The most important people in your child’s life Parents The most important people in your child’s life

Dear God, I thank you for the gift of this child to raise, this life to share, this mind to help mould, this body to nurture, and this spirit to enrich. Let me never betray this child’s trust, dampen this child’s hope, or discourage this child’s dreams. Help me, dear God, to help this precious child become all you mean them to be. Let your grace and love fall on them like gentle breezes and give them inner strength and peace and patience for the journey ahead. Amen.

Home environment What parents do is more important than who parents are (EPPE project 2004) Children with strong home learning environments are ahead in both social and cognitive development at the age of 3 In the primary years, family influences have a more powerful effect on children’s attainment and progress than school factors This advantage continues as children progress through school, with children scoring highly in testing at age 7, 11 and 14 Gains in pupil achievement stemming from parental engagement initiatives tend to be permanent

Parental engagement has a significant effect throughout a child’s school years All parents can enhance their child’s progress, regardless of external factors (social class, living conditions, income) Children of parents who take an active interest in their education make greater progress than other children Home-based factors that make the strongest contribution to children’s achievements in primary years include extent of one- to-one interaction between parent and child, and parental involvement in educational activities with your child Parents’ aspirations for their children strongly predict their achievement

Child development Some development comes naturally and without teaching… Language and communication must be taught. Children will achieve better in school (and therefore in life) if they have mature language skills

By 2 years, the experiences of the child By 22 months, a child’s development can predict outcomes at 26 By 2 years, 75% of a child’s brain growth has occurred. By 2 years, the experiences of the child physically affect the brain structure. By 5 years old, a child’s vocabulary will predict educational ability and outcomes by the age of 30 By 4 years, the difference in the number of words children from language poor homes to those in language rich homes hear, is 19 million.

Key ways that young children learn • playing • being with other people • being active • exploring new things and experiences • talking to themselves • communicating about what they are doing with someone who responds to their ideas • representing ideas and experiences • meeting physical and mental challenges • being shown how to do things • practising, repeating, applying skills • having fun

‘Play is the work of Children’ (1949 Rena Wilson) ‘Children under 5 … the only age group in school that is busy making up it’s own work assignments’. ‘Do you ever play? What are you achieving? What stands in your way? What skills do you use to overcome them… remind yourself of what it’s like to be a child.’ Rena Wilson

How Parents Can Help Children’s Play talk about play ideas, choices and decisions help them to maintain play provide everyday play situations provide the equipment they require model the possibilities for pretend play support children in extending their play help children to recall events and rules and to make links with previous experiences provide enough space and time for children to play

... it’s as thrilling a frontier as outer space or the deep sea. Language development Learning to talk and acquiring language, is one of the most remarkable and ordinary things human beings do. ... it’s as thrilling a frontier as outer space or the deep sea.

The Developing Communicator Speech, Language and Communication Development The Developing Communicator 22—36 months Listening and Attention: - Single channelled attention. Can shift to a different task if attention fully obtained – using child’s name helps focus. (by 36 months) - Listens with interest to the noises adults make when they read stories. - Recognises and responds to many familiar sounds e.g. turning to a knock on the door, looking at or going to the door. Understanding of Language: - Identifies action words by pointing to the right picture, e.g., "Who's jumping?" (by 30 months) - Understands 'who', 'what', 'where' in simple questions (e.g. Who’s that? Who can? What’s that? Where is.?). - Developing understanding of simple concepts (e.g. big or little) Talking: - Learns new words very rapidly and is able to use them in communicating. - Uses action, sometimes with limited talk, that is largely concerned with the ‘here and now’ (e.g. reaches toward toy, saying ‘I have it). - Uses a variety of questions (e.g. what, where, who). - Uses simple sentences (e.g.’ Mummy gonna work.’) - Beginning to use word endings (e.g. going, cats) Social Communication: - Uses language as a powerful means of widening contacts, sharing feelings, experiences and thoughts. - Holds a conversation, jumping from topic to topic. - Enjoys being with and talking to adults and other children. - Interested in others’ play and will join in. - Responds to the feelings of others

Things you can do at home to support language development Games/activities to encourage listening and following instructions Use your child’s name to get attention, once attention is gained then give instructions Use a variety of new words to introduce basic ideas. (ensure they are in context with what the child is doing) Make up a special ‘talking den’ or cosy space that interests or excites him/her. Your child will love to spend time in it, thinking, talking and sharing books or toys with you. Teach good listening skills. (You say, ‘Mummy’s turn’ (you speak) then you say ‘Yasmin’s turn’ (give time for child to speak) Copy the words your child uses and then add one more word. (Child = ‘Big boots’, Adult= ‘Yes, big rubber boots’) Don’t correct your child’s incorrect pronunciation, rather model the correct way to say words and sentences. (Child= ‘I got some pishys’. Adult= ‘Yes you bought some fish’) Copy what the child is doing without using his/her toys. Sit behind or near initially and play just as your child is playing– gradually get closer, then work and play together Play sorting and matching games. Act out real life situations Draw your child’s attention to environmental sounds and their properties. Label them clearly and compare them with others. This will support your child’s reading and spelling skills

The Questioning Communicator Speech, Language and Communication Development The Questioning Communicator 30 — 50 months Listening and Attention: - Listens to others in one to one or small groups, when conversation interests them. - Listens to stories with increasing attention and recall. - Joins in with repeated refrains and anticipates key events and phrases in rhymes and stories. - Focusing attention – still listen or do, but can shift own attention. - Is able to follow directions (if not intently focused on own choice of activity). Understanding of Language: - Understands use of objects (e.g. "What do we use to cut things?’) - Shows understanding of prepositions such as 'under', 'on top', 'behind' by carrying out an action or selecting correct picture. - Beginning to understand ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions. Talking: - Beginning to use more complex sentences to link thoughts (e.g. using and, because). Can retell a simple past event in correct order (e.g. went down slide, hurt finger). - Uses talk to connect ideas, explain what is happening and anticipate what might happen next, recall and relive past experiences. - Questions why things happen and gives explanations. Asks e.g. who, what, when, how. - Uses a range of tenses (e.g. play, playing, will play, played) Social Communication: - Beginning to accept the needs of others, with support. - Can initiate conversations. - Shows confidence in linking up with others for support and guidance. - Talks freely about their home and community. - Forms friendships with other children.

Things you can do at home to support language development When a child is playing, give several directions related to the activity. Support him/her to get them right, but lessen your support as skills develop Invite other children around and set up a play opportunity so your child can work with others at a task. Give group instructions and support your child to respond and follow them Talk about sounds you hear around you. Label the sounds and compare them to others– louder, softer, higher, deeper etc. This will help develop reading, writing and spelling skills later. Encourage turn taking games among peers. Set up group play with friends. Support children to learn to be part of a conversation. Model this Introduce your child to an increasing variety of new experiences and scaffold new vocabulary and concepts Talk about task at hand but gradually talk about a different topic. Support your child to move from one thought and discussion onto another. Provide opportunities at times where children have more than one visual or auditory distraction and support focus and attention on a task. Carry this out with step by step support.

From toddlerhood to starting school: what can parents do to promote their young child's early learning?