This section of the website contains information relevant for parents, carers and pre-school organisations. There are many names for the place children go before they start school – kindergarten, nursery, playgroup – we refer to all of these as ‘pre-school’.
Working with the children’s charity I CAN we aim to help parents, carers and pre-school teachers equip children with the fundamental communication skills they will need to progress in life. We have already supported I CAN's Chatterbox Challenge and, by combining our expertise, resources and networks, we hope to reach out to more children and help make a real difference to their future.
Parents and carers – clarity begins at home
You are your child’s most important teacher and pre-school years are a vital time for developing the skills they will need as their horizons broaden and they mix with other children and adults outside the home.
Children learn to talk and listen long before they learn to read and write, so it’s never too soon to start developing your child’s communication skills. Children with good communication skills are more likely to become adults with satisfying relationships and rewarding careers.
In conjunction with I CAN we have developed a set of activity sheets for parents and children to do together. Available on the downloads page, these have been designed to prepare children for pre-school by developing a range of core skills including:
- Paying attentions and listening
- Understanding what is said
- Learning new words
- Making longer sentences
- Talking socially
The downloads page also contains games, stories and posters.
Pre-school teachers – the work of fun and games
In the months to come, we plan to provide pre-schools around the country with a range of educational resources. The first of these is a story book – Ollie and the dragon.
Register your pre-school for a free copy of Ollie and the dragon (while stocks last) and to be informed when new materials are available in the future.
You can also access a range of printable activity sheets, posters, games, stories and colouring pictures for parents and carers on the downloads page.
