Childcare Academy students at SERC recently enjoyed an educational visit to the Irish Linen Centre & Museum in Lisburn.
The Academy, funded through the Department for the Economy, gives participants a wide range of skills and knowledge relating to childcare, covering topics such as child development, play, storytelling, special educational needs and the importance of inclusion, as well as delivering training in basic food hygiene and paediatric first aid.
At the museum, the workshop gave students the opportunity to take on the role of the learner, exploring creative activities and developing practical skills that they can take forward into their work placements and future employment. Through making their own puppets, students gained an insight into how creative resources can be used to encourage imagination, support communication and language development, promote storytelling and engage young children in meaningful play.
Practical engagement such as this enables students preparing for a career in the early years sector to develop their own skills while experiencing activities from a child's perspective. The insight and confidence gained will help students to plan and deliver fun, creative and engaging learning experiences for the children in their care.
