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We are so proud to be part of our school community at Children's House and part of the Bow community. With the absolutely heart-breaking news coming out of Syria and Turkey following the devastating earthquake, the team and families wanted to do something to help. Staff, families and the wider community donated unwanted toys, books, gifts and toiletries for a Table Top Sale we held today. Everyone turned out and donated what they could. We are so thrilled to announce that in 45 minutes our tiny school (with a huge heart) raised more than £700 and we are still counting. From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to thank you all. Times are hard for almost everyone at the moment and yet, so many of you gave gifts, cash and donations. We are one world. We are one community. We are Children's House. If you are able to make a donation, please click here. Thank you. At Children's House we know the importance of communication and language development with young children. If a child can express their needs and views through words or signing, it empowers them and builds their confidence and self-esteem. We recognise how important the role of the adult is in language development: staff work sensitively and thoughtfully with children to listen to them, join them in their play and share talk with them. We make sure the team are available to have conversations with children and we recorded some of these conversations. We noticed that some children prefer to talk to an adult, whereas others have meaningful conversations with their peers in their play. We looked for conversation 'hotspots': places where we notice more children's talk: Snack table home corner construction area painting easel playdough recyclable materials model making forest school area baking It seems when children are using their hands and are focused with their friends, talk flows more easily. How do we support children's talk while they play? We tune into children - join them in their play but listen and wait. Share their attention, see what they are interested in. If they offer words or signs (including body language and facial expressions) we respond by repeating or copying them. We might try to build on vocabulary: if they are pushing a car saying "Brrrrrr" we might join them, saying "Brrrrr" and then add "car". If children are already using single words, we can extend by offering additional vocabulary: if they say "cat" we might add "white cat". For children who are using more complex vocabulary and speaking in sentences, we use prompts and open-ended questions such as "Hmmm, I wonder what happens if I press this button?" We try not to ask too many questions and avoid closed questions (where the answer is yes or no.) Thinking aloud is a great place to start and conversations will develop from there. Of course at the heart of this is books - sharing books and telling stories is a wonderful way to develop language. Talk about the pictures and wait for children to process the language - give them time. Where do you notice children will share talk and start conversations most at home? What Shapes Us? An Open Letter from the Princess of Wales on the Importance of Early Childhood. At Children's House we know how vital early education and the right start is for all children. We are pleased that a well known figure such as the Princess of Wales is highlighting the importance of the right start for all children. Please read her open letter below: This week, I am delighted to reveal, The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood will launch a major new awareness raising campaign, highlighting the critical importance the first five years of our lives have on shaping the adults we become. During our very early childhood, our brains develop at an amazing rate – faster than any other time of our lives. Our experiences, relationships, and surroundings at that young age, shape the rest of our lives. It is a time where we lay the foundations and building blocks for life. It is when we learn to understand ourselves, understand others and understand the world in which we live. But as a society, we currently spend much more of our time and energy on later life. I am absolutely determined that this long-term campaign is going to change that. It will start by highlighting how we develop during early childhood and why these years matter so much in terms of shaping who we become. I will be joined by a remarkable group of experts spanning science, research, policy making and front-line practice as well as an exciting group of well-known faces from music, sport and television, to show all of us, why it is in all of our interests to care about this. We all need to know the critical importance of our early childhood. They really are years like no other in our lives. I urge everyone reading this, to take the opportunity to learn more about this incredible time of life, to think back to your own childhood and how it shaped you, and most importantly, to ask yourselves what you can do to make the world a more supportive and loving place for our children. Because healthy, happy children shape a healthy, happy future. |
