Are you still in touch with the children and parents in your service during this lockdown period? Children are missing their routine, their teachers and their pals after many weeks at home. Parents and guardians are doing their best to provide the children with some of the same activities that they do at school so that their children can still grow and learn during this period. However, parents and guardians are not trained to do this and will appreciate any support offered to them in terms of activities, tips and ideas they can do at home with their children in the absence of the classroom. You can post ideas and tips on your facebook page, arrange to do facebook live for a ‘story time’ or you can send messages over your closed communication groups.
Another way to communicate with the parents and children is by using a monthly newsletter. A monthly newsletter gives you the opportunity to to keep in touch with the parents, while providing them with up to date information on the virus, hygiene at home, ideas of different activities they can do at home and news from the class that they may have missed from not being in the classroom. For example, you could have a section where you wish children a happy birthday for any upcoming birthdays or congratulate children on the birth of a sibling recently born. You can get in touch with parents and ask them about any news they have that their child might like to share with the rest of the class and these messages can be included in the newsletter. It is a great way for children to have some form of contact with their classmates whom they are missing at this time.
The Early Years Shop newsletter is done in conjunction with Canavan Byrne and provides plenty of topical information and ideas for you to include in your newsletter. This month’s May newsletter includes plans for a virtual Teddy Bear picnic to organise with families in your service. This is a great way to keep in touch with parents and to engage with the children at this time. The newsletter comes with a free Family Notice and for May the topic is ‘Staying Safely Connected during Covid-19’. We are all tuned in online much more over this period and this notice gives plenty of tips on staying safe while online. The good news is that the newsletter is available for FREE (normally €9.00) with any purchase on The Early Years Shop. If you are already a member of EYRF then you already have access to the newsletter creator as part of your membership fee. If you would like to become a member of EYRF there is currently a great special 50% discount offer off your first quarterly payment. Sign up now (or try a no-obligation free trial!) Many Early Years educators are using their time at home to increase their knowledge and skills and the new training video produced by Canavan Byrne in conjunction with an Award Winning Early Years Service has proven to be very popular at €20.00 per licence.
