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The Face to Face project, launched at the Talk To Your Baby conference, aims to identify key messages for parents and carers about communicating with babies and young children. It has examined the most effective ways of promoting these messages. The highlights of the literature review and the management summary
of the focus group research are now available on our website and they contain some interesting findings. These include the fact that parents often prioritise chores over communication time with their babies but they are motivated by knowing about the speed of babies' brain development.
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18 October 2010 saw our Smile, Talk and Listen: Doing our best for babies conference taking place at Church House in London. The conference was a great success with over 250 attendees and inspiring and interesting presentations about the importance of touch, what goes on in baby rooms and how local authorities are approaching strategic work around early comunication. Jean Gross, Communication Champion, announced the plans for the National Year of Communication, including its name, Hello. The conference report is now available for download.
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Hello was announced as The Communication Trust’s campaign to achieve the aims of the National Year of Communication. The campaign will have monthly themes (including a focus on early years in February and March) and it is hoped that those working in relevant sectors will think creatively about how the themes can be used locally to get as many people involved as possible. The campaign will provide ideas and tips for activity at a local level. You can sign up
for updates through the Hello website.
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On 8 October 2010, the National Literacy Trust hosted a policy breakfast led by Jean Gross, the Government’s Communication Champion. The discussion focused on the challenge for the early years sector in the age of austerity, as well as the opportunities provided by the current climate. The discussion at the event was both fascinating and wide ranging. The full report on the event can be found on our website.
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The National Literacy Trust wants to support people working with children from birth to five, from childminders to children’s centre workers. To do this we would like to get a better understanding of your needs for training, resources and information networks. We are inviting everyone who works in an early years setting to complete a 10 minute online survey. As an added bonus, when you complete the survey you will be entered into a prize draw to win £150 of Marks and Spencers vouchers. The deadline for the survey to be completed is Friday 26 November 2010. Fill in the survey.
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Other news in brief
New report on effective practice in early intervention
The Centre for Excellence and Outcomes (C4EO) has published Grasping the nettle: early intervention for children, families and communities.
New early years initiative from the Sutton Trust
The Sutton Trust has partnered with Impetus Trust on a new early years initiative that seeks to narrow the school readiness gap that exists for children from low income homes.
4Children publishes report on family life
The Family Commission, a coalition of organisations led by 4Children, has published Starting a family revolution: Putting families in charge.
Free places for disadvantaged two-year-olds
The Government has announced 15 hours of free nursery provision for the 20% most disadvantaged two-year-olds.
Sure Start centres "do reach neediest families'"
The charity 4Children has published a new study based on Ofsted reports, which finds that Sure Start centres are reaching the most vulnerable families.
Frank Field MP calls for "foundation years"
Frank Field MP, head of the Independent Review on Poverty and Life Chances, has called for a “new educational world” in which the early years foundation stage becomes the "foundation years".
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Resources, events and inspiration |
This video clip, kindly provided by Siren Films, is a great example of including singing in play.
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This video clip, kindly provided by Siren Films, is a great example of the many ways you can "read a book".
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AIMH Clinical Workshop Series 2011
Saturday, 15th January, 2011, Tavistock Centre, London
The workshop will explore the extraordinary abilities of babies during the first three months of life. Individual differences between babies, and their ways of showing us what they are feeling, will be highlighted. Slides and videos will be used to demonstrate baby behaviours. Emphasis will be on ways to support parents in a strength-based collaborative way through understanding their baby’s behaviour.
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The Children’s Society has created a new way of measuring the wellbeing and quality of life of children in the UK: The Good Childhood Index. The index is free for other organisations to use and, says the Children’s Society, is a more concise and precise way of measuring children’s wellbeing.
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Success story |
98% of survey respondents enjoyed the conference
At the end of every conference we ask for feedback from attendees. The majority of attendees filled in the survey and 98% found the conference to be "good" or "very good" which is the same as last year. We are proud to know that our conferences continue to prove valuable and enjoyable to those who attend.
"One of the best conferences yet! (and I've been to quite a few). Excellent, high quality and inspiring speakers." Conference Attendee
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Support our work |
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Book lovers everywhere appreciate the pleasure and opportunities that reading has brought them. This Christmas you could give a child from a disadvantaged community a book of their own for the very first time. Buy the gift of reading for yourself or the book-lover in your life and receive a stunning Christmas card with an exclusive Gruffalo drawing by illustrator Axel Scheffler.
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