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A whole-child perspective assessment guide for early years settings
Sinéad Hanafin1, Anne-Marie Brooks, Fiona McDonnell
1Department of Health and Children, Ireland.
Summary
A new national assessment guide helps Irish early childhood settings evaluate child development support. Developed collaboratively, it aligns with revised regulations emphasizing a whole-child perspective for consistent inspections.
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.
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