From Surrey News
Surrey County Council and Education partners, including Schools Alliance for Excellence (SAfE) and early year providers, have come together to share five simple and fun ways for parents, carers and grandparents to help develop speech and language with their young children.
National research has shown that some young children’s speech and language development has been negatively impacted by the reduction of social interaction caused by Covid restrictions. Children that can express themselves by the time they start school or preschool will be more likely to meet their educational and developmental milestones. The positive ‘Brighter Futures’ campaign hopes to support parents and carers by arming them with a toolkit of fun activities they can do to help develop their children’s speech and language. These are:
- Singing
- Exploring outside
- Have a conversation
- Ask questions
- Read a book
The campaign features a short video filmed at Dorking Nursery School, in which Speech and Language therapist Jack Davies describes “five simple tips that will really help your child’s speech and language development”. The campaign will run across social media, with marketing materials going to Libraries and Family Centres across Surrey in late Summer. Parents are also reminded that story and rhyme times sessions have recently returned to some Surrey Libraries, with full roll out to all libraries expected later in the summer. To encourage outside exploring, children will soon be able to pick up a free Surrey Nature Explorer Passport from their Library, the passports are a free initiative from SCC with fun activities that encourage children to explore the countryside for prizes.
Donna Harwood-Duffy Executive Headteacher, Chertsey & Dorking Nursery Schools and Mole Valley Family Centre “I’m really proud to support the “Brighter Futures” campaign and so happy that our Dorking Nursery School and children were able to be involved. I hope parents across Surrey enjoy watching the video and continue to help their child’s development at home by doing these five easy free and simple things each day.”
Denise Turner-Stewart, Cabinet Member for Education and Learning said “The fun and positive ‘Brighter Futures’ campaign acts as a gentle reminder of the simple and easy things parents can do to help prepare their little ones for school or preschool. I’d really encourage parents to do these things every day and to perhaps plan in weekly trips to the library. As the Covid restrictions ease, there will be so many free fun things to do in Surrey libraries for young children such as singing at rhyme time, story time and craft times as well as access to all the wonderful books”
The campaign page is www.surreycc.gov.uk/brighterfutures
Find out what’s happening at your local library here
All three and four year olds are entitled to up to 15 hours of funded early education and childcare a week for up to 38 weeks a year. Find out more here
Funded Early Education for two-year-olds (FEET) offers eligible families up to 15 hours of funded early education and childcare a week for 38 weeks a year. Find out more here
