Introduction to the programme
I’m Mine Conkbayir, the founder of this programme, Self-regulation in Early Years: what you need to know about achieving a child-centred approach.
The programme’s inception is a direct response to the EYFS revised Early Learning Goals (ELGs) which are due to come into force in 2019 – seemingly a positive step on behalf of the government, but (and herein lies just one key issue), how is the EY workforce supposed to nurture self-regulation (SR) when they have received no mandatory training in nurturing these vital life skills?
This programme gives you the basics of SR, what it means, what it looks like – what it is not, and how best to nurture this essential, life-enhancing skill from the beginning.
This programme adds value to what the government has offered and is an essential bedrock to implementing the government’s Goals in an informed way.
Who is this programme suitable for?
Given that the programme deals with understanding and supporting emotional wellbeing, with specific regard to managing those big, overwhelming feelings, and how these are formed in infancy, it is useful for everyone to familiarise themselves with the content. Policy makers, Early Years (EY) practitioners/teachers, leadership teams, childminders, EY advisors, parents/primary carers, foster parents, special educational needs advisors, police officers and youth workers would find the information directly relevant and useful.
Through this programme, my vision is to provide reliable, easily accessible and evidence-based information for those who support children, young adults and their families, to build their understanding of SR and the critical role they play in nurturing this essential, but poorly understood skill. It is designed to enable those working with our youngest citizens to consider the whole child: how their earliest experiences and relationships impact at the level of the brain, their consequent emotional responses and behaviour and ultimately, their ability to survive and thrive in life.
Remember:
Self-regulation is the greatest gift we can give to children.
Children who experience nurturing and stable care-giving, go on to develop greater resilience and the ability to self-regulate uncomfortable and overwhelming emotions.
