Early intervention in Bjarkalundi

Since the opening of the Bjarkalundur nursery in autumn 2016, the nursery's staff have been working on the development project. Early intervention in nursery practice under the guidance of Ásthildur Bj. Snorradóttir, a speech and language therapist. All the staff at the nursery have taken part in the project and contributed to its implementation, and the result is a handbook on early intervention which was formally published on 6 February.

The aims of the development project have been multifaceted. Firstly, the project involved all teachers receiving training in literacy, language stimulation, early intervention and SMT in the nursery school. Furthermore, one of the aims was to establish procedures for implementing early intervention, particularly concerning literacy and school readiness skills.

It was decided to focus on early intervention in as many aspects of the work as possible, and therefore Bina's School Skills and Rules of Communication play a major role in the project. Accessible lists have been developed based on other lists, e.g. from speech and language therapists and the National Curriculum, which are more practical to use and thus make it easier for teachers to monitor children's developmental progress so that preventative measures can be taken if necessary.

The handbook provides a solid foundation for the staff at Bjarkalund, giving them greater opportunities to coordinate their professional practice and establish consistent working methods. By scrutinising and formalising these practices, teachers' confidence in their work has increased, and their practices have become more consistent. The handbook is intended to be a living document and will be reviewed every other academic year.

Ásthildur Bj. Snorradóttir, speech and language therapist, and Telma Ýr Friðriksdóttir, nursery head teacher, with the handbook.

<telmayr@hafnarfjordur.is>