Category Archives: Literacy and English

‘People Who Help Us’ – Can you help?

Curriculum, Health and Wellbeing, Literacy and English, Numeracy and Mathematics, Social Studies,

Children in our Cara playroom have been developing their skills across various areas of Curriculum for Excellence through the introduction of ’People Who Help Us’.

Relating to the Social Studies area of Curriculum fro Excellence; children are beginning to explore and investigate the roles people, shops and services play in the community with Miss March who has recently taken some groups of children to our local Waitrose. Children investigated money and the vital and important role of shop staff. Children also developed skills in numeracy and literacy as they wrote out their own shopping list and proceeded to count out and weigh items in store.

 Miss Gaffney is supporting children as they begin to develop aspects of Health and Wellbeing. Children are sharing their thoughts and ideas in relation to describing the roles and responsibilities of people in the wider community, such as the doctor, police and lollipop services.

 We will observe and see how the learning develops in response to children’s thoughts over the coming weeks.

Can you help?

To further support children’s learning – it would be wonderful to have a variety of parent’s share their skills and talk about their job with the children. Perhaps you are a florist? You could share your creative skills with the children and tell them about what floristry involves. Perhaps you are a dentist, a police officer or a lorry driver…..what ever your skill….the children will be very interested to hear from you!

If you can give up half an hour of your time, it would be very much appreciated! Speak to Miss Gaffney if you are interested in coming along to the Family Centre to share your knowledge!

Story of the Week in Cara Playroom

Literacy and English

For those parent’s who have asked which stories we will be reading over the coming weeks please note the books are:

Hamish the Highland Cow by Natalie Russell

The Three Little Pigs (Traditional)

Freddy and the Fairy by Julia Donaldson

The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson

Elmer’s Special Day by David McKee and

There Was an Old Woman who Swallowed a Fly (Traditional)

Tweet us @IsobelMairFC to let us know which story was your child’s favourite!

Play, Talk, Read Bus coming to East Renfrewshire

Health and Wellbeing, Literacy and English, , ,

An interactive play bus is pulling in to East Ren next week, so that parents and carers of  children in their early years can climb aboard and find out how to play, talk and read, to give youngsters the best start.

Staff from IMFC will be taking children who attend on an extended day placement to visit the Play, Talk, Read bus at Neilston Leisure Centre on Tuesday 21st January.

In addition to the stop off in Neilston, the bus will also visit Clarkston, Barrhead, Busby and Eaglesham, Giffnock and Thornliebank and will highlight the importance of parents spending time playing, talking and reading with youngsters, to benefit their learning and development at an early age.

The ‘PlayTalkRead’ bus will be kitted out with games, DVDs, interactive books, a baby massage area and resources to give people ideas of ways they can engage with tots.

Councillor Lafferty, East Renfrewshire Council’s convener for health and social care said: “Simple easy steps, such as reading books together, singing songs and playing together, aids a child’s development. The PlayTalkRead bus will give lots of tips on low cost and free ways that locals can play talk and read to their children every day to give them the best start.” 

If you would like to attend, or would just like to find out more please visit the council website at: http://www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4001

or go to: http://www.playtalkread.org/   

 

Supporting Literacy Development at IMFC

- achievement, - CPD, Literacy and English,

All playrooms across Isobel Mair Family Centre are literacy rich environments for our children.

Staff in our Cara playroom have been promoting children’s early literacy skills through introducing  a ‘Story of the Week’ and using our new storytelling tent. Children have been supported to create a Learning Wall to demonstrate and evidence their learning  about the language of books i.e. title, author, illustrator, blurb, spine. Please feel free to take a look and add your comments to the wall.

In Balta and Texa playrooms children enjoy accessing a variety of interactive story telling methods. Puppets, ICT, sensory touch and sound producing books are all used to help support children’s engagement in literacy. Speak to staff about their story telling skills!

You may have noticed our Bookbug display in the Family Centre corridor. Some of our staff are Bookbug trained and these fun and interactive rhyme and storytelling sessions are carried out within the Family Centre. Some children may benefit from Bookbug in the home sessions. This is a new venture for IMFC as we are currently in the process of  ‘rolling out’ our Bookbug in the Home project. Please speak to Mrs. Quaile or Mrs. Todd if you feel your child would benefit from this aspect of our service.

You can support you child in their literacy development in a number of ways. Please speak to staff if you require more information.

Here are some useful points of information:

  • Enjoying stories in any format – narrated or signed – helps children learn how to concentrate.
  • Storytelling helps physical development. Turning the pages of a book, navigating a website using a mouse or keyboard, and via touch on a mobile device like an iPad or an iPhone, develops motor skills.
  • Exploring images and ideas develops our imagination and our senses – sight, touch, smell and sound – and helps us learn conversational skills, like turn-taking.
  • Reading helps to introduce children to the structure and vocabulary of language – written, spoken and in sign language
  • Stories help develop emotional intelligence and picture books will help children to find meaning within their own life. Children can pore over emotional situations contained within books that may help to relieve personal frustrations. They can encounter exciting and imaginative experiences far beyond their own environment or even their dreams.
  • Storytelling is a great shared experience, helping children bond with their siblings, their friends and family, and their teachers and carers.
  • The confidence to communicate helps reduce the social isolation experienced by many deaf children and those with special educational needs.