Inclusive Education in Early Childhood: Approaches and Best Practices for Preschool Teachers and educators
Overview
The importance of inclusive education in early childhood is highlighted by the growing understanding that quality preschool education forms the foundation for lifelong learning and social inclusion.
Early interventions to address diverse learning needs ensure that all children, regardless of their abilities or background, are ready for primary education and beyond.
Inclusive education is not only a necessity but a powerful tool to create a supportive learning environment where every child can thrive. For preschool educators, adopting inclusive approaches is key to fostering participation, building empathy, and nurturing the potential of all learners.
Target Audience
This course is addressed to teachers, directors, managers, educators and other staff of preschool and childhood institutions with pupils aged 0 – 6 years old. If you work in primary or secondary schools or in adult education centres, please consider enrolling in the course “Special needs and inclusive education, the Italian experience of overcoming segregation” (Italy) or “Special needs and inclusive education: approaches and Best Practices for Teachers and education staff” (other locations)
Languages
The course is held in English.
For groups with at least 8 participants, we can organize an ad-hoc session in a different language. Please write an email to
info@erasmuslearningacademy.eu
to get more information about it.
| Location | Starting Date | Ending Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenerife | 14/03/2027 | 20/03/2027 | Open for Enrollment |
| Bologna | 10/10/2027 | 16/10/2027 | Open for Enrollment |
Skills
What will you learn?
This course offers participants the opportunity to explore, discuss, and practice effective strategies and tools for inclusive education in preschool settings. Participants will learn about the principles of inclusion, the Italian model of overcoming segregation, and innovative non formal activities. The course provides a safe and collaborative space to share experiences and best practices with fellow educators from across Europe.
Learning Outcomes
This course provides participants with a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practices of inclusive education, along with a collaborative and supportive environment where they can explore and apply strategies tailored to preschool settings.
The general aim of this course is to foster inclusion and excellence in early childhood education by equipping and inspiring preschool educators, trainers, and other preschool staff to adopt inclusive teaching methods. Through sharing experiences and best practices with fellow participants and trainers from across Europe, participants will also gain a broader understanding of inclusive preschool education at a European level.
Foundations and Principles of Inclusive Education
Understand the principles, benefits, and models of inclusive education in early childhood. Explore how to address diverse learning needs through effective approaches.
Creating Supportive and Inclusive Learning Environments
Learn to foster empathy, participation, and belonging in the classroom. Implement creative, play-based, and socio-emotional learning activities. Engage families as active partners in the educational process.
Collaboration and Professional Growth
Share best practices and experiences with peers and trainers in preschool education. Build networks and collaborate with educators and organizations across Europe.
Daily Program
Please find below the standard indicative daily programme that may be personalized based on groups’ needs and professional profiles. Our standard program comprises 7 days of course: Sunday morning activities will start at around 10:00 and will conclude by 11:00 the next Saturday.
Please note that we always do our best to accommodate the specific needs of our participants in a flexible way, including but not limited to budget restrictions and travel arrangement. Participants generally choose to arrive 1 day before the start of the course and/or leave one day after the end of it as it generally makes their travel arrangements smoother and more convenient. Upon specific request we may organize longer or shorter versions of this course.
| Sunday | – Participants arrival – Course introduction – Schools/institutions’ presentation & best practices sharing – Walking tour in the venue’s city | ||
| Monday | – Team building exercises – Needs and expectations evaluation – Introduction to the Italian/Spanish preschool system – Schools and participants’ presentations – From integration to inclusion: the benefits of inclusive education | ||
| Tuesday | – The inclusive education model: how it works and which are its main actors, tools and approaches – The index for inclusion: key principles and dimensions – Using the Index to promote equity and participation in preschool settings – Practical activity: applying the Index to design an action plan for school inclusion – Collaborative workshop: – Cultural activities in the venue’s city | ||
| Wednesday | – Visit to a local school and discussion with local teachers on the challenges and best practices to include students with special needs** – Sharing experiences and best practices in working with learners with learning disabilities – Optional cultural visit outside the venue’s city | ||
| Thursday | – The role of socio-emotional learning in working with children with special needs – The importance of talking about feelings and emotions to create an inclusive environment – Practical activities, games and exercises to foster socio-emotional learning | ||
| Friday | – Key principles and benefits of family involvement in inclusive early childhood education – The role of family-school partnerships in fostering cognitive, social, and emotional development in preschoolers – How to design and implement strategies to effectively engage families in the learning process – Farewell dinner | ||
| Saturday | – Space for discussion of future cooperation and planning follow up activities – Course roundup and final evaluation – Validation of learning outcomes and certification ceremony – Additional training session tailored to specific needs – Participants departure |
** Please note that visits are subject to schools availability and cannot always be guaranteed
Other relevant facts
Methodology
All our courses have a standard duration of 7 days, totaling 35 hours of training. This includes both formal teaching sessions and practical activities, as well as moments for discussion, cultural experiences, and networking, ensuring a comprehensive learning experience in line with Erasmus+ quality standards.
We tailor the working methods based upon participants’ needs, attitudes and professional profiles in order to ensure high productivity, effectiveness and transferability into practice.
The standard methodology is highly practical and participative with hands-on approach that comprises real-job examples, case studies examination and simulations. We embrace collaboratively working methods that foster mutual learning and cooperation among participants. Our focus is on learning in an interactive and international environment knowledge applicable to the real contexts and/or in the classroom. The pedagogical methods that we use are based upon experiential training, group and peer activities, learning-by-doing and best practices’ exchange. They include visits with local schools and institutions allowing the participants to better understand the local education system as well as exchange ideas and contacts.
Morning Wrap-up and brief daily evaluations are foreseen to ensure quality of education and to adapt the learning programme to participants’ needs better tailoring the education.
We organize optional social, networking and cultural activities in order to give participants the opportunity to know Italy as well as to exchange best-practice and establish professional cooperation and links.
The training and staff team is multinational thus giving a full European dimension to the course.
Costs and Erasmus+ Funding
Teachers, trainers, headmasters and any other staff of education organizations are eligible to receive an Erasmus+ grant covering all the costs to attend our training courses including travel, board and lodging, cultural activities and all fees. Our training courses are tailored to be fully funded by Erasmus+ and we offer different options to ensure the best comfort and quality at a price that is within the Erasmus+ grant.
We offer our courses in an all-inclusive format: training and accommodation in the same venue, networking meals during the courses as well as cultural visits are provided by us and are fully covered by the Erasmus+ funding. In this way participants just need to organise their international flights and can rely on us for all the other practical arrangements.
If you prefer you can take care of some of the practical arrangements (e.g. meals, accommodation…) by yourself but we strongly recommend entrusting us with the accommodation booking in order to ensure optimal logistic organization, networking with fellow
participants, safety and time-efficiency.
Read more about how we take care of your subsistence and practical arrangements.
The most common option that we offer to schools and organizations costs EUR 1,415 in Bologna, EUR 1,235 in Palermo and Zagreb, EUR 1,265 in Tenerife, 1215 EUR in Athens and EUR 1,335 in Porto. This price includes the course fee, certification and support fee, accommodation in single room, breakfast, 2 coffee breaks per day, 3 networking meals (shared lunch/dinner opportunities with other participants), a walking tour in the venue’s city and a sum-up dissemination video.
Please note: in Bologna the price includes full board (all meals), whereas in the other locations only the 3 networking meals are included alongside breakfast.
Prices shown may vary for specific courses that include extra services or visits to schools and associations. More detailed pricing information for each course is available upon request or at the time of enrolment.
For schools sending 2 or more participants we can offer accommodation in double rooms and we can provide as well accommodation for people or relatives accompanying the participants.
When attending our courses, we recommend you to request 9 days of individual support for your subsistence costs, 7 days for the course plus 2 additional days for the travel. In this way you can have more flexibility in planning your stay and you can enjoy all the cultural activities planned from the first to the last day of course. You can read here more about the Erasmus+ funding. Shall you have need any help with filling the budget during the application stage or have any problem with your grant please let us know and we will see how to support you.
Certification and Validation of learning outcomes
At the end of the course, each participant will be awarded a certificate of attendance, together – if requested – with the Europass Mobility Certificate.
The certificate are in line with the Erasmus Quality Standards and include a short description of the course and its learning outcomes, dates, venues, the name of the course provider and the course instructor(s).
We support the participants in every step of certification and validation of learning outcomes with specific focus on European instruments and Erasmus plus requirements such as staff mobility/learning agreement, quality commitment and Europass mobility certificate.
We experienced that schools and education organizations may require additional documents to certify the competences learned or the presence in the training course. Upon request we can provide additional certification and reporting documents as well as we provide photos of the training course and a sum-up video that can be used for visibility and dissemination purposes.
what about other courses?
English (UK)
Español
Italiano
Deutsch
Română
Български
Čeština
Ελληνικά
Polski
Português
Français