Glossary
A
Achievement: “refers to the totality of skills and attributes embedded within the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence and developed across the curriculum, both within the ELC setting and in other contexts” (How Good Is Our Early Learning and Childcare, 2016, p. 49).
Acronym: Find here A List of Acronyms Used in Scottish Education
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): “Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are stressful events occurring in childhood. The term was originally developed in the US for the Adverse Childhood Experiences survey which found that as the number of ACEs increased in the population studied, so did the risk of experiencing a range of health conditions in adulthood” (Public Health Scotland, 2021).
C
Career Long Professional Learning (CLPL): “is a continuous process through which practitioners take responsibility for their own learning and development, exercising increasing professional autonomy enabling them to embrace change and better meet the needs of babies, toddlers and young children” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 49).
Child’s Plan: “refers to a single plan of action drawn up for a child where evidence suggests that one or more targeted interventions are required to meet the child’s wellbeing and learning needs. This is managed and reviewed through a single meeting structure even if the child is involved in several processes” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 49).
Child Protection: “is protecting a child from child abuse or neglect. Abuse or neglect need not have taken place; it is sufficient for risk assessment to have identified a likelihood or risk of significant harm from abuse or neglect” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 49).
Closing the gap: “refers to the gap in progress and achievement (attainment in school aged children) between those living in Scotland’s least and most disadvantaged homes. Many children and young people from lower-income households do significantly worse at all levels of the education system than those from better-off homes. This is often referred to as the ‘attainment gap'” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 49).
Coaching and mentoring: “are development techniques based on the use of discussion, often on a one-to-one basis, to enhance an individual’s skills, knowledge or work performance” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 49).
Continuous provision: All the different areas available to the children every day within the setting. Within each play area, there may be a core element of resources that remain available all year and others that are added and removed depending on the children’s learning, interests, and needs at that time.
D
Digital learning: “is learning which is supported and enhanced by a range of digital technology and approaches. It can focus on one or more particular technologies. It may focus on playroom use or anywhere-anytime access. It may include features and approaches that are used to develop independence in learning” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 49).
Documentation: “In early years education, pedagogical documentation refers to ‘making thinking and learning visible’ in many ways …using text, transcripts of children’s words (ideas, thoughts), photos of the process, and traces of children’s work” (Susan Stacey, Pedagogical Documentation, 2015).
E
Early Learning & Childcare (ELC): “encompasses all previous
terminology related to pre-school provision and early education. It also
refers to the different types of settings, such as private, voluntary and
independent providers, Gaelic Medium Education (GME) settings, local
authority settings, voluntary groups and childminding” (Realising the Ambition, 2020, p.3).
Equity: “means treating people fairly, but not necessarily treating people the same. Equity in ELC means that personal or social circumstances such as gender, ethnic origin or family background are not obstacles to achieving potential and that all our babies, toddlers and young children are well supported to secure the best possible outcomes” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 50).
Equality: “is the removal of barriers and the widening of opportunities for those for whom access is limited. Where equality is embedded in practice, there will be no prejudice-based discrimination” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 50).
Experiences: In Scotland, ‘experiences’ relates to the activities, resources, or provision provided within the learning environment that the children can engage with and use. The experiences must be developmentally appropriate, engaging, motivating, challenging, and linked to the interests of the children. Practitioners can change, model, remove, add to, support and enhance the experiences on offer through observing how they are used, interacting with the children as they use what is on offer and responding in the moment or planning for the future.
Extrinsic motivation: This is driven by external factors or rewards, including praise, prizes, points, stickers, grades, money, special treats, or toys. When an action, behaviour, or element of work is carried out, not because it is rewarding, but because the individual is conditioned to behave in a certain way to receive a reward, they are extrinsically motivated.
While extrinsic motivation can be helpful in the short term or specific situations, it can also reduce intrinsic motivation as people become reliant on carrying out tasks for a tangible reward and not for the joy of achieving the task. Fun or playful activities can change to feel like work as they are now tied to an external reward. Practitioners should be aware of how extrinsic motivation is used and aim to intrinsically motivate children where possible.
I
Interactions: In Scotland, interaction relates to the care, relationships, conversations, exchanges, and social encounters within the learning environment, occurring between practitioners, children, other professionals, parents, or carers.
The interactions must be developmentally appropriate, sensitive to the child and family’s needs, consider their level of understanding while providing support or challenge as appropriate.
Intrinsically motivated: Carrying out a task or moving to act for the internal reward: the fun or challenge of the activity rather than external products, pressures, or rewards. The aim is to ensure children are intrinsically motivated as when they are, they achieve a sense of meaning from the task they have undertaken. This supports children’s resilience, curiosity and willingness to try new things.
L
Learning community: “means the cluster of neighbouring settings and schools and other partners delivering early learning and childcare and education” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 50).
Learning conversations: “give opportunities to children to share their thoughts and views on experiences and activities in conversation with an adult or peer” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 50).
Levelled/differentiated: “Differentiation is when learning, teaching and assessment are adapted to meet the individual needs of the children” (Knowledge into Action, Education Scotland, Briefing 1 Nov 2015, p. 1). The outcome, process, content, environment, resources, experiences and interactions can all be differentiated so the child can interact with them from the stage of development they are currently at. During Early Level, children should have agency, voice and choice in choosing what, when and how to engage within the setting.
m
Model: This is a term used to mean a teaching episode performed by an experienced practitioner in which focussed and clear teaching behaviours are demonstrated to a trainee. The trainee is then able to learn these skills through imitation.
Moderation: “Moderation is the term used to describe approaches for arriving at a shared understanding of standards and expectations for the broad general education. It involves teachers, and other professionals as appropriate, working together, drawing on guidance and exemplification and building on existing standards and expectations to:
> plan learning, teaching and assessment
> check that assessment tasks and activities provide learners with fair and valid opportunities to meet the standards and expectations before assessments are used
> sample evidence from learners’ work and review teachers’ judgements
> agree strengths in learners’ performances and next steps in learning
> provide feedback on teachers’ judgements to inform improvements in practices
(For further information see – Building the Curriculum 5 a framework for assessment: Quality assurance and moderation, Education Scotland, 2010, p 5).
N
National Care Standards: “is the framework that Care Inspectorate uses to measure quality in early learning and childcare settings. They regulate and inspect childminders and daycare of children services that require to be registered under the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 51).
O
Open-ended resources: Resources that offer children multiple uses and limitless possibilities in their creative and imaginative play, e.g. cardboard boxes, building bricks, playdough, loose parts etc., are classed as open-ended. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to use them.
P
Partners: “include all individuals or organisations that deliver learning and contribute to the life and work of the setting. These may include third sector, community organisations, libraries, local businesses, etc” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 51).
Pedagogy: “is about the interactions and experiences that support the curriculum and the process of how children learn” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 51).
Personalised support: “means learning, teaching and assessment are planned to meet the needs of learners as individuals. It includes ensuring that children have regular opportunities to be involved in discussing their learning and can influence what and how they learn” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 51).
Poverty Related Attainment Gap: “Many children and young people living in our most deprived communities do significantly worse at all levels of the education system than those from our least deprived communities. This is often referred to as the ‘attainment gap'” (Scottish Attainment Challenge Learning resources, Scottish Government, 2022).
Practitioners: This is a term we use that encompasses ALL staff and adults who are registered or qualified to work with babies and young children. This includes childminders, teachers, headteachers, managers, supervisors, out of school support workers.
Primary 1: Children in Scotland complete seven years of primary school, starting in Primary 1 (P1), approximately aged 4/5 years old and the equivalent of Reception classes in England. Going up to Primary 7 (P7), approximately 11/12 years old, the equivalent of Year 7 in England.
Professional Regulatory Bodies: e.g. General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS) – the independent professional and regulatory body for teachers and college lecturers in Scotland and Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) – Regulator for the social service workforce in Scotland.
Provocations: “Reggio Emilia Provocations: This philosophy often references what is called a provocation. This simply means that teachers, after having observed the children, will set out materials that are selected specifically to provoke thoughts and ideas, and encourage creativity. Provocations are meant to compliment what the children are working on and help extend their thinking. They are not overtly teacher led activities, instead they are thoughtfully designed “set ups” that invite children to expand their own learning of an idea or concept.” (playlearnthrive.com)
Q
Quality Assurance: “Quality assurance helps to support teachers and build expertise and capacity in the education system to deliver positive outcomes for children and young people. Through sharing, understanding and applying standards and expectations, quality assurance helps to raise standards and expectations
and levels of consistency across teachers and schools. It is important in the planning and coordination of professional development activities that a partnership and inter-establishment approach is adopted to ensure cross-service and cross-sector working on standards and expectations” (Building the Curriculum 5 Quality Assurance & Moderation, Education Scotland, 2021, p 4).
R
Resilience: “Resilience describes a person’s capacity to cope with changes and challenges and to bounce back during difficult times. The more resilient someone is, the better they are at getting through tough times, and the better their chances at recovering from experiences of adversity and trauma. (Gilligan 2004)
Restorative Practice: “Restorative approaches are built on values which separate the person from the behaviour. They promote accountability and seek to repair any harm caused in a situation” (Education Scotland, 2021).
Restorative approaches can be used as a planned approach to relationship or discipline difficulties. For example, the approach may include a ‘restorative conversation’ where the practitioner uses restorative language and questions that allow those involved to understand their behaviour’s impact. Through this process, the children accept responsibility for their actions, recognise the harm caused, and support ways to move forward.
Risk: “is the likelihood or probability of a particular outcome given the presence of factors in a child or young person’s life. What is critical with respect to child protection is the risk of significant harm from abuse or neglect” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 51).
Risk assessment/benefit: “is about identifying issues that may cause harm and deciding what reasonable and sensible measures can be taken to control/limit the risks” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 51).
S
Safeguarding: “is a much wider concept than child protection and refers to promoting the welfare of children. It encompasses; protecting children from maltreatment; preventing impairment of children’s health or development; ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care, and taking action to enable all babies, toddlers and young children to have the best outcome. Child protection is part of this definition and refers to activities undertaken to prevent children suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 51).
Self-Regulation: “It is an extensive subject that encompasses various interconnecting aspects of social, emotional, cognitive and motivational development, it may also be referred to as executive function; control of attention, working memory and inhibitory or effortful control” (Whitebread, 2012).
Setting: The term ‘setting(s)’ encompasses all physical environments, both outside and inside, which children access. For example, the family home, and where relevant, a childminder’s home environment, early learning and childcare gardens and playrooms, and playgrounds and classrooms in primary schools.
SSSC: “Scottish Social Services Council is the national body responsible for registering people who work in social services. This includes workers in day care of children services for whom registration is a requirement as legislated for within the Regulation of Care Act (Scotland) (2001). The SSSC has an important role in ensuring the regulation, training and education of the early years workforce and seeks to promote continued education and training” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 51).
Stakeholders: “are all those who are affected by the work and life of the setting” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 52).
Symbolically represent: Symbolic play is a type of play that children engage in, where they use an object/toy to stand in for something else. This type of play supports problem-solving, creativity, social skills, physical, language and emotional development. For example, children may use their hand as a banana or a block to represent a phone when playing.
T
Twin-track approach: “Applying a twin-track approach means ensuring women, men, boys and girls with all types of impairments, being hearing or visual impairment, physical impairments or cognitive impairment, as well as intellectual or learning disabilities have full access to relief operations and protection by removing barriers and facilitating access” (CBM Global Humanitarian Inclusion).
U
Universal support: “is the responsibility of all practitioners and partners. It includes children’s entitlements to conversations about learning, reviewing progress and planning next steps as part of effective personal learning planning” (HGIOELC, 2016, p. 52).
