Parent Coaching Training Program for the Kanvas Kindergarten Foundation

Training for staff and parents in Kanvas kindergartens!

A group of 15 kindergarten teachers from the Kanvas Kindergarten Foundation have completed a parent coach training program over 10 days with Hans Holter Solhjell. The training is based on the PLS regulation support model and followed the same curriculum as Famlab’s PLS professional training program.

The purpose of the training was to develop the competence of the participants in developmentally supportive communication and conflict resolution in relationships with children and strengthen their competence in coaching staff in their kindergartens as well as parents who want coaching.

Kanvas is Norway’s largest non-profit kindergarten foundation and in 2019 had 66 kindergartens and 1169 employees. You can read more about Kanvas’ kindergartens here.

Coaching parents in kindergartens.

Kindergartens can be a great resource for parents who want guidance. Many parents ask for tips and advice from the staff in kindergartens. Kindergarten staff typically know the children and parents concerned well and are competent in the field of children’s development.

There are also many natural meeting points in everyday life in addition to special time set aside for conversations with parents. In Kanvas kindergartens, extra time was also set aside for coaching parents who wanted it, in addition to the usual conversations.

In an article, in Norwegian, on Kanvas kindergarten’s website, you can read about the experiences they have had and how they have used the content of the training program since it was conducted. We have translated the main parts here to English.

Fewer conflicts in everyday life.

Here is the link to the article and some excerpts.

“In Rektorhaugen Kanvas kindergarten, the children’s experiences and expressions are better recognized and acknowledged throughout the kindergarten day. – I experience that the children feel more understood and then the number of conflicts decreases”, says kindergarten teacher Hilde Kjersti Asphjell

She is a kindergarten teacher in Rektorhaugen Kanvas kindergarten and has immersed herself in the Positive Learning Spirals (PLS) pedagogical model. A key part of the model is about acknowledging the child’s experience of a situation the childs need to feel understood and acknowledged. The PLS helps adults lead everyday situations while supporting and including the childrens perspectives and input for solutions and problem-solving, and making sure that they have an equal opportunity to express themselves.

Recognizes children’s feelings.

“After completing the training, I had a eureka moment in a conflict situation with the children here in the kindergarten. There are some things we think we do and are good at, that we may not do as much as we think. Especially when it comes to acknowledging children’s feelings throughout the day in the kindergarten. Now we do what much more and we can to understand better what the childre express”, says Hilde Kjersti Asphjell.

All the employees in Rektorhaugen Kanvas kindergarten have been introduced to the PLS model, and it has been a topic at planning days and staff meetings. This has helped reduce conflicts and frustration from misunderstandings and unclear communication.

The PLS has changed the adults’ communication style and improved cooperation amongst the staff.

The children have more confidence that we will help them when they know that they will also have the opportunity to e their experiences of a situation. I have also noticed that they have become better at listening to each other and seeing the other person’s perspective in conflicts “, says Asphjell, and adds that the employees have become better at seeing each other and exchanging experiences, tips and solutions.

In addition to focusing on spending time to meet the children and understand their needs, , the Rektorhaugen Kanvas kindergarten also has a separate advisory service for parents who want guidance.

You can read the whole article in Norwegian here.

Learn more about the practical use of the PLS regulation support model!