Early Childhood Ireland's Podcast
Early Childhood is the leading national children’s advocacy and membership organisation. We work in partnership with Early Years, School Age Care and Childminding settings to ensure that every child is thriving and learning. We advocate for an effective and inclusive system which values, supports and invests in childhood, children and services.
Our Vision is that every child is thriving and learning in quality Early Years and School Age Care in centre-based and Childminding settings.
Our Mission is to champion quality for children in Early Years, School Age Care and Childminding settings, through our work with our members and on the system.
Episodes
80 episodes
4 Asks for Children; Budget 2025 with Frances Byrne
In this, the first episode of our new season, we tease out the 4 Asks for Children to Elevate Early Years and School Age Care to the Status of Primary Education which are at the centre of our Budget 2025 Submission. We are delighted to b...
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39:10
Inclusion and children's rights, with Prof. Emer Ring
In the final episode of the series shining a light on children's rights, we chat with Prof. Emer Ring, Dean of Education at Mary Immaculate College. We discuss the elements we need to think about as we seek to develop a shared understandi...
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37:56
Global Citizen Education, with Dr Sheila Long
Continuing our series on Children's Rights, in this week's episode we talk to Dr Sheila Long, from South East Technological University about Global Citizen Education. We discuss what Global Citizen Education is and how we can support this in se...
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34:49
Play: a fundamental right, with Prof. Nóirín Hayes
Tuesday, 11 June 2024 has been designated as International Day of Play, recognising and celebrating that play is a fundamental right for children. In this bonus episode of Early Childhood Ireland's podcast, we asked Prof. Nóirín Hay...
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7:55
Exploring Children's Rights, with Prof. Nóirín Hayes
In this new series of Early Childhood Ireland’s podcast, which focusses on Children’s Rights, we are delighted to be joined by Prof. Nóirín Hayes, Visiting Professor at the School of Education, Trinity College Dublin. In the episode we discuss ...
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34:33
OWLET: your questions answered, with Dr Christina Egan Marnell
In the fourth and final episode of the OWLET series of Early Childhood Ireland’s podcast we ask our Early Childhood Specialist, DR Christina Egan Marnell some of the questions posed to us about using the OWLET resources. Have you wondered how t...
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26:25
Using the OWLET lullabies, with Mairéad Gallagher
In this week's episode of Early Childhood Ireland's podcast Mairéad Gallagher, music teacher and director of Wriggletto discusses how the OWLET lullabies can be used throughout every day by educators and parents in simple ways to support childr...
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45:56
Music: a universal language, with Leah Ahern de Leastar
In Early Childhood Ireland’s podcast this week we chat to Leah Ahern de Leastar, Early Years educator and lecturer about music. We discuss how music is a universal language and how we can weave music through the day. Leah also reminds us that i...
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31:53
Introducing OWLET, with Dr Christina Egan Marnell and Maria Cleary
In this episode we chat with Dr Christina Egan Marnell and Maria Cleary from Early Childhood Ireland about our beautiful new member resource called OWLET: Lullabies of the World . This resource supports babies and young children...
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21:18
Early Childhood Ireland Barometer 2024, with Frances Byrne
In this episode of our podcast we chat with Frances Byrne, Director of Policy at Early Childhood Ireland. We tease out the findings of Early Childhood Ireland's Barometer 2024. Now in its seventh year, the Barometer is an annual opinion poll, c...
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22:55
What is Practitioner Inquiry, with Dr Lynn J McNair and Kathleen Tuite
In this episode of Early Childhood Ireland’s podcast Dr Lynn J McNair, from the University of Edinburgh and Kathleen Tuite from Early Childhood Ireland outline what Practitioner Inquiry is and how becoming a Practitioner Inquirer supports the b...
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34:48
My experience of introducing real tools, with Dairíona Ní Mhuirí
In this final episode of our Delving into Adventurous Play series, Early Childhood Ireland member Dairíona Ní Mhuirí outlines her approach to Adventurous Play and how children in her Naíonra (Irish language preschool) use real tools and fire. S...
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28:41
Using real tools to support Adventurous Play, with Niki Buchan
In this episode of our Delving into Adventurous Play series, Niki Buchan Educational Consultant at Natural Learning Educational Consultancy outlines the importance of adventurous play and the role this has in physical development. She dis...
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48:01
What is Adventurous Play, with Chloe Keegan
In this first episode of a new series, Delving into Adventurous Play, Chloe Keegan, from Early Childhood Ireland discusses what adventurous play is and why children need to be challenged in their play, with specific reference to supporting chil...
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34:10
From Mutilingulaism to Plurilingualism, with Liz Kerrins and Dr Francesca La Morgia
Our World of Languages: Episode threeIn this episode Liz Kerrins, from Early Childhood Ireland and Dr Francesca La Morgia, from Mother Tongues discuss the changing terminology around languages and why the term plurilingualism is ...
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28:13
Valuing Multilingualism with School Age children, with Suzanne McCarthy
Our World of Languages: Episode twoIn episode two of this series looking at multilingualism, Suzanne McCarthy, Education Officer at Mother Tongues outlines her research on supporting heritage languages with older children. She ...
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35:24
Valuing Multilingualism with young children, with Dr Christina Egan Marnell
Our World of Languages: Episode one In this first episode of a series where we will explore multilingualism, we talk to Dr Christina Egan Marnell, Early Childhood Specialist, at Early Childhood Ireland about her experiences wor...
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35:29
Exploring EECERA 2023, with Fiona Kelleher
In this episode Fiona Kelleher, from Early Childhood Ireland speaks to us about the European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Conference held recently in Lisbon. She chats about what Early Childhood Ireland brought to the...
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32:20
Updating Aistear, with Dr Sharon Skehill
Aistear, the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework was initially launched in 2009. Much has changed in the Early Years sector since then. To reflect these changes Aistear is being updated. To take us through the development and consultatio...
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31:04
Meet the Members
As part of our strategic policy work, we were delighted to host a Meet the Members event this Thursday, 5 October, where a group of Early Childhood Ireland members met with key members of the Oireachtas to discuss our Budget 2024 Submissi...
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18:22
Elevate Wellbeing, with Gillian Moore
In this episode we delve into the new suite of courses, called Elevate, on Early Childhood Ireland’s Learning Hub. Most of our members are aware of this wonderful member benefit. Using the Learning Hub to support staff training can save members...
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22:23
Putting children at the heart of Early Years and School Age Care in Ireland, with Frances Byrne
Every year, around this time organisations like Early Childhood Ireland make submissions to government in advance of the Budget announcement in October. As we prepare this submission, we look at what our sector needs to ensure quality for child...
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37:04
Outdoor Play: Practical ideas with Chloe Keegan
In this, the final episode of the current series on outdoor play, Chloe Keegan, from Early Childhood Ireland talks about her visits to settings. These site visits were part of the research we did into outdoor play provision. She discusses...
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44:18
Valuing Outdoor Play: Conference Proceedings, with Frances Byrne
In this episode of Early Childhood Ireland’s podcast, Frances Byrne, from Early Childhood Ireland discusses the events at our Valuing Outdoor Play conference in March. This episode was recorded on the day that ‘When the Roof is the Sky’, Tusla’...
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45:32