The Early Childhood Unit began work on the new Making
it
REAL (Raising Early Achievement in Literacy) project in August
2009.
Funded by The Big Lottery Fund (Family Learning programme) the
project will use the REAL framework developed by Cathy Nutbrown and
Peter Hannon at the University of Sheffield. Eight children’s
centres in Sheffield and Oldham will work
together with the university, Sheffield and Oldham local
authorities and the ECU over a three-year period. A team of early
years teachers, practitioners and local authority officers will
receive training each year in the REAL approach, and families will
be invited to receive a series of home visits and invitations to
special events and workshop sessions.
REAL builds on what parents already do at home to help children
learn. The relationships developed between practitioner, parents
and children are central. Parents will receive support to provide
more opportunities for their children to learn through books and
stories, songs and rhymes, environmental print and early mark
making activities.
Parents, practitioners and children will be directly involved in
evaluating the effectiveness of the project. Anticipated outcomes
are increased parent confidence and knowledge of how to join in
with children, model practice, recognise and respond to children’s
progress - and improved communication and social skills for young
children.
For more information contact jconnor@ncb.org.uk and hwheeler@ncb.org.uk
More can be read about REAL in Nutbrown, C, Hannon, P and
Morgan, A (2005) Early Literacy Work with Families, Sage
Publications.
Further information can be found at the Big Lottery Fund site