The research has shown that highly educated and specifically trained ECEC professionals can establish desirable interactions with children and help to provide a secure, consistent, sensitive, stimulating and rewarding environment (Eurydice 2009a). Furthermore, emotionally supportive teachers find it easier to establish good relationships even with children that display undesirable behavior (Buyse et al. 2008) and, thus, help them to develop emotional self-regulation skills from an early age, which is crucial for their success in primary education (Webster-Stratton & Reid 2004, Webster-Stratton & Reid 2008). The competencies of ECEC practitioners depend both on their initial educational background and ongoing training, ensuring constant learning and professionalization of staff, particularly in times of changing social needs. (CoRe 2011).<\/span><\/p>\n Unfortunately, published research demonstrates, that very few pre-school teachers are trained to use evidence-based methods to support children\u2019s social and emotional development in their classrooms and even fewer of them adopt evidence-based social and emotional curricula.<\/span> (Gottfredson & Gottfredson 2002; Lopes, Mestre, Guil, Kremenitzer & Salovey, 2012; Kremenitzer 2005; Jones & Bouffard 2012; Bierman & Motamedi 2016)<\/span><\/p>\n One of the methodologies aimed at prevention of the above-mentioned risks was recently presented in the Czech Republic upon the title of \u00a0\u201cGood Start\u201d methodology for kindergarten teachers. It focuses on the support of social and emotional competencies of pre-school children<\/span> and it is based on the evidence-based principles developed by the US organization Incredible Years. (<\/span>www.incredibleyears.com<\/span><\/a>) The main goal of the training program based on the \u201cGood Start\u201d methodology is to increase the competence of pedagogical staff in pre-school facilities, thus contributing to improving the work with children, supporting healthy development and growth of children in terms of the development of their social and emotional skills in early years. Particular attention is paid to children from socially disadvantaged or culturally diverse environment for which attendance in pre-school is often more challenging and results in behavioral difficulties. In addition, the attention is also paid to the children with different mother tongue, especially with regards to their integration into the children\u2019s group and learning the new language. (Havrdov\u00e1 & Vyhn\u00e1nkov\u00e1 2015)<\/span><\/p>\n The training program based on the \u201cGood Start\u201d methodology focuses both on the development of competencies of pre-school teachers (personal and social development) and on the development of strategies of pedagogical work with children and their parents. Currently, there are quite a few methods and strategies aimed at supporting social and emotional competencies of preschool children. For instance, the organization CASEL (Collaborative for Academics, Social and Emotional Learning) defines five interconnected cognitive and behavioral competencies that can contribute to the healthy social and emotional development of children:<\/span><\/p>\n Other key personal traits that refer to the successful social and emotional development of pre-school children are confidence, curiosity, intentionality, self-control, relatedness, capacity to communicate, and cooperativeness. (Waltz) The \u201cGood Start\u201d methodology puts emphasis on the development of above-mentioned competencies and traits.<\/span> Bierman, Karen L.; Motamedi, Mojdeh (2016). SEL Programs for Preschool Children. In. Durlak, Joseph A.; Domitrovich, Celene E.; Weissberg, Roger P.; Gullotta, Thomas P. Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning: Research and Practice. Guilford Publications, 2016. <\/span> Methodology According to the numerous research in education, development of social and emotional competencies of pre-school children is a key to achieving academic success in school. The current learning process places too much stress on the transfer of information and knowledge, which the children receive without being able to experience, understand or internalize it. There…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[329,326],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pre-schools","category-primary-schools","category-329","category-326","description-off"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\u00a0The Training Program for \u201cGood Start\u201d Methodology<\/b><\/h3>\n
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\nThe \u00a0\u201cGood Start\u201d methodology was introduced to Czech kindergartens in 2014. Since then it has been evaluated by teachers and social workers who attended the training program and participated in follow-up consultations. In addition, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) has been used to assess the development of children in classes with teachers who have undergone the training program. \u00a0It is too early to see the impact of the methodology as a whole, as longitudinal studies are needed to provide a holistic view. However, changes in teachers and parents approach as well as children\u2019s behaviors can already be observed, which makes educational experts and policy-makers optimistic in working towards inclusive education in the Czech Republic. <\/span><\/p>\n\f
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\nBibliography<\/b><\/h2>\n
\nBuyse, E., Verschueren, K., Doumen, S., Van Damme, J., & Maes, F. (2008). Classroom Problem Behavior and Teacher-child Relationships in Kindergarten: The Moderating Role of the Classroom Climate. Journal of School Psychology, 46, 367\u2013391. <\/span>
\nCoRe. (2011). Competences Requirements in Early Childhood Education and care (Study for the European Commission DG Education and Culture). Retrieved from <\/span>http:\/\/www.vbjk.be\/files\/CoRe%20Final%20Report%202011.pdf<\/span><\/a>
\nEurydice. (2009a). Early childhood education and care in Europe: tackling social and cultural inequalities (p. 190). Brussels: EACEA, Eurydice. Retrieved from <\/span>http:\/\/eacea.ec.europa.eu\/about\/eurydice\/documents\/098EN.pdf<\/span><\/a>
\nGottfredson, D.C., & Gottfredson, G. D. (2002). Quality of school-based prevention programs: Results from a national survey: Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 39, 3-35. <\/span>
\nHavrdov\u00e1, E. – Vyhn\u00e1nkov\u00e1, K. (eds.) (2015). Good start. Evidence-based methods for pre-school teachers. Prague: Schola Empirica.<\/span>
\nJones, Stephanie M., and Bouffard, Suzanne M. (2012). \u201cSocial and Emotional Learning in Schools. From Programs to Strategies\u201d, sharing child and youth development knowledge, volume 26, number 4, 2012. <\/span>https:\/\/files.eric.ed.gov\/fulltext\/ED540203.pdf<\/span><\/a>
\nKremenitzer, J. P. (2005). The emotionally intelligent early childhood educator: Selfreflective journaling. Early Childhood Education Journal, 33(1), 3\u20139. doi: 10.1007\/s10643-005-0014-6<\/span>
\nLopes, P. N., Mestre, J. M., Guil, R., Kremenitzer, J., & Salovey, P. (2012). The role of knowledge and skills for managing emotions in adaptation to school: Social behavior and misconduct in the classroom. American Educational Research Journal, 49(4), 710-742. doi: 10.3102\/0002831212443077 <\/span>
\nWaltz M. The Importance of Social and Emotional Development in Young Children. Ready\u00a04\u00a0K. Retrieved from <\/span>https:\/\/childrensacademyonline.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Importance-of-SEL-In-Early-Childhood-Devt.pdf<\/span><\/a>
\nWebster-Stratton C., & Reid, M.J.(2004). Strengthening social and emotional competence in young children \u2013 The foundation for early school readiness and success: Incredible Years Classroom Social Skills and Problem-Solving Curriculum. Journal of Infants and Young Children, 17 (2). <\/span>
\nWebster-Stratton C., & Reid, M.J.(2008). Strengthening social and emotional competence in socioeconomically disadvantaged young children: Preschool and kindergarten school-based curricula. In. W.H. Brown, S.L. Odom & S.R. McConnell (Eds.), Social competence of young children: Risk, disability, and intervention (pp.185-203) Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. <\/span>
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