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The Pre-school Learning Alliance is an educational charity
which represents and supports 16,000 community pre-schools
in England. It runs family literacy programmes and supports
pre-schools in setting up such schemes. It recognises parents
are a child's first educator and, although they usually come
to a programme because they want to help their child, they
often then realise that they would like to develop their own
learning. Opportunities for this may then be provided in-house,
or by letting parents know what is available locally. The
charity points out that when offering an in-house course,
pre-schools should consider whether parents can already read
and write - including being able to read leaflets about the
programme - and speak English; the best time of day to run
the programme and whether religious festivals would prevent
people from attending; and the importance of letting parents
know what will happen and what will be expected of them, so
that they are not intimidated.
Changing lives changing life is the Pre-school Learning Alliance's
campaign to address the current shortage of childcare places
in all parts of the country, including areas outside of Sure
Start but where children are still living in poverty.
As a strand of the campaign, the charity will contribute to
the Government's review by supplying evidence from within
pre-schools and by briefing MPs and others about the needs
of poorer families. Part of the campaign is that all early
years settings should be supported to offer a range of opportunities
for parents, including drop-in and advice centres, classes,
courses and social events, as a way of strengthening communities.
This would be secured by the introduction of 'A Charter for
Parents and the Early Years'.
Jump Start
is an awareness raising programme for family learning. It
offers one-off workshops which raise awareness of how pre-schools
support literacy development, give parents strategies for
supporting their children with literacy, and give parents
information about progression routes for their own learning.
Jump Start is offered through a framework which includes time
for parents to work together with their children and to reflect
on what they have learned, as well as practical activities
which can underpin literacy development. The programme is
accessible to parents who are reluctant to take up learning
opportunities, as it offers small, secure steps. Sessions
are designed to be fun and interactive, and parents and children
make games, puppets and books together.
Looking
at Learning Together is a resource pack for a course
that offers adults the opportunity to improve their understanding
of how children learn, while encouraging them to think of
themselves as learners. The course can be delivered by pre-school
leaders, tutors or other facilitators. The pack consists of
notes for the person delivering the sessions, ideas sheets
to support the activities and worksheets for adults. It emphasises
the importance of positive feedback as a motivating factor
and a way of supporting parents in their learning. In six
two-hour sessions, parents and carers look at:
- what being a parent involves, and parents' own learning
experiences
- how children develop early language and literacy skills
- how children develop a grasp of early maths
- the importance of the role of the adult in helping children
learn
- an understanding of children's behaviour
- what's next for me and my child (includes further educational
opportunities for parents)
It is hoped that the course will encourage parents to become
more involved in their children's pre-schools, which will
support the child's education and may lead to other forms
of education and training for the parent.
Shadow Puppets
is a programme of six sessions designed to develop language
through social interaction using creative activities, as a precursor
to developing literacy skills. Parents and children are invited
to create their own puppets with which to practise everyday
interactions and responses, and the programme also uses music,
singing, dance and story as ways of developing children's oracy
skills. Each activity includes some of the components of language
acquisition, such as building self-esteem and confidence, communication
skills, listening, turn-taking and emotional awareness.
The programme also offers the opportunity to develop the
role of parent mentor. Parent mentors chat to other parents
about Shadow Puppets and encourage them to get involved in
the sessions. They support parents during the activities and
encourage them to try out the oracy activities at home.
An article on running family programmes, and on their benefits,
appeared in the April 2003 edition of the magazine Under
Five, produced by the Pre-school Learning Alliance.
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