Our Early Years work at Devon Development Education is led by Jane Habermehl, an Early Years teacher and trainer, with over 25 years experience of working with young children.
Jane offers a training package, Creative Footsteps to Inclusive Education in the Early Years, to teachers and managers of Early Years practitioners to help them become confident trainers in equality and diversity issues.
Published in July 2012, Creative Footsteps is a manual that has been designed as a tool for training staff in all Early Years settings on how to create and maintain inclusive and multi-cultural environments.
The package is a stimulating resource full of creative and practical strategies to deliver a totally inclusive curriculum and raise levels of awareness of culture and diversity in the workforce. A leading expert in the field said:
“This manual takes the issues of inclusion to heart. It is sensitive and well-informed and should provide an excellent basis from which to help children to be at ease in living in our diverse society.” (Jane Lane, former Education Officer, Commission for Racial Equality)
This comprehensive manual provides all the activities, resources and PowerPoint presentations required to deliver inclusive training:
- complete guidance for the delivery of training in timed modules
- games and activities for staff to increase team building and collaborative working
- background notes, source references and toolkit of practical resources
- activities and strategies for practice in the settings
- suggestions for ongoing staff development and training.
Module 1 An introduction to identity and cultural diversity
Module 2 Ourselves and our setting
Module 3 Creating a stimulating environment for learning
Module 4 Policies and practice
Module 5a Parents as partners: embracing family language and culture
Module 5b Social and emotional aspects of development
Module 6 Using Persona dolls
To order your copy of Creative Footsteps please use this order form.
For greater depth and understanding, DDE provides a two-day training course in the principles and use of the Training Manual.
Jane can also offer Calabash on the Move, a unique resource offering an introduction to culture and diversity for Early Years children, in a fun way. The focus of each session is a story tent with backcloths representing different cultures and countries. Simple folktales and traditional stories are told or acted out, using puppets and finger play. There is an opportunity for children to play with our range of multicultural toys, dressing up clothes, books and puppets as well as taking part in a related craft activity.
Jane can provide a unique chance to forge a link with a Pre-school in Kwa-Zulu-Natal, South Africa with the help of her Persona doll!