. (Flood 2013) This linked to the
theme of “Well-being” where they are expressing themselves creatively in arts.
Making
the paper star was difficult for the 2 – 3 age group. It was a good idea to
change it to suit the kids age and interests.
This activity is in line with Aistear and Siolta guidelines which
promotes the equality and diversity for all. (NCCA 2009: 8)
My role was to
demonstrate how to make a paper star and teach them how to make it themselves.
But it seemed that it was too difficult for them. I consulted the staff what
would be the best thing to do, and she recommended they will draw, cut and put
some glitters on their star. This is in
line with the Siolta standardised rights of the child
in ECCE setting with 3 components which covers the following and its very close
to the UN rights:
§ Children’s choices and Children’s decisions
§ Children’s opportunities to take the lead and being appropriately
independent
§ Children being supported to solve the problems
§ Children actively participating in daily activities, conversations
and all other appropriate situations
§ Children as a partner
“Ensuring
that each child’s rights are met requires that she/he is enabled to exercise
choice and to use initiative as an active participant and partner in her/his
own development and learning” Síolta 2006.
Component 1.1
“Each child
opportunities to make choices, is enabled to make decisions, and has her/his
choices and decisions respected”.
Component 1.2
“Each child has opportunities and is enabled to take the
lead, initiate activity, be appropriately independent and is supported to solve
problems”.
Component 1.3
“Each child is enabled to participate actively in the
daily routine, in activities, in conversations and in all other appropriate
situations, and is considered as a partner by the adult”
Implementation of care routine
The care routine I have
chosen to do my assignment on, is assisting a child to do hand washing. One of the staff turned off the music and
told the kids to prepare in 3 minutes for their snack time. I helped out
tidying up the room and after that, I checked the bathroom and made sure
everything was in place to carry out the routine. There was plenty of soap and
paper towels for the children to use and it was pleasant. The floor was dry so therefore no child could
slip on the floor. I check if the
children were all ready to go, so I told them Aiofe and I were going to take
them to the bathroom by two, to use the bathroom and wash their hands before
snack. I explained to them that washing
our hands before eating was very important as we needed clean hands in order to
eat our food. One little girl said she didn’t need to go to the bathroom, so I
explained to her that she would have to wash her hands before and after eating
even if she didn’t need to use the bathroom.
We
went to the bathroom by two to avoid crowding. Each child used the bathroom and
then proceeded to wash their hands. The children reached for and turned on the
water and squirted a little soap onto their hands. They put their hands under
the running water and washed their hands rinsing off the soap as they
washed. One little girl rushed through
her hand wash by barely running her hands under the water and using no soap. I
encouraged her to go back and use the soap, and try again. I showed her the
poster we have on our wall over the sinks and went through the process with
her. She enjoyed the song I sung while
washing. I sung “I have two hands” and we had fun singing it along with the children
as they washed their hands.
As we worked with each group of
children helping them to wash and dry their hands and return to the class room
for lunch, the whole routine went fairly well. This is probably due in part to
the fact that this is not new to the children, as they are used to doing this
daily. Some of the children need reminding to use the soap. Instead of just
running their hands under the water and to make sure that the soap is rinsed
off their hands properly and that their hands are dried properly also. As they
washed their hands and dried them each child put their paper towel into the
nearby bin.
Síolta is a curriculum designed for
all providers that will encourage each child’s holistic development and leaning
requires the implementation of accurate, consistent, verifiable, broad-based,
documented and flexible programme.
“Ensuring
that each child’s rights are met requires that she/he is enabled to exercise
choice and to use initiative as an active participant and partner in her/his
own development and learning” Síolta 2006.
Component 1.1
“Each child
opportunities to make choices, is enabled to make decisions, and has her/his
choices and decisions respected”.
Component 1.2
“Each child has opportunities and is enabled to take the
lead, initiate activity, be appropriately independent and is supported to solve
problems”.
Component 1.3
“Each child is enabled to participate actively in the
daily routine, in activities, in conversations and in all other appropriate
situations, and is considered as a partner by the adult”
The Síolta standard 9 which is Health and Welfare,
promote the health and welfare of the child requires protection from harm,
provision of nutritious food appropriate opportunities for rest and secure
relationships characterized by trust and respect. The Childcare (Pre-school Services)
Regulations 2006 ensure that the service providers comply fully with this
regulation set out by the HSE. It
ensures all policies and procedures support the requirements of the regulations
as well as the staff awareness and comply with the at all times. Also, act on any issues arising from
pre-school inspections immediately and keep up to date with any changes or
revisions to the regulations and adapt practice as appropriate.
The
National Guidelines for the protection and welfare of children, ensure that all
adults working in the setting have been briefed on the good practice guidelines
in relations to child protection. It
ensures that behaviour management procedures maintain respect for the dignity
and rights of children, support, trust and confide in adults working in the
setting. This also draw up staff rotas
and daily plans to ensure that adults are never unsupervised or alone with an
individual child. At the same time
develop an explicit procedure on how to deal with suspected or actual abuse of
children in the setting and ensure that all staff are aware of the reporting
process. Part of this to encourage
health promotion for all children and adults, like supporting children to
development of good personal hygiene, incorporation development of life skills
into the daily programme, promoting healthy eating habits and providing free
access to drinking water. Also help them
to adapt the physical environment which includes space for quiet time and
relaxation.
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