The Talking Transitions project aims to support young children and their families during significant early life transitions, such as starting preschool or primary school.
This award-winning initiative works closely with schools and early years settings—like pre-schools, day nurseries, and childminders—to create a network of communication and language expertise.
These networks, referred to as "satellites," collaborate to develop activities and experiences that not only enhance children's emotional wellbeing but also focus on their speech, language, and communication (SLC) development.
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Activities under this project include family visits to schools, interactive sessions where children can engage with their future teachers in their current settings, and themed activity sessions at schools. Additionally, the project encourages family participation in events like school lunches to help children adapt to new environments.
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Key components of the Talking Transitions project include:
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Learning Together: This involves accredited training courses for early years staff, focusing on SLC development for children aged 3-5, which are delivered collaboratively by health and education professionals.
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Working Together: Satellites facilitate "Thrive Time" discussions, where early years professionals come together to share insights about children transitioning to school. This includes sharing likes, dislikes, strengths, and challenges of each child, particularly in terms of their communication needs.
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Being Together: The project organises engaging activities and events that bring together schools, early years settings, children, and their families. These initiatives are designed to enhance awareness of the critical role of communication and language development, particularly during the summer holidays before children start school.
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