Knowledge Bank

Social skills refer to the ability to have effective communication with others and the desire to have a positive impact on one's environment and society. Great effort is made to ensure children develop the ability to work together, empathize with others, and show kindness and respect to others. Social skills are related to emotional literacy, a sense of justice, and leadership ability. Social skills primarily develop through active, democratic collaboration, where children have the opportunity to demonstrate their minds in action and express their views. Thus, the child becomes an active participant in shaping the society they belong to.

• Classes on placement assessments for new students in Iceland. A course series on administering placement assessments. The series contains five classes. The national curriculum for primary schools mandates placement assessments for new students in Iceland when they start primary school. Assessments should be in the student's strongest language.
• Where do I hear and speak Icelandic? Language policy work with students on discussing language and usage. More information is on the Center for Language and Literacy (MML) website..
• Singing School. The Singing School project aims to increase general singing in schools and break down barriers between music education and other teaching. It helps all professionals see the importance of singing and music for children in building vocabulary, empathy, social skills, language proficiency, inclusion and more. The Singing School database allows all staff to use singing in their work with children.
• Save The Children - Friendship. An anti-bullying prevention project. It's suitable for ages 0-9 and contains many useful tools for school activities. More at: barnaheill.is/is/forvarnir/vinatta
• Our Words. The Directorate of Equality launched the Our Words campaign to encourage people to consider the power of their words. Words can hurt, divide and break down, but they can also nurture, comfort and unite.
• Móðurmál: Association on Bilingualism. An advocacy and umbrella organization supporting native language education in the capital area. Móðurmál aims to support native language groups and teachers, work with multilingual children's parents to create opportunities for native language learning, participate in research on multilingualism and native languages, develop native language education, and support active multilingualism in society. Their website: modurmal.com/
• Móðurmál: the Association on Bilingualism. an interest and umbrella organization that supports and manages mother tongue teaching in the Capital City Area in Iceland. Móðurmál aims to support mother tongue groups and mother tongue teachers, to work with parents of plurilingual children to create opportunities for the children to learn their mother tongues, to participate in research on multilingualism and mother tongues, to develop mother tongue teaching, and to support active multilingualism in society. Website: modurmal.com/
• The Rjúpnahæð Method - a teaching approach to democracy. This method has been in development at Rjúpnahæð preschool for nearly 20 years. Two books have been published: The Rjúpnahæð Method - A Guide to Democracy for Schools and Children and Peace - How Children Interpret Peace.
• Helping and receiving help in a friendly way. A simple method to train children in helping each other without taking over. Useful for introducing learning tools, but also works well in math classes. A short video explains the method to students. A poster can be displayed after introducing the method as a reminder.
• Uppspretta: a website run by Reykjavík City with various educational offerings for Reykjavík City primary schools. Other municipalities can use the site to review offerings. Uppspretta website: uppspretta.reykjavik.is/
• Skrekkur. Annual talent competition by Reykjavík City, an event that strengthens student democracy and enhances participants' cooperation and social skills.

The Reykjavík City Education Policy website's toolkit contains hundreds of tools. It's easy to search by connection to the Education Policy, type of material, and target groups.

Self-empowerment involves the child gaining confidence in their abilities, learning to recognize their strengths and weaknesses, and setting and pursuing goals. Self-empowerment is based on self-awareness and resilience. A clear and strong self-image helps the child to make independent, responsible decisions, face adversity, and live in harmony with others. Self-control and communication skills are closely linked and affect children's self-esteem, well-being, academic performance, and success in life.

The Education Policy action plan for 2022-2024 aims to publish new handbooks for primary school support service heads of division, preschool special education directors, and prosperity in recreational activities. The results of this work are:

• Handbook for special education directors.
• Handbook for support service heads of division
• Handbook on prosperity in recreational activities 
• Gender Equality Academy. The Gender Equality School creates a platform for education, counseling, and support regarding equality education, human rights, and sexual health. It serves City staff in school and recreational activities, as well as children and parents when applicable. These include a toolkit for teaching LGBTQ+ and gender studies.

The Reykjavík City Education Policy website's toolkit contains hundreds of tools. It's easy to search by connection to the Education Policy, type of material, and target groups.

Literacy refers to the ability to read, understand, interpret, and critically engage with written language, words, numbers, images, and symbols. In a broad sense, the concept also refers to literacy in various media, environments, behaviors, and situations. Literacy is inherently a social phenomenon and begins with the language education of children at birth. Good literacy skills in Icelandic are key to acquiring knowledge and understanding of the environment and society.

• Brochures about bi- and multilingualism in seven languages. Three pamphlets are available for parents and staff of preschools and primary schools. The pamphlets, originally in French, are available in several languages on the Aloadiversite website. They are intended as supplementary material for parent interviews with counseling or parenting education about multilingual children's language world and quality language stimulation.
• Quality language stimulation in daily activities. A poster about quality language stimulation in preschool activities is available for printing and display. It's best to hang the poster in high-traffic areas. Consider printing an extra copy for the cloakroom where parents can also read it, though it's designed with preschool staff in mind.
• Intercultural education - Ukraine and Poland. The Bridge Builders - Bilingual Advisors at MML page offers education about children's diverse cultural backgrounds in the city.
• Picture theme (Bildetema) The picture dictionary is based on photographs and organized by themes. Each word is recorded in Icelandic and can be listened to.

The Reykjavík City Education Policy website's toolkit contains hundreds of tools. It's easy to search by connection to the Education Policy, type of material, and target groups.

Creation is a complex process that is fundamentally based on curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking, but also on knowledge, initiative, and skill. Creation takes flight where challenges are varied, questions are open, solutions are many, and emphasis is on execution and its visibility. Through the creative process, something of value is created for the child itself, the immediate environment, and/or society.

• Mixtúra on Instagram, the Department of Education & Youth's creation and technology workshop
• Mixtúra podcast captures short stories and longer narratives from school and recreational activities
• Mixið, a development project on mobile creation and technology workshops, diverse and creative submissions
• Singing School, a database and tool for teachers in preschools, primary schools, and recreational activities to increase singing and music in their work
• Educational Camp (I. menntabúðir), coverage in Kastljós 2023, coverage in Kastljós 2024
• Outside the Box - design thinking and 21st century skills. New teaching material tailored for teachers and children in primary and secondary schools with no prior experience using design methods. The teaching material is available at mms.is
• The Big Lego Competition for Primary Schools - First Lego League. An annual event every fall since 2005. More about the competition here: firstlego.is/ and on the Facebook page: facebook.com/FLLaIslandi
• Landvernd – Icelandic Environment Association - Climate Workshops. New educational material regarding education for sustainability. More on the website: menntuntilsjalfbaerni.is/gagnlegt-efni/namsefni/
• Elliðaárstöð. Introduction to educational activities at Elliðaárstöð about technology and science, focusing on energy and resources. In addition to great educational activities, a water playground has opened and a café is about to open! School group bookings can be made here: ellidaarstod.is/skolahopar/
• Science Feast - Science on Stage Europe. A European network for teachers, an excellent continuing education opportunity for all science, mathematics, and technology teachers at all school levels.

The Reykjavík City Education Policy website's toolkit contains hundreds of tools. It's easy to search by connection to the Education Policy, type of material, and target groups.

Health encompasses aspects like lifestyle and consumption habits, physical ability, sexual health, and mental and social well-being. Ideas about health have evolved with increased knowledge of the interplay between mind and body, natural and social environments, and the effects of substances and food. In a nutshell, a person is healthy who has adopted a healthy lifestyle and acquired the ability to protect their own health. A child's well-being in daily life lays the foundation for active participation, increased competence, and success in school and recreational activities.

• Health-promoting preschool. Health-promoting preschool focuses on working systematically to promote health. The environment should allow everyone to feel comfortable in their preschool, both staff and children.
• Health-promoting primary schools. Health-promoting primary schools aim to support schools in working systematically on health promotion. This involves creating a school environment that promotes mental, physical and social health and well-being of students and staff in cooperation with homes and the local community. Schools develop a comprehensive and well-organized health policy that considers the entire school community.
• Health-promoting after-school programs. The checklist is divided into four basic elements that are the responsibility of after-school programs: exercise and outdoor activities, nutrition, well-being and lifestyle. The checklist is intended to examine how the after-school program is working on set priorities, what is done well and where opportunities for improvement lie.
• Health-promoting youth centers. The checklist is divided into four basic elements that are the responsibility of youth centers: exercise and outdoor activities, nutrition, well-being and lifestyle. The checklist is intended to examine how the youth center is working on set priorities, what is done well and where opportunities for improvement lie.
• Week6. Sexual health campaign held annually in the 6th week of the year. Learn about the idea behind the campaign and get good advice! View content related to Week6 at: reykjavik.is/en/week6

The Reykjavík City Education Policy website's toolkit contains hundreds of tools. It's easy to search by connection to the Education Policy, type of material, and target groups.

• Child prosperity in Reykjavík and Better City for Children, or the BBB project. The Act on the Integration of Services in the Interest of Children’s Prosperity took effect on January 1, 2022. The goal of the Act is to ensure children and guardians receive the right assistance, at the right time, from the right parties. Reykjavík City implements the Prosperity Act through the Better City for Children project. Families and children in need of early support have guaranteed access to a prosperity contact in the child's immediate environment, such as in preschool or primary school. The laws' guiding principles are clear: monitor, respond, collaborate.
• BBB information source. Reykjavík City staff working with children can access important project information and documents such as forms, procedures, and other guidelines here.