Language Needs:
Learning Support - we have a 3 year old tamaiti with a speech impairment. On discussions at staff hui we decided to go through whānau and GP first before doing a referral ourselves hoping to get faster support for this child. Whānau agreed and shared an older sibling had worked with a SLT previously. Whānau booked a GP appointment and missed it. As they were expecting another baby, I decided to go ahead with our referral so there'd be no more delays.
Professional Reading: Much More Than Words - Monitoring and Encouraging Communication Development in early Childhood. My hoa mahi uses this document to make observations and assessments relating to learning support referrals.
Reflection: In future I would put through a referral as well as getting whānau on board to visit their GP as well. Give whānau handout of language strategies to use at home. Use Much More Than Words Speech/Sound samples speech/sound development chart.
While waiting for learning support for our tamaiti I practise sounds with her by drawing attention to my mouth when we are speaking. I repeat back to her what she has said trying to reinofrce correct annunciation. She participates in Sound of the Week with myself and Jayne Bolsover who is in our Kahuiako currently doing outreach in preschools teaching Better Start Literacy Approach. I have shared on Educa with whānau about our sound of the week literacy lessons for our tamariki including some early literacy strategies for them to use at home to buidlng their child's sound awareness and oral language skills.
ESL: Sound of the week lessons are really valuable for our ESL tamariki and I have commuicated with whanau about their child joining in which they were really happy about. I have done learning stories for our ESL tamariki to track their language development and identify ways to encourage participation in our daily mat times as well as sound of the week.
Reflection: Feeding back to parents is really important and finding out what their child's language is like at home. If parents know what their child is learning and interested in at centre they can kōrero about this in their own language at home reinforcing the child's learning and understanding. ESL whānau seem to really care about literacy learning - depending on parents own level of English some are on board for advice and strategies to use at home, while others want us teachers to "take care of it" - their child's English learning.
Gifted Talented Learners:
Reflecting on strategies used supporting a highly creative tamaiti with very strong sometimes extreme emotions.
-Drawing on tamaiti strengths and cultural identity - Learnings from He Mapuna te Tamaiti.
Using her talents for singing and fostering her growing interest in te reo Māori to promote emotional well-being. Inviting her to lead singing at Mat Times. Finding opportunities to include more te reo Maori learning throughout our day, in conversations/learning kōrero. She would suggest waiata she had heard at home that we would then learn at Mat Times at our centre. Celebrating her talents and using waiata to support her during emotional struggles. Kōrero with whānau about her talents and their wawata for her. Supporting her transition to school providing school visits, communicating with and hosting her new teacher at our centre. Working with Jayne Bolsover, sharing resorces such as waiata and karakia. Using digital media to extend her inquiries and making videos of her singing - sharing in her learning stories. Fostering learner identity and cultural identity. Inviting whānau into our centre for a performance at Matariki. Performing for residents at The Booms. Learning through songs for our Samoan & Cook Island language weeks.
Reflection: Creating more opportunities for tamariki to experience music from different cultures. Want to invite whānau with musical talents to perform for us or go on excursions to see performances.
Neuro Diverse Learners:
Strategies: Transitioning to overs side was step by step, lots of feedback from his under 2 teachers on how to support him. Singing ABCs etc. Working with whānau - using their aspirations, staff hui identifying need for learning support and teaching strategies such as using simple sign language. Learning NZSL during Sign language week.
Feed back to whānau about strategies we are using to strengthen communication with our non-verbal learners.
Professional learning into "Positional Play Schema" to support our tamaiti with his interests. Sharing these resources with whānau in learning story. Creating resources to foster positional play and number/letter interest.
https://www.famly.co/blog/positioning-play-schema-activities
