Strong & Confident
Communicator

On a termly basis our Awe and Wonder book club will recommend a book for both the 0-2 and 2-5 age range as voted for by the children.

The winning books will be announced in the Awe and Wonder Book Club Newsletter for parents along with ideas on how to introduce the book to children both at home and in our nurseries as well as sharing inspiring ideas to extend children’s learning linked to the theme of the books.

Reading books to children stimulates their imagination and creativity, supports the development of vocabulary and extends their understanding of the world. As well as helping to develop language and listening skills, reading books prepares children to understand the written word developing the foundations they require to become fluent readers.

Letters and Sounds is a phonics resource published by the Department for Education and Skills in 2007. It aims to build children’s speaking and listening skills in their own right as well as to prepare children for learning to read by developing their phonic knowledge and skills. It sets out a detailed and systematic programme for teaching phonic skills for children starting by the age of five, with  the aim of them becoming fluent readers by age seven.

Throughout their time with us at Happy Days, children will be provided with enriching experiences and activities that supports their development, as well as ensuring they transition to school having received the best possible care and education, helping them to meet their individual potential, throughout their early years. Through the implementation of the Letters and Sounds programme we are able to further support important listening and speaking skills, as well as the first steps towards learning to read.

The Sing and Sign programme was developed by Speech and Language Therapist in 2001, it provides the benefits of both music and baby signing to support early communication skills.

Staff at Happy Days Nurseries have been specifically trained to deliver the Sing and Sign Programme within our Explorer Rooms. 

The programme promotes the use of early keyword signing alongside normal speech at the single word level to enhance communication between babies, toddlers and adults. The mutual understanding of these signs can also reduce frustration when babies and toddlers communication is at the pre verbal stage.

Babbling Babies and Toddler Talk is a combination of inspiring activities to support play and develop a baby’s communication skills. These activities have been developed by specialist practitioners with years of experience in developing communication with under threes. Babbling Babies and Toddler Talk won the 2017 Early Years Excellence prize for communication, language and literacy resource and continues to be a brilliant communication tool.

At Happy Days we recognise that using these tools, developed by specialists, will give our children the very best play opportunities to develop early communication and language skills.

Whilst engaging in this programme children will be encouraged to interact in social groups with other children and adults. Music is a core component of children’s learning and at Happy Days we will support children to ensure they have broad, balanced and rounded experiences related to music. We know that all vocal communication is composed of musical elements such as pitch, rhythm and timbre, demonstrating that musicality is an intrinsic part of being human.

Through music and movement this programme will also encourage healthy and active habits which will influence lifelong health.

The Boogie Mites School Ready Programme is musically based and supports the children’s language and listening skills with each song having a direct link to Letters and Sounds Phase One.

The 25 songs within the programme have been informed by neuroscience and specifically written to capture the imagination of young children. The different genres of upbeat music are used to offer diverse experiences with the fun lyrics and great melodies developing children’s rhythmic and melodic awareness.

This programme recognises the importance that daily music and singing plays in developing strong foundations for early language acquisition and literacy skills, this includes opportunities for sound recognition and phonological and phoneme awareness.

Each Nursery has a Boogie Mites Ambassador who has attended a  Boogie Mites School Ready Workshop led by a Boogie Mites Trainer.