Pioneering expert set to develop youngsters' language and communication skills

An educational pioneer is set help youngsters across Chesterfield and Derbyshire develop their speech, language and communication skills.
Pictured is I CAN Licensee Tracy Rodgers, who is an early years consultant and owner of Tiny Hands Big Futures.Pictured is I CAN Licensee Tracy Rodgers, who is an early years consultant and owner of Tiny Hands Big Futures.
Pictured is I CAN Licensee Tracy Rodgers, who is an early years consultant and owner of Tiny Hands Big Futures.

Tracy Rodgers has already trained staff at Birley Pre-School, Bright Beginners Nursery, Croft Corner Forest School Nursery and Tiddlywinks Nursery in Sheffield in the charity I CAN’s Early Talk 0-5 years training programme.

I CAN Licensee Mrs Rodgers, who is an early years consultant and owner of Tiny Hands Big Futures, said, “I’m really pleased to have worked with all the nurseries to train them in I CAN’s Early Talk 0-5 years programme.

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“By ensuring practitioners have the skills needed to support children’s development from the earliest age, we will ensure those children develop the skills needed to speak and in turn to learn to read and write.

“By training staff in I CAN’s Early Talk 0-5 years, we are ensuring children are given the best foundation possible to learn and be able to interact with the world around them.”

Birley Pre-School identified that the evidence based Early Talk programme was a good investment and decided to purchase the training to further develop the knowledge and skills of the nursery team.

The training enabled them to provide a high quality environment and experiences to develop the children’s speech and language skills.

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Tracy and ICAN are great believers in forging good quality early education which they regard as being vitally important to children’s subsequent educational progress and life chances.

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Evidence shows that what makes the most difference to children is the quality of the interaction between adults and children, according to ICAN, which leads to them developing good early skills.

The communication charity believes its Early Talk 0-5 years programme ensures staff have the skills and knowledge to develop all young children’s communication and helps to identify those who are struggling.

The programme also supports staff to engage with parents to ensure they know how children develop their speaking, listening and understanding skills from birth.

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Bob Reitemeier CBE, I CAN Chief Executive, said: “Good speech, language and communication skills are vital for children to develop their literacy and numeracy.

“Children learn to communicate from birth and all adults around children need to be aware of how children’s communication develops and what they can do to help.

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“It is fantastic that staff from nurseries in Sheffield have been trained in I CAN’s Early Talk 0-5 years programme – ensuring that all children are given the best possible start in life.”

One in ten children have long term speech, language and communication needs and require additional support to learn, achieve and make friends, according to I CAN.

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The charity revealed that in some areas of the UK, particularly areas of social deprivation, upwards of 50per cent of children start school with language delay and will need additional support to catch up.

For more information on I CAN’s Early Talk 0-5 years visit www.ican.org.uk/earlytalk.

To find out how to purchase the training package for your setting or to attend a centrally based course across Derbyshire and South Yorkshire please contact Tracy Rodgers at [email protected] or at www.tinyhandsbigfutures.co.uk.