Parent Partnership
The benefits of good relationships with parents and carers
Involving parents and carers in their children’s learning is one of the most, if not most important factor, in enabling children to make progress, which is why it is so important to us.
Our relationship begins from the very first contact, whether that be an in-person visit, a telephone call or email.
Further communication, on acceptance of a space, helps us to get to know your child and plan for any additional support that may be required, which will be essential during the settling-in period.
The aim of our 'welcome pack' paperwork and 'all about me' booklet is to help staff get to know your child as well as their family and community culture. This helps us to understand children's interests, strengths, challenges and what is important to them. We invite parents to share all they can about their child to help us discover how best to support their learning.
Our annual stay & play open morning provides an opportunity for prospective starters to visit with their parents or carers and our current cohort an opportunity to share their pre-school experiences with their parents and carers.
We regularly share ideas with parents and carers of how children can be supported with their learning and development at home.
Parents and carers are encouraged to share any concerns they may have with their child's key person.
English as an additional language (EAL)
English society is multilingual, with an estimated 360 languages spoken across the country.
The role of parents and carers
It’s better for young children to communicate with their parents in the dominant home language, especially if parents are not fluent English speakers themselves.
Children with English as an additional language may need more time settling in - we suggest to parents to talk to their child about the setting’s routines at home.
Supporting children with EAL
Children with English as an additional language need to hear English spoken by the adults in the setting in as many different contexts as possible. When the context has meaning for the child they are more able to learn spoken English from the adult.
Our observations will assess the child’s spoken vocabulary and enable us to build on what they already know. Staff use techniques of modelling language and playing alongside - in this way the child hears spoken language directly connected to their actions. We focus on commenting and labelling rather than questioning to support learning which introduces vocabulary in context
Children will start to speak English and any other languages they may be learning, in different ways. Some children will enthusiastically copy what they hear around them right from the start. Children may start by verbalising single words and 2 or 3 word phrases.
More complex spoken language in English will build up over time.
Some children go through a silent period. This can be for as long as 6 months. During this time the child will have been listening intently to adults and children in the setting and once they are confident with their initial speech, they will typically speak far more. Over time, pre-school becomes a secure place for the child and they gain confidence in their play and interactions.
Helping children understand the setting
Within the setting we aim to include books, songs, greetings and counting in home languages as appropriate for each child and their stage of development. We have a visual timetable with picture cards to support understanding of specific routines during a session. We display feelings and emotions picture cards so children can label their own and others emotions. Story and song props are used regularly to help give meaning to the words . If necessary, we obtain lists of key words from home to help us support children and identify their needs and feelings within the setting.
When talking to children, we
- speak clearly and slowly
- make sure we get down to the child's level and gain attention, face to face
- demonstrate our meaning with actions and offer non-verbal cues
- give thinking time without extra language input
Online resources for parents and carers
Ideas for rhymes and songs
BBC Resource explaining the benefit of speaking your home language with your young child.