Piloting Soft Skills Training in Kindergartens: First-Hand Stories

Erasmus+ Project: Soft Skills for High Quality Education
Published: October 2025

🎓 From theory to classrooms

After months of preparation, training of national trainers, and curriculum development, the piloting phase of our project has taken off in partner countries. Kindergarten teachers in Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, and Croatia are now testing the newly developed Soft Skills Toolbox and facilitating Teacher Support Learning Groups (TSLGs) in their local contexts.

The result? A rich collection of stories, lessons, and reflections from practice.

🧩 A closer look at the pilot phase

The pilot implementation focuses on real-life use of the project’s training materials, reflection techniques, and group facilitation tools. In each country, a cooperating kindergarten supports its staff to engage in peer learning, discussions, and experiential sessions to strengthen leadership, communication, empathy, and emotional awareness.

Key components being tested include:

• The structure of TSLG meetings
• Suggested session plans and reflection prompts
• Facilitation techniques for inclusive dialogue
• Tools for emotional literacy and professional self-awareness

💬 What are the teachers saying?

“It’s amazing how quickly trust builds when the group has space to share openly.”
— Participant from Croatia

“We’ve started using check-in and check-out activities in our team meetings. It’s such a simple way to see how everyone is really doing.”
— Kindergarten director, Slovakia

“We adapted the roleplay activity to our needs and it worked perfectly.”
— Estonian facilitator

The pilots also reveal how adaptable the toolbox is across diverse settings. Some teams follow the materials closely, while others use them as a base for co-creating sessions with their staff.

🧠 Learning from the ground up

Each piloting kindergarten serves as a mini-laboratory where we can observe what works, what needs adjusting, and what sparks genuine change. National coordinators collect feedback through observations, interviews, and short evaluation forms. This input will directly inform the final version of the toolbox, to be shared across Europe.

📸 Coming soon: Voices from the field

Over the coming months, we will publish short video case studies and teacher stories from the piloting schools. These resources will illustrate how soft leadership practices are making a difference in real kindergarten environments.

🌍 Next steps

• Continue national pilots until early 2026
• Gather and analyse feedback from all partner countries
• Prepare final version of the Toolbox and accompanying training materials
• Share outcomes at national and international dissemination events
• Feature best practices and case stories on our website and social media

🔔 Stay tuned for more insights and photos from our pilot kindergartens – and meet the inspiring teachers behind this journey.

From Instinct to Intention: A Parent’s Journey into Child Participation

When I first came across the term child participation, I felt a tangle of emotions: curiosity, confusion, even a little shame, alongside an instinct that it somehow made sense. I had never heard the phrase before, but it seemed to point to something important, something I might already know but hadn’t fully named.

Curious, I looked it up and found that Child participation is the right of children to express their views, be heard, and take part in decisions affecting them. This applies at home, in school, in healthcare, and in their communities, as an ongoing process for engaging a child from birth and evolves throughout a child’s development.¹ Moreover, this right is institutionalized by the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child.²

At first, I found myself defensive. No one loves or protects my children more than I do. How could this new terminology imply I hadn’t been respectful of them? I hadn’t heard about “child participation” during my pregnancies or early parenting years. The literature, though well-meaning, sometimes felt like a quiet reprimand. But as I read more, I began to see that the concept went deeper than just caring for your child or giving them occasional choices. It is about actively and continuously recognizing their agency, in age-appropriate ways, across all areas of life³.

As I continued reading, especially practical examples that described what participation looks like at different stages of development, something shifted. I realised this wasn’t a criticism. It was a framework. A language for things I had already been doing. And a reminder that I could have done them more consciously, more often.

When my first child, my son, was born, I attuned myself to his rhythms. I knew when he was hungry before he cried and prepared accordingly. I watched him play, studied his emerging skills, and introduced new activities to support the next stage of his development.

When my twin daughters came along, I learned their distinct signals, watched how they expressed preferences and needs, and adapted my responses accordingly. As all three children grew, I paid attention to their emotions, what frightened them, what angered them, and worked with them to make sense of their feelings and build healthy ways to respond.

As their language and reasoning developed, I learned to listen more deeply, ask open questions, and explain things in ways they could grasp. Today, with teens in the house, participation looks different. When they raise an issue with a teacher, we talk through perspectives and options, but it is up to them to write the email or make the call. When we visit the doctor, I make sure they are the ones addressed, that their understanding is checked, and that the final decision reflects their voice. At this stage, it can be tricky to know how much to step in and how much to step back—how to guide without overstepping, and support without taking over. But as with parenting from the very beginning, there is no instruction manual—I just do my best.

In short, I have been engaging in participation all along. I just didn’t know it had a name. And when I think about many of their teachers, I see they were practicing it too, even without the terminology. Of course, I also recognise that part of this came from our context. We live a middle-class life, with access to education, healthcare, and space to reflect. Much of it came from instinct. But I also know this: if I had known earlier what child participation was, and what it looks like across childhood, I could have done it even better.

That is why I am grateful to be part of the TOY for Participation project. We are helping early childhood practitioners and families understand how to support children’s participation from the very beginning, through daily interactions, developmentally appropriate dialogue, and real decision-making. Because when children grow up knowing their voices matter, they become adults who listen, reflect, and contribute to a more respectful world³.

Footnotes

1. Lansdown, G. (2010). The Realisation of Children’s Participation Rights: Critical Reflections. In Percy-Smith, B., & Thomas, N. (Eds.), A Handbook of Children and Young People’s Participation (pp. 11–23). Routledge.
2. United Nations (1989). Convention on the Rights of the Child, Articles 12–13.
3. Thomas, N. (2007). Towards a theory of children’s participation. The International Journal of Children’s Rights, 15(2), 199–218.

About Toy for Participation

TOY for Participation is a European initiative co-funded by the European Commission and led by ICDI, working with partners across 8 countries to promote young children’s right to participate. Together, we’ve reached over 40,000 children and families through 40+ Play Hubs, with more to come. Learn more about the project and the partners on our website: https://www.reyn.eu/toy4inclusion/toy-for-participation/.

Resilient Beginnings: Supporting Emotional Literacy in Kosovo’s Early Childhood Settings

The CHAVORE Initiative aims to ensure the mental and physical well-being of every child, regardless of their background, from the very start. In communities where children face adversity, stigma, or exclusion, CHAVORE supports early childhood practitioners and parents to better respond to children's mental, emotional, and developmental needs through inclusive and responsive practices.

In Kosovo, this work is being led by the Kosova Education Center (KEC), one of CHAVORE’s national implementing partners. A civil society organization known for its role in educational innovation, policy advocacy, and teacher training, KEC was founded in 2000, and has built a reputation for adapting global best practices to Kosovo’s unique cultural and post-conflict context.

Under CHAVORE, KEC has developed a learning session focused on building emotional literacy and resilience in young children. By creating supportive, respectful, and culturally relevant interactions, this session aims to help children develop confidence, self-esteem, and emotional security — foundations for lifelong learning, mental health and well-being.

A significant barrier in the design phase was the lack of local materials on emotional development and resilience. In response, KEC adapted tools such as the Persona Doll method and mindfulness techniques to better reflect the lived realities of children and practitioners in Kosovo. Importantly, the session was developed in close collaboration with educators already working with young children.

At its heart, the learning session conveys a simple but transformative message: that emotional safety and trust are built through everyday interactions. Practitioners are encouraged to observe and respond to children’s emotions with warmth and intention, using practices like morning circle discussions and play-based reflection to reinforce coping strategies.

Pri posudzovaní účinnosti vzdelávacieho modulu vychádzala organizácia KEC zo spätnej väzby odborníkov, pozorovaných zmien v správaní detí a výstupov dialógov vedených s deťmi – všetky aktivity založili na presvedčení, že odolnosť rastie v kontexte bezpečných, starostlivých vzťahov.

About CHAVORE

CHAVORE (meaning “children” in Romani) is an initiative enhancing the mental health and well-being of young children in vulnerable communities, especially Roma. It promotes inclusive, culturally sensitive early childhood care across five countries. Built on the expertise of the International Step by Step Association and its Romani Early Years Network initiative (REYN), CHAVORE leverages a transnational partnership across five countries to develop inclusive and responsive early childhood education and care. Funded by the the European Commision the consortium is comprised of ISSA members, led by Educational Research Institute (Slovenia) and includes Open Academy Step by Step (OASbS), Partners Hungary Foundation (PH), Škola dokorán – Wide Open School (ŠD-WOS), Kosovo Education Center (KEC) and ISSA Hub. Viac o iniciatíve si prečítate na chavore.reyn.eu.

Making Space for Children's Voices Doesn't Mean Giving Up Yours

As the concept of child participation gains traction in education, health, and social work as well as among parents, so do the misunderstandings. For many adults, whether caregivers, educators, or other professionals, the idea can trigger a mix of curiosity, uncertainty, or even defensiveness. Does it mean children get to call all the shots? Are we expected to step back from our responsibilities?

Not at all. Here are five common myths about child participation and what the practice actually involves, along with small examples you can try.

1. “It means letting children make all the decisions.”

This is by far the most common misconception. In reality, child participation is about sharing decisions with children, not handing over control. Adults remain responsible for ensuring children’s well-being, safety, and development. But children are recognized as active agents with valuable insights. Participation means listening to them, taking their views seriously, and involving them in decisions that affect them in a meaningful, age-appropriate way¹.

💡 Try this: If you're making a change to a child’s routine, like moving bedtime or starting a new school, ask how they feel about it and what might help make it easier. You’re still guiding the decision, but they feel seen and involved.

2. “Young children are too little to participate.”

Even the youngest children can express preferences, emotions, and intentions. A baby turns their head away when overstimulated; a toddler points to a favorite toy; a preschooler explains what scares them and why. These are all forms of participation. As children grow, their capacity to reflect and engage increases, and so do the ways we can support their involvement². The key is tuning into their unique ways of communicating and providing consistent opportunities for expression.

💡 Try this: Let preschoolers vote on which story to read at circle time. You’re supporting democratic decision-making, even with very young voices.

3. “If I give children a say, I’ll lose control.”

In fact, the opposite is often true. When children feel their voices matter, they tend to be more cooperative, confident, and emotionally secure. Inviting participation doesn’t remove boundaries, it strengthens them by rooting them in mutual respect and understanding. It doesn’t mean every wish is granted. But when children understand how decisions are made and feel heard, they are more likely to accept and learn from those decisions³.

💡 Try this: When setting rules for a shared space (like a classroom or bedroom), ask children what they think is fair. Include their suggestions, and talk through why some ideas might not be used.

4. “Children don’t really know what’s best for them.”

Children may not have all the answers, but they are experts in their own lives. They know what brings them joy, what makes them feel safe or anxious, what helps them learn best. When adults combine their knowledge and experience with children’s lived perspectives, the result is better, more relevant decisions. Excluding children from conversations that impact them is a missed opportunity for deeper connection and more thoughtful outcomes.

💡 Try this: If a child seems hesitant about a planned activity or transition, ask why. You might learn something you didn’t consider, like sensory overwhelm, anxiety, or a past negative experience—and adjust accordingly.

5. “It’s just a buzzword, it won’t work in real life.”

Child participation isn’t a trend. It’s a right, enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and backed by decades of research and international practice. It works best when integrated into everyday moments: asking for children’s input during classroom planning, involving them in household routines, or giving them a voice in decisions about their care. Participation isn’t one big conversation, it’s built through many small, consistent acts of inclusion.

💡 Try this: Invite children to co-create a weekly schedule or visual routine chart. Use photos or drawings if they don’t yet read, and talk through the steps together.

So what’s the takeaway?

Child participation doesn’t mean losing control or reversing roles. It means working in partnership. It means acknowledging that children have thoughts, feelings, and experiences that matter now, not just in the future. And it means taking the time to ask, listen, reflect, and respond.

When we do, we raise children who feel respected and who grow into adults who respect others.

Stay tuned for our forthcoming Toolkit being developed under the TOY for Participation project, which will support professionals working in non-formal as well as in formal ECEC settings to embed meaningful child participation from the start and accompany parents and communities along the child’s development journey.

Footnotes

1. Organizácia Spojených národov (1989). Dohovor o právach dieťaťa, články 12–13.
2. Lansdown, G. (2010). The Realisation of Children’s Participation Rights: Critical Reflections.
3. Thomas, N. (2007). Towards a theory of children’s participation. The International Journal of Children’s Rights, 15(2), 199–218.

About Toy for Participation

TOY for Participation is a European initiative co-funded by the European Commission and led by ICDI, working with partners across 8 countries to promote young children’s right to participate. Together, we’ve reached over 40,000 children and families through 40+ Play Hubs, with more to come. Learn more about the project and the partners on our website: https://www.reyn.eu/toy4inclusion/toy-for-participation/.

A Preschool Teacher in Slovakia Reflects on What Child Participation Really means in Practice

Keď som sa prvýkrát stretla s pojmom participácia dieťaťa, nebola som si celkom istá, čo si o ňom myslieť – dokonca som sa voči nemu cítila mierne defenzívne. Vždy mi veľmi záležalo na deťoch, ktoré učím – naznačovali však tieto moje pocity, že som toho nerobila dosť? Zároveň som ale bola zvedavá. Chcela som pochopiť, čo participácia znamená a či môže priniesť niečo nové, využiteľné v mojej praxi.

I’ve worked in early childhood education for over a decade. If you had asked me five years ago whether children in my classroom participated, I would have answered confidently: of course they do. They choose their activities, they help plan our circle time, and they take turns setting the table for lunch. But when I came across the concept of child participation through the TOY for Participation project, I realised how much deeper the idea goes. That it’s also about recognising that children have a right to share their thoughts on things that matter to them, and that we should take those thoughts seriously. As it was explained to me, according to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children are not only learning to become citizens, they are citizens, with voices that matter now¹.

That perspective shifted things for me. I had always encouraged children to share their thoughts, but I began to reflect more deeply: Were all children in my classroom truly being heard? Were their ideas shaping what we did together?

I began making small but intentional changes. During planning, I asked children to help choose the themes we would explore, not just which blocks or books to use. When a group showed interest in insects, I asked what they wanted to find out, and their ideas guided our week. We built a bug hotel in the garden, wrote stories about imaginary caterpillars, and shared what we’d learned with parents.

I also became more attentive to how children express themselves beyond words—through drawing, gestures, body language, and silence. One child with very limited verbal language communicated volumes through her artwork. Another child, new to the country, told me what mattered most through the stories he chose again and again. These moments reminded me that listening means slowing down, observing closely, and creating space for different forms of expression.

Participation and Inclusion Go Hand in Hand

The more I learned, the more I saw how participation is also very much about inclusion. I started thinking about the children in my group who don’t speak up as much—those with disabilities, different languages, or tough home situations. I realised they needed to be given more chances to share and perhaps in different ways than many of the other children in my group. It’s not just about letting children have a say, but making sure every child has a way to be heard. That made me slow down and pay closer attention.

That might mean adjusting our routines, changing how we ask questions, or offering different ways for children to respond. It might take extra time and effort. But when we build that flexibility into our practice, we show children that their contributions matter, regardless of how they express themselves.

Of course, participation doesn’t mean giving children full control. It’s about building a respectful partnership where children’s perspectives help shape what happens in the classroom. Sometimes that’s joyful, sometimes challenging. But over time, I’ve come to see those challenges as meaningful opportunities, chances to build trust, understanding, and connection.

What struck me most is how many of us—teachers, parents, carers—are already doing parts of this work without naming it. Naming it helps. It makes the practice more intentional, more inclusive, and ultimately more impactful.

Being part of the TOY for Participation project has helped me keep learning, alongside early childhood practitioners across different countries and contexts. We share ideas and experiences about how to make participation real, especially for young children and those often left out of decision-making. It’s not something extra; it’s part of what high-quality early childhood education looks like. And when children grow up knowing their voices are valued, they become adults who respect, listen, and engage with the world around them.

Further Reading

Save the Children (2005). Practice Standards in Children’s Participation. A concise, practitioner-oriented guide outlining ten quality standards for meaningful child participation. https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/document/practice-standards-childrens-participation

UNICEF (2018). Conceptual Framework for Measuring Outcomes of Adolescent Participation. While focused on adolescents, this guide offers accessible explanations of participation across developmental stages, making it useful for understanding how participation evolves as children grow. https://www.unicef.org/media/57396/file

Children’s Rights Alliance for England (2021). Participation with Purpose: Including children and young people with additional needs and disabilities. A brief, accessible resource focused on equity and inclusion. https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/craecontaug04.pdf

Footnotes

1. United Nations. (1989). Convention on the Rights of the Child, Articles 12–13.

About Toy for Participation

TOY for Participation is a European initiative co-funded by the European Commission and led by ICDI, working with partners across 8 countries to promote young children’s right to participate. Together, we’ve reached over 40,000 children and families through 40+ Play Hubs, with more to come. Learn more about the project and the partners on our website: https://www.reyn.eu/toy4inclusion/toy-for-participation/.

What Is Child Participation—And Why It Matters from the Very Start

Understanding a rights-based, relational approach to listening to young children

Even if you’ve never heard the term child participation, chances are, you’ve already practiced it. Whether you’re a parent giving your child choices about their meals, an educator inviting children to co-create a classroom routine, or a community worker consulting young people about local spaces, you are already supporting participation. The key is recognising it—and learning how to do it more intentionally, inclusively, and meaningfully.

Child participation refers to the right of children to be heard and to take part in decisions that affect their lives. Grounded in Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, it recognises children as active, capable social actors from the moment they are born¹.

This is not just about asking children for their opinion. It is about creating spaces where they can express themselves in ways that suit their age and abilities, ensuring their voices are taken seriously, and showing them how their contributions shape outcomes². Models like Hart’s Ladder of Participation and Lundy’s Framework help differentiate between token gestures and truly meaningful engagement³.

In early childhood, participation might look like toddlers choosing storybooks, or preschoolers giving input on classroom rules through drawings or photos⁴. Children express themselves through play, movement, art, and non-verbal cues—and when we learn to listen in these ways, we build trust, belonging, and agency from the ground up⁵.

Research shows that when children participate, it strengthens their cognitive development, emotional well-being, and social skills. They become more confident, resilient, and able to think critically⁶. Participation also protects children, making them more likely to voice concerns, and prepares them for active citizenship by teaching respect, cooperation, and shared responsibility⁷.

Inclusion and Equity Matter

While participation is a right for all children, not all children have equal opportunities to exercise it. Children with disabilities, children from low-income families, those from minority or migrant backgrounds, and very young children often face systemic barriers that prevent them from being heard. Traditional methods of engagement can unintentionally exclude those who do not use verbal language, or who live in unstable or under-resourced environments⁸.

Inclusion requires more than just good intentions. It means using communication tools like visual aids, sign language, and play-based methods. It means creating safe spaces where children feel respected and where their cultural and individual identities are recognised. Participation must be adapted to a child’s developmental stage, abilities, and lived experience⁹.

For example, research shows that play, storytelling, and creative expression are powerful tools for supporting non-verbal or very young children to participate meaningfully¹⁰. Likewise, projects that include children from refugee backgrounds or underrepresented communities are most effective when they use trauma-informed, culturally relevant, and multilingual approaches¹¹.

True participation means designing environments where every child—not just the most articulate or confident—can share their perspectives and shape their world. This is where equity meets practice.

A Shared Responsibility

Adults play a vital role. Participation doesn’t mean leaving children to make all the decisions. It means guiding them with care while offering space to grow. Many adults do this already, instinctively. But when child participation is approached with awareness and structure, outcomes improve—not just for children, but for society as a whole¹².

Whether you work in education, health, social sectors, or policy, recognising and embedding child participation helps create more equitable, inclusive environments. Participation isn’t something extra—it’s a way of working that honours children’s rights and enriches everyone’s experience.

Curious to Learn More? Start Here:

✔︎ Listening to Young Children: The Mosaic Approach – Clark & Moss (2011)

✔︎ Pathways to Participation – Shier (2001)

✔︎ Children’s Participation in Early Childhood Education – Correia et al. (2021)

✔︎ Handbook of Children and Young People’s Participation – Percy-Smith & Thomas (2010)

✔︎ Toolkit and Tip Sheet for including children from birth to 5 years in participation in decision-making – Hub na nÓg and DCEDIY (2024)

Footnotes

1. United Nations. (1989). Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 12.
2. Shier, H. (2001). Pathways to participation: Openings, opportunities and obligations. Children & Society, 15(2), 107–117.
3. Hart, R. (1992). Children’s participation: From tokenism to citizenship. UNICEF; Lundy, L. (2007). British Educational Research Journal, 33(6), 927–942.
4. Clark, A., & Moss, P. (2011). Listening to young children: The Mosaic approach. National Children’s Bureau.
5. Horgan, D. (2024). A Literature Review on Methodologies for Consulting with Children Aged Birth to 5 Years.
6. Brooker, L. (2017). Learning to play, or playing to learn? Routledge.
7. Lansdown, G. (2010). The realisation of children’s rights: Participation and protection. UNICEF Innocenti.
8. Theobald, M., Danby, S., & Ailwood, J. (2011). Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 36(3), 19–26.
9. Clark, A., & Moss, P. (2011); Clark, A. (2017). Space, place and children’s participation. Routledge.
10. Clark, A. (2017); Brooker, L. (2017).
11. Percy-Smith, B., & Thomas, N. (2010). Handbook of Children and Young People’s Participation. Routledge.
12. Pascal, C., & Bertram, T. (2012). EECERJ, 20(4), 477–492.

About Toy for Participation

TOY for Participation is a European initiative co-funded by the European Commission and led by ICDI, working with partners across 8 countries to promote young children’s right to participate. Together, we’ve reached over 40,000 children and families through 40+ Play Hubs, with more to come. Learn more about the project and the partners on our website: https://www.reyn.eu/toy4inclusion/toy-for-participation/.

Why Soft Skills Are the Key to Quality Early Childhood Education

Erasmus+ Project: Soft Skills for High Quality Education
Published: June 2024

🌱 What makes a teacher not just effective—but transformational?

V predprimárnom vzdelávaní nejde len o to, čo učitelia vedia. Dôležité je aj to, ako sa vedia spojiť – s deťmi, s rodičmi a so svojimi kolegami.

The ability to listen, build trust, resolve conflict, and lead with empathy—these are the essential yet often overlooked ingredients of strong educational leadership. They are known as soft skills, and they’re at the heart of what makes early education not only functional, but deeply human.

“Soft skills are not extra. They’re essential.” – Project partner, Slovenia

Why Are We Focusing on Soft Skills?

This Erasmus+ project is built around the belief that soft leadership is foundational to high-quality early childhood education. In particular, we focus on supporting leaders of Teacher Support Learning Groups (TSLGs)—groups of educators who reflect together to improve practice.

But many TSLG leaders feel unprepared for this role. They may know how to organize a meeting, but struggle to:

• Encourage equal participation
• Navigate interpersonal tension
• Listen actively and reflectively
• Create a climate of safety and trust

The project Soft Skills for High Quality Education brings together partners from Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, and Estonia. Together, we will:

What We’re Doing

The Soft Skills for High Quality Education prepája partnerov zo Slovenska, Slovinska, Chorvátska a Estónska. Spoločne plánujeme:

• Conduct national-level research on the needs of TSLG leaders
• Develop a shared training framework on soft skills
• Build a practical, multilingual Toolbox full of techniques, videos, and reflective tools
• Establish an international learning community of TSLG leaders
• Share all outputs through the ISSA Knowledge Hub

Right now, we are in the research and planning phase. Partners are completing focus groups and national surveys to understand the current situation in kindergartens.

What We’ve Learned So Far

Early findings confirm what many suspected:

• TSLG leaders often feel isolated in their role
• They lack structured opportunities to develop facilitation skills
• Emotional and communication challenges are common
• There is strong interest in developing soft skills—but few accessible tools

This feedback is shaping the design of our training and materials.

Next steps

Over the next year, we will:

• Finalize the Soft Skills Training Framework
• Prepare and deliver a Training of Trainers (ToT) for national partners
• Begin piloting the training in kindergartens in 2025
• Launch the first modules of the Toolbox
• Facilitate the first international professional learning community (iPLC) meetings

Our goal is to create lasting change by empowering leaders with the skills they need—not only to manage teams, but to inspire growth and inclusion.

Stay Connected

We invite you to follow along.