Early Language Development in Nature Erasmus Project

Project Title

Early Language Development in Nature

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Pedagogy and didactics; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The project Early Language Development in Nature (ELaDiNa) brings together two topics of great importance to the context of early education: language development and children’s activities in nature. The core idea of the project is to create a new general approach for early language development in nature, based on the experience and expertise of project partners. Learning in nature and with nature is one of the dimensions of connecting educational programmes to the real world, with existing evidence showing a direct correlation between this kind of connection and an increase in the quality and efficiency of education.

Language development is indisputably a crucial process concerning the general developmental process and also in regard to a successful educational career. At preschool age, important steps of language acquisition set the course for a good start in school. However, it is also an acknowledged urgent issue for education (policy and practice) that some children struggle with early language learning and suffer from delays in language development, especially when they come from underprivileged backgrounds. This project seeks to unfold the potentially considerable language support of experiencing nature. The proven benefits of outdoor learning for children such as enhancing their curiosity and autonomy, providing first-hand experiences as a base for cognitive, social and physical development, or promoting children’s wellbeing and health can be enriched and connected with a specific focus on early language development.

The intellectual outputs of the project will include tools that will empower educators to be able to implement the new “Early Language Development in Nature” approach in practice, including:
– a comprehensive generic model with guidelines for implementation and evaluation;
– a training programme for teachers that wish to learn how to implement the approach in their
pedagogical practice;
– a theoretical handbook detailing the theory behind the approach;
– a practical handbook with practical examples of early language development activities in nature and
guidelines for their implementation.

The project will also provide training for:
– 40 teachers to master the approach to the extent of being able to transfer this knowledge to other
experts,
– 184 teachers and other experts to the extent of being able to implement the knowledge in their
pedagogical practice.

It is the aim of this project to not only create an effective new approach, but to embed it into existing teacher training programmes and influence national curricula. For this purpose, a strong partnership was formed, bringing together public and private, national and regional, academic and practitioner institutions, with the experience and ability to realize the ambitious project goals.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 317964 Eur

Project Coordinator

Center šolskih in obšolskih dejavnosti & Country: SI

Project Partners

• Verein zur Förderung bewegungs- und sportorientierter Jugendsozialarbeit
• ZAVOD REPUBLIKE SLOVENIJE ZA SOLSTVO
• HOGSKOLAN FOR LARANDE OCH KOMMUNIKATION I JONKOPING – HLK SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION
• UNIVERSITATSSTADT MARBURG