ABC Training
If you would like to be kept up to date about any upcoming research and training opportunities for practitioners and educators, please sign up to our ABC Lab Practitioner/Teacher Network, or visit this training web page, or follow us on our ABC Facebook site, where details of any planned events will be shared.
Our training aims to support continuing professional development, and to help enhance practitioner engagement with academic research.
If you have any questions please email [email protected]
Free Training Videos launched for practitioners on Executive Functions in the Early Years!
The ABC Baby and Child lab of the University of St Andrews carried out a series of training workshops for nursery practitioners on the topic of Executive Functions (i.e., memory, attentional control, inhibition). The goal of the workshop was to learn more about the development of executive functions in the preschool years and to exchange ideas about how nurseries can best support executive function development in their children. Because of the Coronavirus pandemic, the workshops were held online, and our ~70 participants could enjoy the safety and comfort of their homes whilst engaging with our researchers. Before the workshops, participants had access to a series of pre-recorded videos explaining key concepts. The workshop itself offered a summary of the scientific theory of executive functions, followed by an activity section aiming to bring theory and practice together. Participants were asked to think about the most common activities they do at their facilities (story time, getting ready for meals or to go outside, taking turns with games) and to think about them in terms of their executive function demands. This activity allowed them to reflect on their knowledge, and identify ways to tailor the demands of these activities to children’s developmental level, in order to provide the best support for the development of their executive functions. The activity session was also a fruitful occasion for participants to share their experiences with others of their profession.
We received very positive feedback: 90% of our participants said they enjoyed the workshop very much and that they would recommend it to their colleagues. We also received helpful and encouraging feedback from our participants such as the following quote:
“I would just love to learn more about your work and future studies. This gave me such a boost and a renewed enthusiasm for my work. Thank you so much for letting me be part of your work.”
Training research project for practitioners on child-maltreatment.
New dates added – The University of St Andrews is offering free training to practitioners on child-maltreatment. Please click on the link for further information
New for in Winter 2020. The researchers responsible for our recent highly successful ‘Executive Functions Training Workshop for Early Years Practitioners’ are putting the course online.
Executive Functioning Workshop