English as an Additional Language (EAL)
EAL children in the Early Years Foundation Stage often require additional support to help them thrive.
Take a look below at we do to support children build confidence, develop language skills, and become able to engage in their learning environment:
1. Language Acquisition:
Vocabulary Building: Focus on teaching key vocabulary through play, visuals, and repetition. We have invested in our Literacy/English curriculum to enhance the texts we read, as well as putting sharp focus on our daily reading opportunities for children: visits to the library, imbedding Rhyme time each day, end of day reads using Talk Through Stories, imbedding our systematic phonics curriculum, RWInc. We ensure vocabulary is prioritised in all areas of our curriculum and is at the core of our interactions with children.
Listening Activities: We provide opportunities for listening to stories and songs in English to enhance comprehension as well as texts that are of high quality readily available to children at all times. We ensure text is in all areas of our learning environments, providing the children with a wide range of opportunity and accessibility. We have also designed our own communication curriculum, 'Let's Communicate', whereby developing listening skills is a core focus.
2. Communication Skills:
Modelling Language: Our highly experienced and qualifies team model correct language use and encourage children to repeat phrases by using 'my turn, your turn'.
Turn-Taking Games: As part of our communication curriculum, 'Let's Communicate', and busy learning periods, activities that promote conversation and sharing are shared.
3. Social Integration:
Buddy Systems: We sometimes pair EAL learners with supportive peers to facilitate friendships and language practice.
Group Activities: We ensure to engage children in collaborative tasks to help them feel part of the community.
4. Cultural Sensitivity:
Respecting Home Languages: We enthusiastically encourage children to share their home language and culture, fostering pride and connection. We invite family members into school to share their culture and ensure our chosen texts and curricular topics are chosen to reflect our cohorts. We use our parental communication tool, Seesaw, to build relationships with our families; its translation tool for more than 100 language has supported these relationships tremendously.
Inclusive Resources: We try to use diverse books and materials that reflect the children's backgrounds.
5. Parental Engagement:
Multilingual Communication: We endeavour to communicate with parents in their home language when possible, providing updates and resources. We use our Seesaw application to communicate with families, chosen specifically for how families are able to translate communications into more than 100 different languages.
Workshops: Staff from across different aspects of the school community offer workshops to help parents support their child's language development at home.
6. Professional Development:
Training for Staff: We believe that ongoing training can equip our team here at Colham Manor with strategies to effectively support our EAL learners.
A note about home language
Young children learning one language at home and another at the setting/school need to use their home language as much as possible. Parents are encouraged to speak their home language with their child. This builds a firm foundation for the second language. Without this foundation, both first and second language can be delayed
or disrupted.