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Introduction to Making it REAL is a one-day training course that enables all practitioners, including, but not limited to, early years setting and school staff, library staff, child and family centre workers, community groups, museum staff, working with families with children aged two to five years, to understand and embed elements of the Making it REAL approach in everyday practice, overseen by the National Children's Bureau.

Participants will learn more about how to work with parents to support young children’s early communication, language, and literacy development through everyday activities in the home learning environment.​

The Making it REAL approach is based on the Opportunities, Recognition, Interaction and Modelling (ORIM) framework, which highlights four approaches parents can take to create a home learning environment that supports children’s early literacy development. ​

Whilst networking with other professionals working with families with children from two to five years, during the Introduction to Making it REAL training, participants will learn how to support parents to:​

  • Create opportunities for children’s literacy development by making children’s books and writing materials available and accessible in the home environment.
  • Recognise and encourage children’s literacy milestones.
  • Interact with children positively and support real-life literacy tasks.
  • Act as models of literacy users, so children see parents use literacy in everyday life.

"The trainers are amazing, cheerful and creative with a vast knowledge, and it is a real pleasure to be taking part in." – Playground Assistant. 

Full training details can be found in the Communication, language, and literacy section of the professional development programme.

Introduction to Making it REAL network meetings

"It has built on my existing knowledge and prompted me to remember things I had forgotten." – Child and Family Centre, Family Support Worker.

Once you have completed the Introduction to Making it REAL training, we welcome you to join our free network meetings. We offer two network meetings across the academic year, autumn and summer. These informal meetings provide an opportunity to share ideas, discuss practice and ask questions. Please do book onto one or more of these online network meetings.

Date Time Location

TBC

 TBC  TBC

Booking and reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.

​Testimonials

"A recent wow moment relating to oral language at some community workshops we have been running.​ Parents reported children learning new words such as lobster, featured in paintings we were looking at, ​and harp for the first time in the workshop context and then using these again at home when discussing the activities they had done together." – Nicola Wallis, Practitioner Research Associate, Collections and Early Childhood, The Fitzwilliam Museum.

"It has built on my existing knowledge and prompted me to remember things I had forgotten." – CFC Family Support Worker.

"Both sessions have been extremely useful. Highlighting parents/carers at the core of this approach and ways ORIM can help us empower them. Everyone sharing ideas and practices working together is inspiring." – Early Years Professional.

"Fantastic course. Lots of learning, yet putting into relatable experiences. Great leaders, friendly, and welcoming. I felt incredibly welcome even though I had not come from a learning setting." – Community Group Representative.

"The sessions were both informative. When we all split into discussion groups and networked it was fantastic." – Nursery Officer.

"The information provided on both days has been very informative, the delivery of the sessions was fun, and interactive and have very much sparked lots of ideas to take away to my setting. Thoroughly enjoyable. I now feel very confident in my knowledge and understanding." – Early Years Teacher.

"Thank you so much. Trainers were excellent and took all my anxiety away." – CFC Worker​

"ORIM planning for a particular event. Helped to put theory into practice and revealed the challenges that might be encountered in real life." – Community Group Representative​

"This was a really useful set of sessions and was well worth giving up a Saturday for. The trainers did an excellent job and I feel very inspired." – School Nursery Teacher.

"The trainers are amazing, cheerful and creative with a vast knowledge and it is a real pleasure to be taking part in." – Playground Assistant.

"My remit is working with families whose children are aged from birth to two years. The content of the course showed me how I could adapt things to fit with my role." – CFC Family Worker.

94% of families who offered feedback said they had discovered new ways of supporting their young children’s literacy development.​

"We got lots of lovely ideas that were simple and low cost."​

"I learnt new skills and will practice at home."​

"Lots of great ideas especially around oral storytelling and especially opportunities for collaborative storytelling."​

"The activities were good and chatting to staff and seeing how they do them is helpful."​

"I can see how important reading to my toddler is."​

"I learned how a simple little notepad or some leftover greeting cards or party invitations when given to my child, can encourage and support her writing development. I will make a point of telling and showing my child when I am writing, making a list so she learns how I use writing in real situations."​

"I was surprised by how many signs and logos my child recognised even though she is young and can't read and doesn't know her letters yet."

"I will make a point of telling and showing my child when I am writing, making a list so she learns how I use writing in real situations."​

"Lots of fun activities and useful ideas for making different kinds of storytelling more fun/varied."

Contact

Email: philippa.sutton@cambridgeshire.gov.uk