Every Child A Talker

[Hannah3756]

Hi i've spent ages looking for any discussion of the Every Child a Talker programme but couldn't find any so thought i'd have a go at starting a new topic!

My setting has just been accepted as 1 of the first 20 settings in our area to roll out the ECAT programme, involving parents, dveloping language and doing training. i just wondered what other people had been doing?

so far we have

had a parents evening to introduce the programme

had a story teller in to Nursery to model for staff and parents

recieved some story sacks

and finally organised a messy morning for parents so staff can model language and experiences for parents.

i just wanted some inspiration really

thanks

[Guest Wolfie]

Ooh, Hannah, that sounds really interesting, I'd love to hear more about your activities and resources. It's not being rolled out in my authority until 2010 so I can't help with more ideas I'm afraid! I'll just sit here and feel jealous whilst I read about everyone else already doing it!

[sunnyday]

Hi Hannah and welcome to the forum.

 

That sounds really good - not being covered in my area yet (Kent) although we have had the I Can training - this was also about speech development.

 

Have also had 'Letters and Sounds' training - brilliant - do that one if you get the chance (if you haven't already that is!)

 

Good luck with it - keep us posted on what you're doing and how it's going.

 

Sunnyday

[Cait]

Have you seen 'Learning Language and Loving it'? Great book to go with a good course too

 

powerpoint presentation here for ECAT

Edited April 1, 2009 by Cait

[surfer]

Hi Hannah,

We are doing the ECAT too. Interested to hear what you are doing- J have just done our action plan for 4 settings that I work with. We are doing some similar things. if you want to PM me maybe we could exchange ideas?

[earlyyearsjules]

Hi All,

 

I have just taken the position as one of the ECAT assistants and will be rolling out the programme to 20 settings in Merton. Once I have more information on what, how and why I will post again but for now we have the launch to the settings on Thursday. I would love to keep this thread going and find out all your ideas and good practices. Anyone who would like to link up, I would be happy to give my e-mail and have more contact about the programme. Good luck to all involved.

 

Julie

[sunnyday]

Hi Julie - that sounds really exciting - not happening in Kent as far as I know - really wish it was - as I said in earlier post we have had the I Can training which was OK but a little 'basic'.

 

Will watch this thread with interest.

 

Good luck!

 

Sunnyday

[Hannah3756]

So we had a messy morning and it was a great success out of our 30ish families 15 came. we set up areas for outdoor painting, Sand foam, Jelly play, junk modelling and playdough.

most of the parents really got into the swing of things and got messy, the playdough, junk modelling and painting seemed to be the most successful. i think the make your own playdough section went down well, they could choose their own smell and colour and take it home with them. we even got a couple of Dads to join in.

in terms of modelling language etc i think the parents we had who came and joined in are the ones who do that sort of thing automatically, you could hear them chatting to their children as they played. so the next one we need to work on getting everyone to come!

All the staff came and worked really hard and will be getting a chocolatey treat to say thanks

[earlyyearsjules]

Hannah, that all sounds fantastic! I love the idea of the playdough and it was nice that you noted the involvement of the Dads. I'm soon going to be advising settings on activities they could put on, such as your one, so it was lovely to read that yours was a success.

 

I agree with your point about the families that turned up are more likely to be doing the right things anyway but maybe you'll get more families next time through word of mouth...they'll hear of the fun that everyone had.

 

Well done

 

Julie xx

[SMPS]

My setting has also been accepted as one of the chosen few in our authority. We have an audit to do and a very short time span so any tips would be gratefully received.

[Guest]

Hi

our childminder group has been involved with ecat

 

we meet once a month and discuss how we talk to the children, the minders are finding the course really useful

 

lots of resouses etc

 

is there any othe childminders involved

ziller

[Guest]

hi, i've just found this thread as i was looking through things connected to this as i have the Early Years advisor coming in to discuss the programme tomorrow so wanted to get a heads up. have the children/staff/parents benefited from this? xx

[Guest]

We have juststareted our ECAT and in I was told we had to do just 1 audit, so I chose the one that didn't involve that enormous table. but I just read the pack which sasy we have to do both - plase tell me its telling porkies or I'll end up crying into my to-do list!

[Guest]

Hi,

In our LA we have not been ask to do anything on this yet. Any ideas would be great to be one step ahead for a change.

 

thanks

[Hannah3756]

I have only been asked to do one audit but am doing both as within our LA we can use the 2nd one as evidence to go towards being I CAN acredited. however as with all things it's just the time to do all of these things aswell as everything else.

the only tip really to getting ahead is to begin to observe langage development in all your children which i';m sure you do anyway, i've asked parents to observe the children at home too, and in their home language if they have more than one.

also you can have a look at the materials on the national strategies site, and begin to look at talking and communication within your setting, ie is it child intiated or more adult led, are there places where children don;t talk, are there children who don't talk?

[Guest kayw]

Hi Hannah

 

in our LA we have now got an ECaT Consultant in post and 8 ELLPs (Early Language Lead Practitioners). The ELLPs are working closely with the consultant and each ELLP works with another setting to support and share good practice. We are also holding an update day for local colleges and training providers to ensure any CCLD tutors and assessors are aware of the work practitoners may be involved in so they can support and challenge them to use the day to day experiences for their evidence.

A few of the ELLPs have/are working towards EYPS and and are using the experience as CPD.

 

Our LA is also using Communication Friendly Spaces as a tool to improve communication in settings and to work with/support parents. Are you familar with or using these materials? The booklets are a very good resource and Elizabeth Jarman is a very inspirational speaker. Our recent conference has resulted in settings auditing and reviewing spaces and developing communication areas indoors and outdooors that are now being used and enjoyed by children and staff.

 

Hope this has been helpful

 

Kayw

Edited July 29, 2009 by kayw

[earlyyearsjules]

Hello,

 

I have just private messaged a lady on here about ECAT activities but after seeing this thread and how many of you are starting the initiative I thought that I would copy it here for all to see.

 

 

Practical advise, I'll have a go! We have set up ten parent mornings, afternoon or evenings for ten of our settings in Merton. We have invited parents to come along and are going to talk to them about the importance of talking with their children, whether this be through songs and rhymes for 2-5's, counting or word games for the 3-5's or commenting and extending their language for all ages. We are going to be making up packs for the parents to take away that have a nuresry rhyme CD included that is meant for the parents to put on and listen with the children and for some to learn the rhymes for the first tme. We have a lot of families here with English as an additional language so have included sheets with nursery rhmes from across the world.

 

We are also putting in activity ideas such as shakers with different objects in them, so that parents/ carers can shake one whilst the child's back is turned and then the child turns around and guesses which one it was. a simple game but helps the child's listening and communication skills and helps the parent communicate in an effective, fun way with their child. This activity was meant for a child aged around four but could be with another age if the ability was there.

 

We are also giving camcorders to the settings to record themselves whilst telling a story to the children. It has to be a small group of children and they have to be using props to support the telling of the story and this is then going to be shown to the parents.

 

I am going to be going into settings encouraging them to try many ideas. A few of them are: having a member of staff sat in the book corner for a morning so that children can come in at any time and have a story read to them or a song sang or look at a book together. For staff to use many more open ended questions when talking to the children e.g 'I can see you've made the trains go along the track, where are they going to today?' instead of 'how many trains are there?'(this came up as a weakness in our initial setting audits). Open ended questions provide the children with oppotunities to say more and the practitioner should be there to extend the language.

 

We are also going to be training practitioners much more on the letters and sounds, phase one package. I don't know if you're using it already but there are some great language rich activities/ideas in there.

 

This is only a small amount of what we are going to be doing so I will post further activities, ideas and parents groups once they are underway.

 

If any of you start to do similar activities or hold mornings for your parents it would be great to hear of them on here.

 

One more thing, we sent out a parent questionnaire. really short and simple with a free book for them if they completed it asking how aften they read to their children, if they knew what to expect language wise from their children at the different ages and if they would like to recieve further support in communication. We asked the ElP's or the children's keyworkers to complete this with their parents as it would stregthen or begin a realtion with the parent/carer and the parent could ask questions on the spot. It also highlited to us how many aprents of three year olds expected their children to sit down in the evnings and write numbers and letters. I am hoping that through the parent events to help parents begin to understand that children learn through play and that children need to have gross motor skills before fine before we even begin to expect them to hold a pebcil and have that type of control. I know it's only the beginning but I hope it helps.

 

Will try to unload some activities if the author agrees t oit being distributed on here.

[wellerkaren]

thank you early years jules

[Hannah3756]

We have also been finding that as soon as children turn 3 thier parents are expecting them to begin to read and write, alongside my Teacher we have informally chatted to several parents about what we do with the children to support literacy and learning and are in the process of putting together na information leaflet and organising an open day focused on developing skills for writing, but this will not include actually writing. it's hard as i think it was probably how we were all taught to wirte but things have changed since then.

[sunnyday]

Thank you Early years Jules.

 

I especially like the advice to have a staff member in the book corner.........this is something we try to do..........children always quickly go to them....we have some 'lovely times' with this

 

Sunnyday

[Beckyboo7]

Hi,

 

I'm currently working towards my Early Years Professional Status and I'm wanting to introduce ECAT to my current setting. I just wondered if anybody would be able to send me copies of some of the resources? In particular the audits would really help!

 

You'd be helping a very stressed student hehe!

 

Thanks,

Rebecca

[Hannah3756]

I'm no longer directly involved in The ECAT as i have left my previous job but am now spending more time in other settings developing speech and langugae and have found all of the ECAT resources really useful for this. It's all availible to look at on the national Strategies website and the first simple audit is brilliant for supporting all children within settings when used at staff meetings etc.

[Guest]

I have just done (Nov/Dec '09) the pre training for ECAT due to start this year (2010). These are the resources I have found so far - hope someone might find them helpful.

 

If anyone who has already started this feels like sharing the first steps I would be very grateful

ECAT_folder.pdf

ECAT_2nd_installment_2009.pdf

[Guest]

Hi to you ,i am following this thread with interest . I have applied for ajob as an ECAt consultant havent shortlisted as yet . Need help if I am ? any early years consultant out there? or advicers?