A whole-child perspective assessment guide for early years settings

Area of Science:

• Early Childhood Education and Care
• Child Development Assessment
• Educational Policy and Inspection

Background:

• Ireland's 2006 revised pre-school regulations emphasize a "whole-child perspective."
• This necessitates a focus on supporting child development within inspections.
• A socio-ecological understanding of children's lives informs this approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a national assessment guide for the Irish Pre-School Inspectorate.
• To assist in evaluating support for child development in early childhood settings.
• To enhance practitioner understanding of the "whole-child perspective."

Main Methods:

• Collaborative development process with the Pre-School Inspectorate.
• Guide development informed by revised Irish pre-school regulations (2006).
• Focus on ensuring consistency in the inspection process.

Main Results:

• A national assessment guide was successfully developed.
• The guide enhances understanding of the "whole-child perspective."
• It promotes consistency in evaluating child development support.

Conclusions:

• The developed guide effectively supports the Irish Pre-School Inspectorate.
• It facilitates consistent evaluation of child development within early childhood settings.
• The guide operationalizes the "whole-child perspective" from revised regulations.