S4Ep2: What is the Appropriate Age to Start Primary School?

S4Ep2: What is the Appropriate Age to Start Primary School?

Author: Paula Walshe & Celine Govern February 14, 2024 Duration: 28:40
With our guest. primary school teacher Dee O'Toole, we discuss the appropriate age for children to transition from early childhood education to primary school education. Why do children in Ireland start at 5 when most other OECD countries children start at 6 or 7. We wonder why some children don't avail of their second free ECCE preschool year and what impact this can have on them when they transition into primary school and beyond.

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Paula Walshe and Celine Govern are your guides through the complex, rewarding world of early childhood education. Their The ECE Quality Ireland Podcast sits at the heart of a vital conversation for educators, practitioners, and anyone invested in the care of young children. Rather than offering simple answers, each episode delves into the nuanced realities of quality and professional practice, creating a space for genuine reflection and shared learning. You’ll hear discussions that feel like a thoughtful staff room dialogue, covering practical strategies, evolving pedagogical approaches, and the broader landscape of ECEC both in Ireland and internationally. This podcast serves as a dedicated forum for dissecting what truly makes a difference in early years settings, moving beyond theory to examine the everyday decisions that shape a child's experience. Tune in for a consistently insightful and grounded perspective that treats early childhood education with the depth and seriousness it deserves, all while fostering a sense of community among those committed to this essential work.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 37

The ECE Quality Ireland Podcast
Podcast Episodes
S1Ep6 The Canadian Early Childhood Sector.mp3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:58
We chat with Canadian Childcare Federation CEO Don Giesbrecht about Government funding of ECEC, the $10 a day childcare plan and professionalisation. So interesting and lots of parallels with the Irish sector as Canada a…
S1Ep5 If I was the Minister for Education .mp3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:33
What are the similarities and differences between ECEC and Primary Education. How Aistear was rolled out and implemented differently in both sectors. Should children stay in ECEC until 6? In conversation with Simon Lewis…
S1Ep3 The Child is the Only True Curriculum [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:10
We discuss whether, by aligning an early childhood setting with a specific curriculum model such as Montessori, Steiner or Reggio, we can truly provide an emergent child led curriculum. Instead we consider a "patchwork c…