Two key priorities for the curriculum during the Covid-19 pandemic have been to support children’s:

· Communication and language skills

· Personal, social and emotional development

Here are some top tips to support your child’s communication and language:

1. Talk slowly and use simple words. Introduce a new word every day.

2. Encourage your child to talk about what they are doing, what they can see and feel.

3. Include singing in your everyday activities.

4. Read stories and comment on the pictures on the page.

5. Use a school-home communication diary. Take photos of your child doing different activities at home for them to share with school.

Here are some top tips to support your child’s personal, social and emotional development:

1. Encourage your child to express how they are feeling. Use emotion cards showing different facial expressions with the word describing the emotion next to the picture.

2. Use puppets and books to talk about feelings.

3. Provide opportunities for your child to mix with other children as much as possible, e.g., after school clubs, at the park.

4. Play games that encourage turn-taking, sharing and listening.

Follow this link for more information about education recovery and catch-up strategies: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-recovery-in-early-years-providers-spring-2022/education-recovery-in-early-years-providers-spring-2022#catch-up-strategies