The Ethnic minority achievement (EMA) team, which is part of the Milton Keynes City Council have some fantastic resources we'd love to share, such as their news bulletin which can be downloaded below;
In an effort to promote communication and lanaguage development, Ducklings provides multiple resources to help (such as stay & play sessions, parent story parties, book sharing libraries etc.) - so please check out the resources listed below!
Book sharing
We love inviting our parents into preschool, especially when some of our parents are able to come in and read stories in their first language! Retelling stories in multiple languages truly does help with inclusivity, belonging, and allows for greater participation!
Preschool lending library
Ask your preschool manager about our lending libraries, if you are unaware of where ours is located! We've found that our lending libraries are another way to help support communication and language development!
Rhymes
Check out the Piccolo website for some rhymes. This website can be accessed by everone, to help learn rhymes with children! The rhymes (featured in World Nursery Rhyme Week) clearly delivered at a pace which can be followed, and clear lyrics are visible. This will be a good support for parents who are not familiar with some English nursery rhymes.
English as an additional language. The DfE guidance gives some key information to support settings improve practice in this area.
English as an additional language (EAL) - Help for early years providers - GOV.UK (education.gov.uk)
8. Parents/carers involvement We are fully aware that some parents who attend Ducklings have not experienced an early years setting in the UK, and may have different expectations around their involvement. To help with this transition and to promote a sense of belonging, we frequently invite our parents into the preschool to enjoy stay & play dates, story read along parties, and so many more! Ask any staff member at Ducklings to find out when our next session is!
The EMA team at the Milton Keynes City Council focus in multiple areas;
Ethnic Minority Achievement
Cultural awareness
New arrival induction
English as an additional language (EAL)
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
Early Years support
EAL and SEN
EY Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT)
Supplementary schools
Refugees and asylum-seekers If you need help regarding any of these, please feel free to contact them directly by emailing at ema@milton-keynes.gov.uk