PARENT PARTNERSHIPS
Shine Nursery recognises that positive, respectful and understanding relationships with parents are key to the child’s success. We need to continually work together and share information so that your child is cared for to the highest standard and makes excellent progress. Communication is key to the success of these relationships.
Our home learning projects create a link between home and nursery, so we can all contribute towards the children’s development.
At Shine nursery we are committed to:
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Asking for and sharing information about your individual child’s routines, needs and progress every day. As children progress into Stars (Two’s room) they become more independent and start to become part of key person groups where they play and learn together. At that point we begin to share a weekly overview of the care and learning via email.
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Giving information to parents about child development, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and ideas of things to do at home. Each half term we send information about one or two areas of the EYFS.
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Sharing information about your child’s progress and next steps. We do this through reports and parent meetings at least 3 times a year. If children need help to catch up in some areas of learning, we work together with parents so may meet or speak on the phone more regularly to ensure that the children are making progress. We will also give parents lots of ideas and activities to use at home to help children’s progress
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Working together with other agencies and parents. Sometimes children are referred to specialist services such as Speech and Language Therapists. Where other services are involved, we will meet with them and parents together where possible and again this will be more frequent.
Our home learning projects create a link between home and nursery, so we can all contribute towards children’s development.
Let’s Sing
When babies are learning to talk, singing and rhymes are important ways for them to practice using sounds and words. With singing and rhymes babies enjoy the rhythm, tone andjoining in with actions. Babies also are able to mimic the sounds and words as they become familiar with them. This is a very important stage that helps the children’s language development.
How it works
Each week you will receive a copy of a song or rhyme that the children will be singing in nursery. You may also receive suggested objects to use or pictures to show the children. We may also send a link to a video just in case you are not sure of the tunes.
We ask that you sing the song/ say the rhyme and do the actions with the children every day, so it becomes familiar to them. We also ask that you return to songs that your child enjoys and you will be able to see the progress they have made over time.
Picture Talk
Story Talk
The latest government research highlights that early interactions are crucial to children’s language development. A home and nursery environment that promotes and supports young children’s communication skills is highly important. With this in mind we use a programme in Star’s room called Picture Talk.
How it works?
Children are introduced to a picture each week. They take a copy home and parents are asked to talk about the picture every day. Parents are asked to introduce new vocabulary, comment, ask questions and model sentences. This only need be 5 or 10 minutes depending on your child’s enjoyment and concentration levels. Parents are given question prompts to help with ideas. By the end of the week you will see how well you child has developed their language skills. Nursery staff will also be revisiting the picture to support the children’s development. They may also introduce props to bring the picture to life (and parents can do the same)
What are parents asked to do?
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Respond positively to anything your child points to or says
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Introduce new words
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Repeat back what your child says in a sentence
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Comment and ask open questions ie What can you see? What is he doing?
We believe this partnership working will accelerate children’s thinking, language and learning skills. This will have a significant influence on children’s achievement at school, their literacy skills and other later outcomes, including employability and mental health.
Every word you say together, build’s your child’s brain and their capacity to learn
Our ‘Story Talk’ project is also designed to further develop children’s vocabulary and speaking skills.
How it works?
Children bring one or two books home every week. The parent/ carer reads the book to the child and talks about the new words. The child then tells the story back to the parent, based on what they can see in the picture or what they remember.
Research shows that a developing child usually can say around 20 words by the time they are 2 years olds Then between 2 and 3 years old children can use around 300 words. This continues with children learning around 400 new words a year throughout their school life, so that by the time they leave they will have a full vocabulary.
Sharing a story every day will give your child:
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Huge numbers of new and unusual words to learn,
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Ideas of new places and cultures,
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Knowledge of different people and animals,
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Understanding of feelings and emotions
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A shared experience with you
