Communication, Language and Literacy
Our love of books and language is a cornerstone of our Grassroots Goals. We, as practitioners, aim for each child to meet these goals in ways that are meaningful to them.
The experience and expertise of our staff, along with knowledge of current research and government guidance, has allowed us to develop a selection of core books, linking to themes and values which thread through our curriculum.
We know that a child’s ability to organise their thoughts and express feelings and opinions begins with a good foundation in communication and language.
To this end, we aim to build relationships with children that centre on reciprocal conversations and interactions, where both the adult and child have opportunities to co-construct meaning from experiences and to build shared narratives around play.
At key points each day, we promote discussions around our themes, values and the children’s interests, to help develop their ideas. These are our Welcome, Story time, Snack time, Gathering and targeted small group interventions. We use stories, songs and nursery rhymes to underpin language learning.
Core books, along with supporting books, songs and rhymes, are tailored to our current cohort as well as taking into account the wishes of our parents and carers. It is important to us at Grasmere that the books we draw from are inclusive and relevant to our children, so that our curriculum remains engaging.
The ‘Building Blocks of Language’ – our core vocabulary, are developed and reviewed each half-term by our curriculum leads and overseen by our communication, language and literacy lead. Our aim is that each child will be able to understand and apply this vocabulary by the end of their time at Grasmere, so that they may better express who they are and what they know.
Across the school, we have practitioners who are trained in 'Talking Takes Off', a local initiative aiming to improve speech, language and communication in children from 0 to 5 years old.
We also deliver 'Lift Off to Language' booster groups for children who need extra support with their communication and language skills. "Lift off to Language is a locally developed programme by Speech and Language Therapists in Bedfordshire and Luton".
You may find these links useful for ideas and resources which could support your child's communication, language and literacy development:
https://www.blacksheeppress.co.uk/
https://www.pacey.org.uk/parents/resources-for-parents/blogs-learning-and-development/
https://www.childrenandnature.org/resources/category/families/
https://www.tts-group.co.uk/early-years/communication-language-literacy/
https://www.flyingstartluton.com/talkingtakesoff/
Curriculum developed using the following supporting documents:
Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage: Setting the standards for learning, development and care from birth to five, DfE, 2021
The Reading Framework: Teaching the foundations of literacy: resources and guidance, 2022
Development Matters, DfE, 2021, Birth to Five Matters, Early Education, 2021
Birth to Five Matters, Early Education, 2021
Ofsted Inspection Framework, DfE, 2021