Practical ideas

Practical idea - Staff training and development

22 Feb 2010

• In order for language and early reading to be a priority for everyone in your setting, include it in their professional development plan. Each member of staff could have one development target which relates to this.
• Consult all colleagues, parents and families to give them the opportunity to tell you what skills they would like to develop and training they would like. Use this as your starting point to begin building confidence and enthusiasm.
• There may be someone within your setting who has a lot of expertise in this area which would enable you to run some training on site. You could also invite your local speech and language therapist or educational psychologist to talk to you and your staff.
• Find out what training is available from your local authority. Your local children’s services will offer various courses, often at little or no cost to settings.
• You could attend rhymetime and storytelling events at your local library or children’s centre to pick up good ideas and tips on sharing stories with children and their families. Ask your librarian to inform you and your staff about children’s books. He or she will have huge expertise and could keep you up to date with exciting new titles or help you find books on specific topics.
•  Many early years practitioners have attended Parents, Early Years and Learning (PEAL) and Peers Early Education Partnership (PEEP) training. Both of these support practitioners to work more effectively with children from birth to five years and their families.

Tags: Early Reading Connects, Early Years, Early years sector, Teaching ideas

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