Early Years – the organisation for young children – is the largest organisation in Northern Ireland working with and for young children, and is core funded by the Community Relations Council.
Early Years continue to support practitioners to implement the Media Initiative for Children (MIFC) Respecting Difference programme within settings in South Belfast, East Belfast, Newry Mourne & Down as well as previous participants from Lisburn & Castlereagh and North Down & Ards Council areas.
Children’s feelings
The MIFC, Respecting Difference Programme is an intervention programme aimed at improving long term outcomes so that children, practitioners/teachers, parents and communities become more aware of diversity and difference issues and positively change attitudes and behaviours to those who are different.
Practitioners in the areas above were invited to attend an online session (through Microsoft Teams) on 1 March 2022, which brought staff from early years settings together to share experiences of good practice around supporting children’s feelings and behaviours.
The main objectives of this session for participants were:
- Increase their understanding of children’s feelings and behaviour
- Examine theories of child development, learning and behaviour
- Explore the role of the adult and discuss expectations
- Evaluate the impact of the environment on the child.
During this session staff also explored how the MIFC Respecting Difference Programme can be used to support children’s feelings and behaviours. Find out more about Early Years
Early years sessions
Here’s a selection of materials created and crafted during early years sessions:
