The Butterfly Model
The objectives of the Butterfly project is to develop pedagogical tools for staff in ECEC-institutions for the transition of children with special needs or in vulnerable situations from family to ECEC-institutions:
- The tools are based on fundamental democratic values about inclusion and human rights.
- The tools reflect the four wings of the BM. Tools will be validated in terms of cultural sensitivity, user friendly value, coherence between the activities, time effectiveness, and efficiency.
- The tools can have different formats such as observation schemas, guidelines for activities and curriculum plans, visual schedules, parent communication apps and portals, and reflective practice journals.
Tools developed in the project
| Title of the tool | Open Day / Letter from Families |
| Focus | School–family relations wing |
| Objectives for the tool | To establish early contact with families before or at the beginning of the school year. To gather families’ expectations, concerns and hopes for their children. To create trust, emotional safety and a first sense of belonging to the school community. |
| Description of the tool | Plan an open day or welcome visit for new families, coordinated by the management team and class tutors. Hold individual conversations or interviews to learn about each child, family expectations and possible support needs. Invite families to contribute a simple personal element, such as a letter, photographs or a short written wish for their child. Display or use these contributions in classrooms or shared spaces so that home and school are visibly connected from the start. |
| Experiences with the tool | At CEIP Andalucía, the tool was linked to the school’s annual project and included individual family interviews to document expectations for the new school year. At CEI Providencia de Jesús María, newly enrolled families visited the centre before the school year began; families wrote wishes on heart-shaped cards that were placed on a shared mural. Teachers reported that the tool works best when it combines practical information with symbolic and emotional welcome. Time is needed for interviews and preparation, but the tool is highly transferable because it can be adapted to very different school contexts with simple resources. |
| Reflections | The tool fits naturally into daily practice as part of the school start-up process and family welcome routines. Families valued feeling listened to and recognised from the beginning; some mothers described the school as ‘like a family’. Staff saw it as a strong foundation for later communication, trust and collaboration. In the Spanish pilot, it was identified as one of the most transferable tools because it strengthens belonging, shared expectations and a culture of care from the very beginning. |
| Title of the tool | Collaborative Reflection Journals / Decalogue |
| Focus | Teaching staff / curriculum wing |
| Objectives for the tool | To promote shared reflection among teachers on their educational practice.To define visible and common pedagogical principles that guide the centre’s work.To strengthen coherence, teamwork and communication with families and the wider community. |
| Description of the tool | Create structured opportunities for individual and collective staff reflection on teaching, inclusion and relationships with families.Document the main ideas through journals, surveys, internal discussions or cooperative reflection dynamics.Select the most relevant shared principles and turn them into a short decalogue or visual summary.Display and revisit the decalogue as a living document that guides practice and can be revised over time. |
| Experiences with the tool | At CEIP Andalucía, staff took part in a collaborative survey with full participation and developed a flexible decalogue of good practices.At CEI Providencia de Jesús María, the reflection process led to ten key ideas represented in an accessible visual thinking panel.Teachers highlighted that the process helped them reflect on what they do, how they do it and what they want to improve.The main barrier was finding enough time for deep collective reflection, but the tool proved valuable for building a common professional culture. |
| Reflections | This tool fits everyday institutions´ practice when reflection is treated as part of professional work rather than as an extra task.Staff evaluated it positively because it made their shared educational identity more explicit and strengthened motivation and commitment.Families and the community benefited from clearer communication about the centre’s values and educational approach.The tool supports long-term pedagogical alignment and can be adapted to different formats depending on each institution’s culture and resources. |
| Title of the tool | New Pupil Inclusion / Peer Mentoring |
| Focus | Peers wing |
| Objectives for the tool | To support the adaptation of newly arrived or younger children through peer relationships. To promote emotional security, autonomy and a sense of belonging through everyday interaction with other children. To give older or more experienced pupils meaningful roles of care, guidance and shared responsibility. |
| Description of the tool | Identify moments of transition or inclusion where peer support can be especially helpful, such as arrival, play, reading activities or inter-level visits. Organise simple mentoring experiences between same-age peers or children from different age groups, with adult guidance. Prepare children for these encounters so that mentoring means accompanying, showing, waiting and helping rather than directing or controlling. Observe interactions, adjust pairings or groupings when needed, and document how peer support affects participation, confidence and belonging. |
| Experiences with the tool | At CEIP Andalucía, the tool was developed through reading buddy experiences, inter-level activities and a mentoring framework linking Early Childhood and Year 1 Primary pupils. At CEI Providencia de Jesús María, older groups visited younger classrooms through activities such as ‘A Day in the Class of…’, linked to ongoing learning projects. Teachers reported that younger children often looked for the hand of their ‘big brother’ or ‘big sister’ when entering shared spaces such as the sensory room. The tool increased autonomy, responsibility, empathy and positive cross-age bonds, although staff also noted the need for preparation and follow-up so that support remained inclusive and well balanced. |
| Reflections | Peer mentoring fits daily practice well because it can be embedded in existing routines, projects and shared activities rather than added as a separate programme. Children benefited from safer transitions, clearer understanding of routines and stronger peer bonds. Staff valued the way the tool turned peer relations into an educational resource rather than leaving them entirely to spontaneity. The tool has strong transfer potential, especially in centres that want to strengthen belonging and inclusion through entrenched in existing relationship-based practices. |
| Title of the tool | Space for All |
| Focus | Relationships between staff / children wing |
| Objectives for the tool | To redesign physical and social spaces so they actively promote well-being, participation and inclusion. To make the environment more attractive, accessible and meaningful for children, families and staff. To support emotional regulation, sensory exploration and a stronger sense of belonging to the centre. |
| Description of the tool | Review the school environment from the child’s perspective, paying attention to accessibility, comfort, stimulation and participation. Identify priority spaces to renew, adapt or enrich, such as classrooms, corridors, family areas or sensory environments. Implement concrete changes in furniture, materials, aesthetics, signage or specialised spaces, involving staff and, when possible, children and families. Observe how the new spaces are used and valued, and continue adjusting them to support attendance, inclusion and positive interaction. |
| Experiences with the tool | At CEIP Andalucía, the tool was developed through reading buddy experiences, inter-level activities and a mentoring framework linking Early Childhood and Year 1 Primary pupils. AAt CEIP Andalucía, classrooms were renovated and adapted to children’s developmental needs, and a Family Workshop Classroom was strengthened. At CEI Providencia de Jesús María, themed learning corners, visual signage and a sensory room were developed or improved with Butterfly support. Teachers described children’s strong engagement with spaces such as the marine tunnel, while families commented that the classrooms felt beautiful, bright and welcoming. The tool requires resources, coordination and time, but it was associated with motivation, better attendance, sensory exploration and increased family participation. |
| Reflections | The tool fits daily practice because space is part of pedagogy: it shapes how children move, explore, regulate emotions and relate to others. Children responded with enthusiasm and curiosity, often appropriating the new environments as meaningful places of their own. Families valued the renewed spaces as signs of care, dignity and educational quality. Staff saw that changing the environment could support inclusion in very concrete ways, especially in contexts affected by vulnerability and absenteeism. |
| Title of the tool | We’re in This Together |
| Focus | School–community relations wing |
| Objectives for the tool | To open the school to the neighbourhood and strengthen links with families, volunteers and community actors. To build shared goals for school improvement and social transformation. To challenge stigma and reinforce trust, recognition and community belonging. |
| Description of the tool | Create participatory spaces where families, staff, children and community members can express dreams, expectations and priorities for the school. Set up mixed groups or committees to organise actions that respond to these shared goals. Develop visible community activities such as workshops, volunteering, visits, murals, planting or recycling actions. Document and celebrate the results so that the school becomes a visible shared project within the neighbourhood and beyond. |
| Experiences with the tool | At CEIP Andalucía, Mixed Dream Committees organised actions such as murals, planting and recycling, and the ‘Tree of Dreams’ gathered the voices of pupils, families and staff. At CEI Providencia de Jesús María, family workshops, volunteer participation and visits from pupils of other schools in the city were used to strengthen cooperation and reduce prejudice. Teachers and management teams saw this tool as especially valuable because it is less common than classroom-based innovations and directly supports community change. |
| Reflections | The tool fits daily practice when the school is understood as part of a wider community rather than as a closed institution. Families and community members valued being able to work together with the school for their children’s future and spoke about education as a shared responsibility. Staff highlighted its power to connect different realities within the neighbourhood and to make the school’s work visible. The wider community responded positively, and inter-school visits helped challenge stereotypes by showing that children in the neighbourhood are ‘just like them’. |
| Title of the tool | A Letter from the Family and Child |
| Focus | Family |
| Objectives for the tool | To open the school to the neighbourhood and strengthen links with families, volunteers and cTo give staff an early, nuanced insight into the child’s life, interests, routines, and relationships To support a child‑centered and relational starting point for pedagogical work To strengthen mutual trust by recognizing families as key knowledge holders To shift collaboration away from one‑way institutional communication |
| Description of the tool | The tool invites parents to write a letter to the institution before or during the child’s start in nursery. The letter focuses on the family and, in particular, the child, The letter can be written from the parents’ perspective or in the child’s voice, depending on what feels meaningful for the family. Step 1: Staff invite parents to write a letter, offering guiding prompts such as: Who is your child? What does your child enjoy or find difficult? What should we know to support your child well? Step 2: Parents write the letter in their own words, style, and language, deciding what they wish to share. Step 3: Staff read the letter collectively or individually, using it to inform early interactions, routines, and expectations. Step 4: The letter becomes a reference point for dialogue and can be revisited as the child’s everyday life in the nursery unfolds. |
| Experiences with the tool | At CEIP Andalucía, Mixed Dream Committees organised actions such as murals, planting and rEmphasise that there is no “right” way to write the letter Allow the use of different languages or formats if needed Frame the letter as an invitation, not a requirement Some parents may find writing difficult or unfamiliar Requires staff time to read and reflect on the letters |
| Reflections | Children: Are met as individuals with recognizable histories Parents: Feel seen and taken seriously as contributors Staff: Gain deeper relational and contextual understanding of the child and family |
| Title of the tool | Local Community Helpers |
| Focus | Local community |
| Objectives for the tool | To strengthen connections between the nursery and the local community To support children’s sense of belonging beyond the institution To create meaningful intergenerational encounters in everyday practice To free up staff time for pedagogical work by sharing practical tasks |
| Description of the tool | The tool invites people from the local community, particularly the elderly, to take part in the daily life of the nursery by helping with practical tasks and activities. Their involvement is informal, recurring, and relationship‑based rather than project‑oriented. Step 1: The nursery identifies and invites interested community members who wish to contribute to everyday activities. Step 2: Community members assist with practical tasks such as: Preparing food Fixing or maintaining the playground Gardening Supporting activities around special occasions Step 3: Children are included in these activities through conversation, observation, and participation, allowing relationships to emerge naturally. Step 4: Staff maintain ongoing dialogue with community members to ensure clarity, continuity, and mutual satisfaction. |
| Experiences with the tool | Start with concrete, meaningful tasks Allow relationships to grow slowly and organically Be clear about roles and expectations Legal and organisational considerations related to volunteers Coordination and continuity can require support |
| Reflections | Children: Enjoy intergenerational interaction and shared activities Staff: Gain time and experience stronger community support Community members: Feel valued, useful, and connected to local children and families |
| Title of the tool | Mentors – The older children as mentors for new children |
| Focus | Peer relations |
| Objectives for the tool | To support new children’s transition into the nursery through peer support To strengthen older children’s sense of responsibility, agency, and social awareness To foster a welcoming, inclusive peer culture To embed care, attention, and belonging as shared values among children |
| Description of the tool | The Mentors tool organizes peer relationships by inviting selected older children to take on a mentoring role when a new child joins the group. The role is informal and relational, centered on everyday support rather than instruction. Step 1: Staff identify one or more older children who can act as mentors, considering: The mentor’s interest and readiness Compatibility between mentor and new child The mentor’s upcoming transitions (e.g. to kindergarten) Step 2: The mentor is introduced to their role in an age‑appropriate way (e.g. “help show where things are,” ) Step 3: During daily routines, mentors support the new child by: Initiating play Offering comfort Helping with practical orientation (toys, rooms, routines) Step 4: Staff observe and support the mentoring relationship, adjusting if needed and acknowledging the mentor’s effort informally. |
| Experiences with the tool | Keep the mentor role flexible rather than fixed Let mentoring emerge playfully, not as a duty Organizational challenges related to different routines (e.g. nap times, age groups) Requires staff attentiveness to avoid overburdening mentors |
| Reflections | New children: Experience faster inclusion and emotional support Mentors: Show pride, care, and increased social responsibility Staff: Observe strengthened peer competence and inclusive culture |
| Title of the tool | Open Door |
| Focus | Family & Professionals / Inter‑relational collaboration |
| Objectives for the tool | To create a sense of safety and accessibility for families To strengthen collaboration between parents, staff, and professionals To support early, preventive intervention rather than late problem‑focused action To avoid marginalization by ensuring families are not only contacted when concerns arise To enable families to support and learn from one another |
| Description of the tool | Open Door establishes the nursery as a shared, accessible space where families and professionals can meet informally and regularly. Rather than calling individual families in for specific meetings, the institution creates time and room for dialogue, and support. Step 1: The institution designates regular, visible times where doors are “open” to parents and professionals (e.g. fixed weekly or bi‑weekly slots). The health visitor (and potentially other professionals) is physically present in the institution, with time and space for informal conversations. Step 2: Families are invited to drop in, ask questions, observe, or talk, without a predefined problem or agenda. Step 3: Staff support dialogue, facilitate connections between families if relevant, and help families navigate available professional support if needed. |
| Experiences with the tool | Keep the setting informal and welcoming Make professional presence visible and predictable Emphasize that participation is voluntary and open to all Requires coordination and prioritization of time and space Some families may initially hesitate to engage |
| Reflections | Families: Experience safety, accessibility, and reduced stigma Staff: Gain stronger inter‑professional collaboration and earlier insight into family needs Othe professionals: Become integrated into everyday institutional life rather than external actor |
| Title of the tool | Welcome Suitcase |
| Focus | Staff – Parent relation |
| Objectives for the tool | To support children’s transition from home to nursery by fostering trust, security, and familiarity prior to enrolment To create a shared relational starting point for staff and parents, shifting collaboration from one-way information to dialogical exchange To bridge cultural, linguistic, and experiential gaps between families and the nursery To make the nursery’s pedagogical culture accessible through material, embodied, and playful form |
| Description of the tool | The Welcome Suitcase is a material–relational tool that moves between the nursery and the family home prior to (or during) the child’s start in ECEC. Rather than merely informing parents, the suitcase invites participation, positioning families as knowledge holders and co-constructors of the child’s transition. Step 1: Staff organize the suitcase with Written or visual material presenting the nursery’s everyday life, values, and routines Transitional objects (e.g. book, teddy, soap bubbles) that encourage interaction rather than instruction Step 2: The suitcase is delivered to the family, either at the nursery or at the child’s home. This could be done by staff accompanied by children from the group. Step 3: At home, parents and children explore the contents together. Families are invited to contribute back, for example through: Letters written from the child’s perspective Notes about routines, preferences, and everyday practices Step 4: Upon return, staff and parents engage in dialogue based on the family’s contributions, using these insights to inform the child’s settling-in process and early pedagogical decisions. |
| Experiences with the tool | Multimodal communication (objects, letters, images) supports families with limited national language proficiency Inclusion of local community material (brochures, invitations) expands the tool’s reach Home delivery can be logistically demanding |
| Reflections | Children: Gain familiarity and shared attention before start Parents: Feel welcomed and recognized as active contributors Staff: Develop deeper contextual understanding, supporting responsive inclusion Local community: Becomes visible as part of the child’s wider learning context |