When the wisdom of age meets the wonder of childhood

‘Twelve pre-school children stream down a corridor of a Co Meath nursing home and into the large activities room where more than a dozen residents are eagerly waiting for their arrival’. This was the opening line in a 1-page spread about intergenerational learning as a pedagogical approach, which featured in Ireland’s newspaper of record, The Irish Times.

The article is based on an interview with Dr. Anne Fitzpatrick, co-founder of Together Old and Young and author of Generations Growing Together available here. Intergenerational practice is brought to life in the article through the experiences of the children, parents and staff of Happy Days, Ratoath ECEC service, the residents of Silver Stream Ratoath Manor Nursing Home, and It’s a Small World Montessori, Raheny pre-school.

Opportunities for young children to realise their rights as fully fledged citizens are showcased throughout the article with examples of children becoming more visible in society as they contribute their vitality and care to older person’s groups and the wider community.

Importantly, parents’ enthusiasm for the participation of their children in IGL programmes which acknowledges the contribution of older adults to their children’s learning can be understood from the words of one parent… ‘it is what attracted us to the preschool…it is so beneficial…they are learning to be gentle and empathetic…’.

To read the full article click here.