A-Z: Alphabet of Actions Project

Kids’ Own is delighted to announce the publication of our A-Z Alphabet of Actions: Findings from a pilot early years initiative foldout!

This project was developed as a pilot early-years intervention, putting arts and creativity at the centre of early childhood learning and development. Funded by ESB Energy for Generations, the project evolved in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020 and 2021, the early stages of the project took place during strict lockdowns and were designed to facilitate parent-child interactions. The project modelled a way of working that supported young children to manipulate and play openly with materials and connected them with their parents and other children through verbal and non-verbal communication.

Artist, Naomi Draper, designed a material environment that allowed for different ‘layers’ of entry to accommodate children at a very early stage of literacy, as well as those in primary education with more developed literacy. This project investigated how children of different ages and stages of literacy interacted with the materials.

The Sligo Country Childcare Committee and Childen & Young People’s Service Committee (CYPSC) were delighted to be involved with the A-Z programme. The results highlighted by the parent and child’s voices have demonstrated the importance of that parent/carer interaction.

If you would like to receive a copy of “A-Z Alphabet of Actions: Findings from a pilot early years initiative”, please send your name and address to [email protected]

A-Z and Back Again Book

As part of the project, the beautifully illustrated A-Z and Back Again book was made during a series of workshops that explored some simple print techniques. Traveller and settled young children worked with their older siblings and parents in family groups to produce the artwork and design pages. Most recently, we were delighted to provide a copy of this book to every attendee at the European Conference on Literacy in DCU.