Staff and students of SETU’s early childhood education programmes were provided with Six Bricks Education training at the University’s Carlow, Waterford, and Wexford campuses.
New methods to support learning
Developed by the Care for Education organisation in South Africa, alongside the LEGO® Foundation, Six Bricks Education gives educators and parents an additional method to support the learning, curiosity, and creativity of children.
Through a range of tailored exercises, children use LEGO® six bricks (one red, yellow, orange, green, light blue, and dark blue) to navigate through set activities. These activities are short, simple exercises designed to wake up the brain and get a child moving, thinking, and remembering. Six Bricks activities are in development all the time and there are now thousands of activities supporting different areas of development and skills.
Research-backed learning approaches
A growing body of research is now showing how creative approaches to classroom instruction, such as Six Bricks, can reduce workplace fatigue and anxiety, increase engagement and participation, and can also positively support problem solving skills.
The training was delivered by Miriam O’Donoghue, Education Consultant, who carried out workshops with staff and students from SETU’s early childhood education programmes. Workshop attendees received hands on knowledge on the Six Bricks approach and how to deliver it in early childhood education settings.
Enhancing Access and Resources
Speaking about the benefits of such training for students, Dr Dean McDonnell, Lecturer of Psychology at SETU, highlighted, “Greater access and awareness of other teaching and learning approaches can give educators, quite literally, positive building blocks to support the academic and psychosocial development of young children.”
Continuing, Dr Lillian Byrne, Lecturer of Early Childhood Education and Social Care, mentioned being delighted to have been in a position to offer Six Bricks training and that “this cross-campus initiative was enjoyed by students and staff.”
Early Childhood Education at SETU
SETU offers courses in early childhood education at NFQ levels 7 and 8 across its campuses. SETU’s courses have a strong focus on work placement where students work directly with young children in their second year of study and participate in a range of educational activities. This develops graduates who are well-positioned to work across a range of early years settings and primary schools. Diversifying student-training, such as through the Six Bricks programme, means that the University’s graduates are equipped to meet a broad range of needs in the early childhood education setting.
Six Bricks training at SETU was made possible through N-TUTOR funding, led by Dr Lilian Byrne.
