On 10th December New Vision English Hub and Elmhurst Primary were delighted to welcome over 30 Reception and Nursery teachers to our EYFS TeachMeet. The evening focused on 'closing the word gap' that exists between children from more and less privileged backgrounds.
Charlotte Raby, an early language development consultant, introduced the TeachMeet, talking about how to use storytime to promote children's vocabulary development through a real focus on tier 1 words. Juanita Holloway, the EYFS lead at Elmhurst Primary, talked about 'contingent talk', a book based approach to developing children's vocabulary that Elmhurst have been trialling. Other participants spoke about approaches that they have adopted in their setting.
The EYFS TeachMeets are a great opportunity for EYFS practitioners to get together, network and share ideas. Keep an eye out for our next EYFS TeachMeet in the Spring Term which will focus on reading for pleasure!
