The Department for Education has identified language development as a priority and as such has invested in the Early Language Development Programme (ELDP) ensuring that there is central support for training in this key area. The programme is running from February 2012 until April 2014.
The key objective for the Early Language Development Programme over the next three years is to work with Children’s Centres to provide support to embed early language development practices, and to establish them as local leaders. The programme is focusing on strategies to improve practitioners’ learning and skills in early identification and intervention and encourage partnership working with other early years settings, speech and language therapists and health visitors.
The programme is focusing on all children especially targeting work with 0-2 year olds, their families and those living in the most disadvantaged areas.
As a result of engagement in the programme, practitioners will be equipped to provide an accurate early years summary of a child’s development between the ages of 24-36 months to parents (i.e. they will have sufficient knowledge and skills around the importance of language development and be able to identify language delay at its earliest point in a child), as well as the skills to support language development at this early stage.
Deborah Fielden and I are the leads for our areas Children’s Centres for the Early Language Development Programme, which means we have an exciting opportunity to impact on early language development in our local community whilst also building their capacity to meet government targets and outcomes in relation to language development and school readiness.
The Early Language Development Programme will provide us with a training package which we will cascade to a local network of other local children’s centres, health visitors and local speech and language therapists who ultimately cascade to the parents, families and children who use the children’s centre and other local services.
We are also happy to talk to private providers about training for their settings or courses which supplement the ELDP.
We are also happy to talk to private providers about training for their settings or courses which supplement the ELDP.
That's great news! I'm very passionate about communication by whatever means. I teach baby signing and I think this is an area that Education should look at as well. It has been proven that baby signing can actually bring on the speech and it makes for a more confident child, makes them happier and cuts out the frustrations for both child and parent. It's good to see they are taking communication a bit more seriously at last. I will watch with interest.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. I think signing is wonderful! I teach the communication module to Little Signers Clubs here in Uk. This is my take on signing http://www.articlesbase.com/childhood-education-articles/should-i-sign-with-my-baby-or-not-4104728.html
ReplyDeleteIt sounds wonderful Libby and I am sure you find it immensely rewarding. Well done.
ReplyDeleteIt's really important for our children to have early speech development. It's necessary that as early as pre-school they will be enrolled in school. Anyway, have your kids join the Montessori Activities
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