Parenta Magazine September 2019

Issue 58
SEPTEMBER 2019
FREE
INDUSTRY
EXPERTS
How to teach
young children
friendship skills
The importance
of doodling
Starting a musical
journey: changes in
musical behaviour
+ lots more
Write for us
for a chance to
WIN
£50
p 27
INTERNATIONAL TALK
LIKE A PIRATE DAY!
Avast me hearties! September 19th is International Talk Like A Pirate
Day. Find our themed craft and fun activity suggestions inside!
CELEBRATE ROALD DAHL DAY! WIN A SET OF ROALD DAHL BOOKS & PUPPETS!

Hello and welcome to the September edition of the Parenta magazine!
The new academic year is upon us already and you’ve probably spent the past few weeks busily preparing for
your new intake - where did the summer go?!
September is also a busy month here at Parenta HQ. The team is really looking forward to Childcare Expo
Midlands in Coventry on 27th and 28th September; and will be on hand to give you valuable advice and
guidance on recruitment, apprenticeships and upskilling your staff. We will also be demonstrating all our software
solutions – do come and visit us – you’ll find us on stand C12.
We celebrate International Talk Like A Pirate Day on the 19th – and all hands are on deck, for this is our theme of the month. As well as
looking at the origins of this unusual day, we’ve got a treasure hunt activity and a parrot craft for the children that will inspire you to
“parley like a pirate”. More on that on the opposite page!
Another celebration is in order on 13th September - for Roald Dahl Day! We’ve got some great ideas for the children to have fun with;
as well as a competition to win some fantastic Roald Dahl books and matching finger puppets which you can use to make storytime
fun and interactive!
September is “’results month’ and with GCSE and A level results out and the focus on recruitment, it can be easy to overlook improving
the knowledge of those already working in your childcare setting. Turn to page 34 for our top tips on how Continuing Professional
Development (CPD) can keep staff motivated, improve morale and reduce staff turnover!
Congratulations once again to Joanna Grace, our guest author competition winner! Her article “Drinking games for children on
summer days” was really well received by our readers this summer and gave such essential advice for keeping the children hydrated.
We really hope you find the variety of news stories, advice articles and craft activities in this month’s magazine useful – all of which are
written to help you with the efficient running of your setting and to promote the health, happiness and wellbeing of the children in your
care.
Please feel free to share with friends, parents and colleagues!
Allan
MUSIC
hello
WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY
22
SEPTEMBER 2019 ISSUE 58
IN THIS EDITION
REGULARS
14 What our customers say
18 Arrgghh! Have you seen my parrot?
27 Write for us for a chance to win £50!
27 Guest author winner announced
NEWS
4 Cygnets brings the beach to Bordon to celebrate
15 years!
4 Broussa Day Nursery children welcome local
guide dog
5 Children born prematurely during summer can
face ‘significant’ challenges at school
6 Parenta Trust news
ADVICE
10 World Sepsis Day
16 International Talk Like A Pirate Day
20 Heritage Open Days – celebrating history and
culture!
24 Eczema – nutritional advice and lifestyle tips for
your setting
30 Roald Dahl Day
34 The importance of Continuing Professional
Development (CPD) for your staff
Avast me hearties!
Our theme of the month for September is…..pirates!
Ahoy there! It’s International Talk Like A Pirate Day on 19th
September so batten down the hatches and all hands on deck
for a month of ‘pirate parley’!
What’s it all about?
It began in 1995 when two friends were playing racquetball (a
game a little like squash) and began shouting
encouragement to each other which rapidly
turned into pirate slang! It sounds farfetched
and not much of a link to
pirates, but if you turn to page 16 you
will discover how it all happened!
“Have you seen my parrot?”
Let the little ones’ imaginations runs wild
with our ‘make your own pirate parrot’
craft. We had such fun making this in the
office and we think it will bring hours
of piratey fun in your setting. On page
18 you will see one that we “prepared
earlier”!
Don’t forget to
send us your
pictures of the
children’s
pirate parrots
– have fun!
National Eye Health Week 38
In the first of a four-part
series, Frances Turnbull
offers an insight into how
beneficial music is in
children’s development.
EMOTIONS
Gina Smith provides
some excellent strategies
that you can use to
help young children
develop their emotional
understanding.
8
FRIENDSHIP SKILLS
32
Tanith Carey shares some great ways
that you can help teach friendship skills
to the young children in your care. Tanith
gives 4 scenarios and describes how you
can help in these situations.
38 National Eye Health Week
INDUSTRY EXPERTS
8 How to help young children develop their
emotional understanding
12 The importance of doodling
22 Starting a musical journey: changes in your little
one’s musical behaviour
28 Into the woods to take only pictures and leave
only footprints
32 How to teach young children friendship skills
36 Sensory engagement
Enter the
competition
for a chance to win
a set of Roald Dahl
books & finger
puppets!
Roald Dahl Day! Ways to celebrate & a chance to win! 30

Cygnets brings the beach to
Bordon to celebrate 15 years!
Cygnets Day Nursery celebrated its fifteen-year anniversary on Friday 19th July with a beachthemed
event. Local MP, Damian Hinds, agreed to visit during the event and asked many
questions about the daycare provided.
Bonny Clark, Manager of Cygnets, said: “It was fantastic to see
the children have so much fun with all our beach activities. It
is amazing to think we have been in Bordon 15 years and we
look forward to the next 15! A big thank you to all the parents
who continue to support us and to our staff who did a huge
amount to create an immersive beach experience for the
children, and who work hard daily to provide a high standard
of education.”
Staff and children were dressed in a variety of colourful outfits
and were busy all day enjoying sand pits, inflatable pools,
beach balls and painting their faces. The children particularly
enjoyed the two guest storytellers who made the children
laugh with their engaging and interactive stories. Possibly the
most popular attractions were the opportunity to ride on two
ponies and eating fish and chips and ice cream.
Broussa Day Nursery children
welcome local guide dog
Broussa Day Nursery and Nursery School has recently been visited by a very special guest – Carter
the trainee guide dog.
Children at Broussa Day Nursery welcomed Carter and his
handlers from the Guide Dog Association into the setting and
learned all about the important job he is training for.
It has been a fantastic opportunity for the children to not only
experience and gain confidence being around a different
animal to the ones they have at nursery, but also gain an
understanding about the use of guide dogs.
Broussa Day Nursery teaches children about the world
around them. They receive regular visits from people in the
community and learn about others who may be different
from themselves. This experience with Carter was valuable in
developing an understanding and awareness of those with
sensory impairments.
Children born prematurely during
summer can face ‘significant’
challenges at school
Research conducted by the University of Leeds found that children born only three weeks
premature during the summer, may encounter ‘significant setbacks’ in education especially if they
fall into the earlier school year.
The data, from Born in Bradford birth
cohort study, was collected from 10,000
children, and shows that children born
prematurely are twice as likely not to
achieve a ‘good’ level of development
at the end of reception, compared to
children born at full term.
Children born in the summer months
are most at risk due to starting school
a year early. Those children are three
times less likely to reach a ‘good level of
development’.
The research also found that keeping the
children behind for one year before they
start school may not compensate for
their early birth.
The study was the result of conversations
with schools taking part in the Bradford
Opportunity Area Programme, a
Department for Education initiative to
find out if extra support is needed for
those children.
Children who are extremely premature
are always given support with follow up
medical assistance as well as support
from their schools, which are informed
about the situation, whereas children
born three to eight weeks prematurely
don’t get that support.
The research also highlights the
disadvantages faced by those born
between three to eight weeks early, as
well as showing they face them at an
earlier age than previously thought.
A neonatal doctor from the Born
in Bradford study and the Bradford
Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation
Trust, Dr Katherine Pettinger, who coauthored
the study, said to Nursery
World: “While it seems like an obvious
solution, delayed entry for premature
children is not likely to compensate
for being born early, as we found that
within a given school year, the risks to
development faced by children born
prematurely, did not vary depending on
when within that school year they were
born.
“To try to support this at-risk group
better, we instead suggest that schools
should be informed which of their pupils
were born prematurely, so they can be
given extra support, particularly early on
in their schooling.”
There are a number of recommendations
to help those children including;
• Giving the parents of the children
individual advice suitable to their
needs
• Providing teachers with the best
learning resources to support
premature children
• Sharing data between health and
education services
The study is titled “Starting School:
Educational Development as a Function
of Age of Entry and Prematurity”, and it
is published in the journal, Archives of
Disease in Childhood.
4 Parenta.com September 2019 5

Parenta Trust news
NEWS
Invest in the development
of your team...
10%
NON-LEVY CONTRIBUTION
5%
We take a look at how our charity, Parenta Trust, together with its supporters, changes the lives of
hundreds of children who attend Parenta Trust schools in deprived areas of the world.
In many third world countries, preschool
children are denied a basic
education. In the poorest of areas,
children are sent out to fetch water,
carry out domestic chores and look
after their siblings. Very often, this
means that they miss out on not only
going to pre-school but also receiving
additional education throughout their
childhood.
By providing training for your staff, you will:
Improve morale
Support children’s safety
Enhance your setting’s reputation
Reduce staff turnover
We help hundreds of childcare providers train their staff every year.
Investing in staff training and development is essential for not only
upskilling your workforce, but reducing recruitment costs, attracting top
talent and helping to prevent skills shortages.
It doesn’t sound much, but for as
little as 56p per day, a child’s life
can be changed and they can look
forward to a much brighter future.
“Sponsoring a Parenta Trust child
is so rewarding. To know that our
support gives hope to a child and
that we can change their lives for the
better, is incredible. You form a special
connection with your sponsored
child and are able to share in their
milestones as they grow. In fact, you’ll
soon find that your sponsored child
feels like a part of your own family!
Each year, we receive a couple of
letters from them as well as a card at
Christmas time.
“The children that we sponsor love
to hear from us! One of the most
rewarding things about sponsoring a
child is when that letter arrives and you
hear about what they’ve been up to
and how you have helped them. It fills
you with pride and happiness!”
The Parenta Trust sponsorship
programme gives disadvantaged preschool
children the chance to lay the
foundations for their learning in a safe
and loving environment. Having a basic
education means these young children
can break out of the cycle of poverty
and look forward to a much brighter
future.
Sponsorship plays a huge role in
shaping the lives of young pre-school
boys and girls across the world. With
the support of their sponsors, the
children are given a bright start to their
life and receive a pre-school education,
with its effects lasting a lifetime.
Each sponsored child benefits from a
pre-school education, a school uniform,
a daily hot meal, school supplies and
the knowledge that someone really
cares.
To find out how you can make a
difference and sponsor a child, visit
parentatrust.com/sponsor-a-child.
Other ways to support the work of
Parenta Trust
The Parenta Trust runs many exciting
fundraising activities throughout the
year, including an annual car rally from
Maidstone via the Alps to Monaco. To
find out more and keep up-to-date with
the latest events, follow our Facebook
page or visit www.parentatrust.com.
On the 1 st April, the contribution that you pay when you are a non-levy
employer dropped to 5% - it could be as little as £100 for 19+ or free for
16—18-year-olds. There has never been a better time to upskill your staff!
Let us help you with your training needs – call us today!
0800 002 9242 hello@parenta.com
How sponsorship saved Bridget’s life...
We met Bridget on a trip to Uganda in 2014. Nothing could’ve prepared us
for her story but, sadly, her case is not a one-off. Bridget was rescued from a
shrine where she was about to be sacrificed by her parents. Saved at the last
moment from a shocking fate, she now attends one of our pre-schools where
she can lead a happy and safe life. She is cared for, has a sponsor and has the
education she needs to brighten her future. There are many more vulnerable
children like Bridget who need your help. By sponsoring a pre-school child, you
make a real difference to their lives.
6 Parenta.com September 2019 7

How to help young
children develop their
emotional understanding
Emotions are often very extreme in young children. We’ve all
seen the dramatic responses that children can have to the
most simple of things.
It can be extremely exhausting and
trying when a young child shows a
very extreme reaction to something
that seems so insignificant to
us, such as the colour of their
cup. As their carers, we have to
recognise that these details mean
the world to the child. Children
don’t have the same levels of
responsibility and stresses that
we have in our lives, such as
paying bills, meeting our children’s
needs and meeting deadlines at
work. At any one point in time,
the colour of a cup simply is
the most important thing in that
child’s world right now (lucky
them!). They haven’t yet developed
the maturity to distinguish how
important something really is, and
they don’t have the regulation
strategies necessary to act calmly
when something doesn’t go their
way. These emotions need time to
develop and mature.
There are three sequential steps
that children need to go through
to help develop their emotional
understanding.
1. Recognise what different
emotions look like in others.
2. Recognise emotions in
themselves.
3. Begin to deal with their own
emotions.
The list below offers some
strategies for helping young
children work through the steps
above.
»»
Get children to recognise feelings
in others. Look at characters in
books, people in magazines or
people on television. Ask children
how these people are feeling.
“How can you tell? Why are they
feeling that way?” It can help to
have a set of emotion pictures
available to see if any children
can match an emotion picture
to the person in the picture.
»»
Now start using similar strategies
to get children to recognise how
they are feeling themselves. “Can
you remember a time that you
felt sad? Excited? Angry?” Ask
children to show how they are
feeling with the emotion card.
It’s great to have a display in
your setting that allows a child
to show you, visually, how they
are feeling. There are some
great books available to help
children begin to recognise their
emotions. I love Trace Moroney’s
“When I’m feeling….” series.
»»
Talk about the physical features
of some emotions. “What
happens to your body when you
are worried? Some people feel
as though they have butterflies
in their tummy. Some go red.
Some might get tummy ache
or feel sick.” Making children
aware of this gives children
more clues to help recognise
the emotion in themselves.
»»
When you see a child
experiencing an extreme
emotion, help them to label it
so that they understand what is
happening. “I can see that you
are feeling angry”. Get them
to display their emotion on the
chart or show them the emotion
chart. Ask them: “can you
tell me how you are feeling?”
This gives children a way of
communicating their feeling
with you if they don’t have the
confidence or words to tell you
what they are experiencing.
»»
Empathise with how the child
must have been feeling – “it
must have been really scary for
you when you got angry. I feel
like that when I am angry.”
»»
Give children the tools to
deal with their emotions by
providing them with calming
activities such as bubbles,
sensory play or music.
»»
Put in strategies of how the child
can help themselves when they
are angry. You need to discuss
this with them when they are
calm. Have a plan in place and
explain to the child that it is not
wrong to be angry, but it is wrong
to hurt someone else when you
are angry. “Let’s see if we can
come up with a better plan”.
Perhaps they could go somewhere
safe to let off steam when they
need to. Let them know how you
are going to support them.
Gina Smith
Gina Smith is an
experienced teacher with
experience of teaching
in both mainstream and
special education. She
is the creator of ‘Create
Visual Aids’ - a business
that provides both homes
and education settings with
bespoke visual resources.
Gina recognises the fact
that no two children are
the same and therefore
individuals are likely to
need different resources.
Create Visual Aids is
dedicated to making visual
symbols exactly how the
individual needs them.
Website:
www.createvisualaids.com
Email:
gina@createvisualsaids.com
These ideas will all help develop
emotional understanding in your
setting. As always, communication
is key. Anything that you can do to
encourage children to communicate
their feelings is going to provide
them with a huge step towards
developing their emotional
understanding and helping them on
the road to good mental health.
8 Parenta.com September 2019 9

World Sepsis Day
Sepsis is a major health problem which negatively impacts the lives of many people across the
globe. It affects between 27–30 million people each year, and of those, between 6 and 9 million
people die as a result. But the most worrying statistic is that sepsis is the most preventable
cause of death worldwide. Unfortunately, depending on the country and education level, only
7–50% of people know about sepsis, and many are unaware of the simple measures that can
be undertaken to prevent it. Many also do not know that the risk of death can be significantly
reduced by early recognition of the symptoms and early effective treatment.
World Sepsis Day (WSD) was
established in 2012 in response to
this global healthcare crisis by the
World Sepsis Alliance; a not-for-profit
charity organisation with the mission
to provide global leadership to reduce
the worldwide burden of sepsis. It
is led by experts from all over the
world and has over 95 member
organisations currently.
September 13th each year is
recognised as World Sepsis Day. It
aims to increase public awareness
of sepsis and to show solidarity with
millions of people across the world
who have lost loved ones, as well as
survivors who might be living with
long-term complications.
What is sepsis?
The WSD website explains that “sepsis
arises when the body’s response to
an infection injures its own tissues
and organs. It may lead to shock,
multi-organ failure, and death -
especially if not recognised early and
treated promptly. Sepsis is the final
common pathway to death from most
infectious diseases worldwide.”
Another expert, and survivor of the
condition, said: “The important thing
to remember is that sepsis is not
caused by any one bacteria or virus.
It’s an overreaction by the body to
infection, which rapidly escalates.”
Most common infections can lead
to sepsis including flu, pneumonia,
urinary infections, infections in the
abdomen, skin or wound infections
and meningitis, but it can also follow
diseases such as yellow fever, malaria
and Ebola infections. Although anyone
can get sepsis, some groups are at
higher risk, such as:
»»
Young children under 1
»»
Older people (60+)
»»
People with no spleen
»»
People with
immunocompromising conditions
such as AIDS
»»
People with chronic heart, liver or
lung conditions
»»
People with diabetes
One of the most misunderstood facts
about sepsis is that it is one of the
few conditions which can hit equally
hard in the developed world as in
less-developed, resource-poorer
27,000,000 - 30,000,000
people per year develop
sepsis
7,000,000 - 9,000,000 die
- 1 death every 3.5 seconds
Survivors may face lifelong
consequences
areas. In fact, the incidence of sepsis
has increased in the developed world
at an annual rate of between 8%
and 13% in the last 10 years, and it is
responsible for more lives lost than
breast and bowel cancer combined.
The best way to prevent sepsis is to
prevent infections in the first place
through the use of vaccinations and
good hygiene practices, including
having access to clean water and
hygienic birth situations.
Signs and symptoms
Early recognition of the signs and
symptoms of sepsis is vital in saving
lives as it increases the chance that
the sepsis can be treated. Some of
the things to look out for include:
Slurred speech or confusion
Extreme shivering or muscle pain/fever
Passing no urine all day
Severe breathlessness
It feels like you’re going to die
Skin mottled or discoloured
If someone already has sepsis,
then they will need to be treated
as a medical emergency and
their infection needs to be treated
immediately. If in doubt, seek medical
attention. Delaying treatment could
be life-threatening.
Use World Sepsis Day to educate
your staff and parents
One of the greatest problems facing
the people trying to combat sepsis
is simply the lack of awareness
about it. Sepsis can take hold very
rapidly (within hours) and the more
people who are aware of it, the
more chance there is of spotting the
symptoms early, giving the person
the best chance of recovery. One
survivor on the website recounts his
own experience of scraping his hand
on a rusty nail. He thought nothing
of it, but 48 hours later, he was in
a coma. That’s why the organisers
of WSD want people to talk about
sepsis, to educate their friends and
colleagues about it, and to use their
personal circles of influence to help
spread the word.
Sign the World Sepsis Declaration
One easy way to support World
Sepsis Day is to share the link for
signing the World Sepsis Declaration
with your colleagues, families and
friends; everyone should be informed
about sepsis. The declaration is a
call to action for governments, NGOs,
healthcare providers, institutions,
businesses, public and private sector
organisations and the general public
alike, asking them to commit to
doing everything possible to stem
the tide of sepsis and to put plans
together to achieve a set of specific
goals by 2020. The current goal is
to reduce sepsis deaths by 20% by
2020. By signing the declaration, you
are showing your support for this.
Now we cannot all set up national
healthcare schemes or vaccination
programmes, but there are many
things we can do as individuals and
nursery professionals to help raise
awareness and increase education
about sepsis in our own circles.
Here are a few suggestions of things
you can do in your setting to help.
1. Download the toolkit here and
run an education session for
your parents and staff. There is
a comprehensive toolkit on the
website consisting of information,
resources and a “What is sepsis?”
video which runs for just 3
minutes, which you can use to get
the main messages over.
2. Sign the Sepsis Declaration
and share the link to it on your
social media channels asking your
friends and family to sign it too.
Symptoms of sepsis
These symptoms might indicate sepsis
?
?
S
?
?
Slurred speech
or confusion
S Severe
breathlessness
E
I
3. Wear pink for the day and tell
everyone why you are doing it.
4. Hold a pink picnic and serve
all manner of pink food such as
fairy cakes, salmon, shrimps,
raspberries, pink grapefruit and
watermelon. You can always
make some pink bread for
sandwiches using some pink food
colouring.
5. Participate in the photo
challenge and share your
photos on social media using the
hashtag #WorldSepsisDay.
References from:
www.worldsepsisday.org/sepsis
www.global-sepsis-alliance.org
Extreme shivering or
muscle pain/fever
It feels like you’re
going to die
P
S
Passing no
urine all day
Skin mottled
or discoloured
10 Parenta.com September 2019 11

The importance of doodling
In honour of National Doodle Day, I decided to write an article about doodling and the importance
of it for children. Although it looks like scribbling, doodling is so much more than that. Here are
some of the benefits for children in their early years, followed by a little story about how my
daughter’s doodles have now become something that is making a huge difference to children…
Yaryo
Looly
Benefits of doodling:
Develops literacy
Doodling is actually the first
step towards writing and
drawing. Initially children’s
drawings may seem like they
lack structure, but as a child’s
fine motor skills develop and
their understanding of the
world increases, their doodles
will get more meaning. Simple
doodles are the first step to
writing because every shape
needed to create letters will be
first achieved in what seems to
be a simple scribble.
Teaches space and distance
Children do not always understand basic concepts
such as space and distance. Doodling can allow
children to process this information. They will learn
the difference between creating large and small
objects and as they develop, they will learn the
concept of space and distance in order to create an
image that resembles everyday objects.
Develops hand-eye
coordination
The more a child doodles,
the more they will develop
their hand-eye coordination
because they will start to
develop their ability to draw an
image that has a likeness to
objects around them. When a
child first starts attempting to
draw a face, there is a process
that they go through trying to
determine where the different
features should be. Over time
they become more accurate,
however, it is the early doodles
that allow them to develop this
skill.
Develops fine
motor skills
It is crucial that children develop
their fine motor skills. When a
child holds mark-making tools,
they are developing their ability
to manipulate them. As they
doodle, they see the image
that they have created and
then over time, develop their
ability to control the outcome.
By using a variety of different
sized equipment such as chalk,
paint brushes and pencils,
children will develop their ability
to manage objects of different
shapes and widths.
Develops imagination, creativity
& builds self-esteem
Even though a child’s drawing can seem like
scribbling, quite often they will be able to give you
an in-depth description of what they have created.
By asking open-ended questions about their work,
you allow them to explore their imagination and
construct a story around what they have drawn. By
doing this, you will also build their self-esteem and
confidence because they will feel that you see value
and magic in what they have done.
From doodle to storybook…
After my first child was born, I left
teaching and started to create
storybooks that are now part of a
collection called The Memory Box
Collection. My children have always
seen me drawing and creating books,
so it has been fascinating watching
them copy me. Even when they were
tiny, they would sit next to me and
mimic what I was doing. Their sweet
little scribbles held such meaning to
them and just taking the time to listen
to what they had created, always made
their faces beam with pride. I knew
then how powerful this phase was and
felt excited to see it all unfold.
What started as a ‘scribble’ then
developed into 2 characters that
my daughter created called ‘Yaryo
and Looly’. She told me about these
characters and that they were special.
As I listened and asked her questions
about them, I could see her little eyes
light up. She then asked me if we could
put them into my computer like I do
with my drawings and make a book
together. Of course, I instantly said yes.
The books that I create are given to
children as gifts on special occasions
throughout the year by nurseries and
childminders. Each one has a strong
moral message and aims to develop a
child’s self-awareness. I have always
wanted to create a book that teaches
children to accept themselves and
others for who they are and to embrace
Visit earlyyearsstorybox.com/shop for more
about The Memory Box Collection. Parenta
readers can get a 20% discount using the
code PARENTA20.
their differences. This is also something
that I have emphasised to my children
as I never wanted them to feel that they
couldn’t be their authentic self.
When I saw my daughter’s perfectly
imperfect drawings, I knew that
they would make the most amazing
characters for a storyline about
acceptance. We scanned her drawings
into the computer and used software to
add colour and to make them printready.
My little girl was in control of it
all. I asked her how she thought the
character, Yaryo, looked different to
everyone else and what his friends
might say to make him feel better. It
was incredible to hear her thoughts
about it all, and once she had told me
what she thought, I then took away
what she had said and put it into a
rhyming story. The end result was the
most special book in the collection –
one that is truly having an impact on
children and making a difference.
By seeing the beauty in a scribble and
encouraging my daughter to develop
her own unique concept, she ended
up creating something that will help
so many children to accept themselves
just as they are. Without the process of
doodling, Yaryo and Looly would never
have been created. A scribble is never
just a scribble to its creator and if we
can uncover the hidden meaning in it,
we might just learn a thing or two from
the little people in our lives.
Stacey Kelly
Stacey Kelly is a former
teacher, a parent to 2
beautiful babies and the
founder of Early Years Story
Box, which is a subscription
website providing children’s
storybooks and early years
resources. She is passionate
about building children’s
imagination, creativity and
self-belief and about creating
awareness of the impact
that the early years have
on a child’s future. Stacey
loves her role as a writer,
illustrator and public speaker
and believes in the power of
personal development. She is
also on a mission to empower
children to live a life full of
happiness and fulfilment,
which is why she launched
the #ThankYouOaky Gratitude
Movement.
Sign up to Stacey’s premium
membership here and use the
code PARENTA20 to get 20%
off or contact Stacey for an
online demo.
Website:
www.earlyyearsstorybox.com
Email:
stacey@earlyyearsstorybox.com
Facebook:
facebook.com/earlyyearsstorybox
Twitter:
twitter.com/eystorybox
Instagram:
instagram.com/earlyyearsstorybox
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/stacey-kellya84534b2/
12 Parenta.com September 2019 13

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International Talk Like A Pirate Day
Last month, we celebrated National Playday and National Colouring Book Day, and earlier in the
year was International Women’s Day and Safer Internet Day. So, I know you’ll all be wondering
about this month’s awareness day. There’s lots of fun to be had with Roald Dahl Day, (see page
30) but I bet you didn’t know that on September 19th, you can practice your old pirate patter
with International Talk Like A Pirate Day!!
“Ooo arr” we hear you say, “Be that true?” “Aye aye, shiver me timbers, it is, to be sure!”
(OK, back to speaking normally - for a few paragraphs at least!)
An old pirate’s tale…
So, it’s true – September 19th is officially
recognised as International Talk Like A
Pirate Day. It started in 1995 when two
friends (Mark “Cap’n Slappy” Summers,
and John “Ol’ Chumbucket” Baur) were
playing racquetball and began shouting
encouragements to each other. These
escalated into pirate slang and by the
end of the match, they had decided
to set up a day to speak in the pirate
tongue and keep some traditional
piratical activities alive. They chose the
19th of September and this sturdy band
of intrepid adventurers (well 2 of them!)
dedicated themselves to keeping their
new-found parlance. For 7 years they stoically
observed the day, when one lucky Monday (or
it could have been a Tuesday… pirates don’t
count the days you know); they found some
scurvy treasure – the email address of
the syndicated columnist, Dave
Barry – who, with his tongue
in his cheek and quill in his
hand, promoted the idea
across his network. The rest,
as they say, is
history.
Nowadays, pirates big and small look forward to hoisting their
main sails, leaving the landlubbers behind and becoming a
swashbuckling buccaneer for the day! There’s even a dedicated
website at www.talklikeapirate.com where other wouldbe
scallywags can learn more and download some useful
resources such as a pirate glossary, pirate songs, and some
learning resources for junior pirates, their parents and teachers.
So why not get into the swing of Talk Like A Pirate Day in your
own setting, and see what madcap mayhem you can have?
Here are a few ideas to help you
Learn to speak pirate parlance!
Since the day is all about speaking like a pirate, everyone
should at least learn a few pirate phrases. The website has
some great ones for adults and little ones alike, but we’ve put
down a few of our favourites to help you get started.
Ye
Me
Bucko
Booty
Shiver me timbers
Parley
Ahoy
Scupper that
Davey Jones’ locker
You
My
Friend
Treasure
Expressing surprise
A discussion between opposing sides
in an argument
Used to attract attention or as a
greeting
Throw that overboard
A fictional place at the bottom of the
sea - death!
Organise a treasure hunt
This is a great way to engage the children
and to help them with some extra learning
and problem-solving opportunities too.
You can do it inside and/or outside,
depending on the weather and the
children can participate individually, in
pairs or in teams. Plan your hunt carefully
and decide if you want to use a map, or
have clues to follow that lead from one
to the next. It’s best to start at the end
(where your treasure will be hidden) and
work backwards towards your designated
starting point, either making-up your own
clues or you could use some of the many
ready-made ones on the internet. There
are some simple rhyming couplet ideas
here.
If you have very young children, you could
do a picture quiz instead of using words, so
that children find the items from a picture.
And for older children you can introduce an
element of maths such as simple counting
or addition to get to the answer.
Make sure that you have some ‘treasure’ at
the end of the trail. It can be anything and
an old shoe box covered in brown paper
makes a good treasure chest.
Dress up as a pirate
Red, white and black are common pirate
colours so ask children to come to the
setting in these colours. You can make
some pirate hats and eye patches using
cardboard and string and cut up some old
pieces of material to make bandanas and
arm bands.
Make some pirate booty
A pirate wouldn’t be a pirate without some
booty, so why not make some treasure
of your own? Cut out different shapes of
coloured card to be jewels or string some
beads together to make necklaces and
bracelets. You can even make and paint
some crowns, bars of gold or coins
too.
Learn a pirate song and jig
Everyone loves and old sea shanty and this
is a great way to increase physical activity
and have some fun doing it. The creators
of Talk Like A Pirate Day have made up a
child-friendly pirate song which is listed
on their website along with several other
lesson plans for historical, art and other
types of educational lessons. You can
adapt them depending on the age of the
children you are working with.
Make a pirate flag
The skull and crossbones is the traditional
pirate flag and you could make
some using either paper, cardboard
or material. There are 32 free,
downloadable stencils here if you don’t
want to draw your own.
Read some stories about pirates
Here are some of our favourite pirate
books for younger children:
• “The Pirates of Scurvy Sands” by
Jonny Duddle
• “Sir Charlie Stinky Socks: The
Pirate’s Curse” by Kristina
Stephenson
• “Pirate Pete” by Nick Sharratt
• “Ten Little Pirates” by Mike
Brownlow
• “Molly Rogers, Pirate Girl” by
Cornelia Funke
And don’t forget those
classics, “Treasure Island”
and “Peter Pan” too.
Above all me hearties,
tis time to weigh
anchor, get all hands
on deck and have
some piratey fun!
For more information, visit
the website at:
www.talklikeapirate.com
16 Parenta.com September 2019 17

Arrgghh! Have
you seen my
parrot?
These little people
need your help too!
We know how much giving children a quality education means to you.
You will need:
• Cardboard tube, cut in half (such as
the inside of a kitchen roll)
• Coloured paper
• Feathers
• Googly eyes
• Pipe cleaners
• Scissors
• Glue
1. Cut the coloured paper into pieces. You will need a piece
for the body, one for the head, one for belly and one for the
beak, you’ll be wrapping these around the cardboard tube so
make sure they’re big enough!
2. Glue them all in the correct places – use the photo as a
guide. It doesn’t have to be perfect!
3. Make two holes on the opposite sides at the bottom of the
parrot (be very careful!) and run pipe cleaner through the
holes.
4. Glue the googly eyes on the head.
5. Make two holes on each side to
make space for the wings and
one on the back for the tail. Stick
the feathers through the holes.
6. Glue last pieces of feather on the
inside of the head so it creates a
crest.
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Heritage Open
Days – celebrating
history and
culture!
If you have ever walked past an old building
or historic house and garden and wondered
what history lies behind those doors, or what
life might have been like for those that lived
there in years gone by, you may be able to
find out this month!
Every year in September,
places across the country,
the majority of which are
normally closed (or parts of
them closed) to the public,
throw open their doors to
celebrate their heritage,
community and history. It’s
our chance to see hidden
places and try out new
experiences – all of which
are free of charge to explore!
Heritage Open Days is
organised nationally by
the National Trust and
is England’s largest free
festival of history and
culture, bringing together
over 2,000 organisations,
5,000 events and 40,000
volunteers from all walks of
life – that’s one huge festival!
This year’s festival runs from
13th to 22nd September
and celebrates its 25th
anniversary!
How did it all start?
Heritage Open Days started
in 1994 and was inspired
by its European equivalent,
European Heritage Days.
Since then, it has grown into
the country’s largest heritage
festival, growing from 701
events when it began, to
over 5,000 today! It is a
chance for communities
nationwide to come together
to learn, explore and have
fun by sharing the treasures
on their doorstep.
This year, there are hundreds
of properties taking part in
Heritage Open Days that
are holding children’s and
family activities for everyone
to enjoy! By sharing all their
stories, everyone involved
can encourage children to
learn about their heritage in
all sorts of wonderful ways.
You can search for familyfriendly
Heritage Open
Days activities that are
happening in your area on
the website here:
heritageopendays.org.uk
As well as families learning
about the heritage
and culture of the built
environment during Heritage
Open Days, you could also
hold your own themed
activity at your setting, so
you can celebrate all cultures
and heritage, not just
buildings!
My family tree
Over recent years, exploring
family trees has become
a really popular activity
for many people. Family
heritage is a great topic
to use in your setting
when children start to
get an understanding of
their own families and
realise that all families are
unique. It’s a great way to
build the children’s selfesteem
as they share ‘My
Family Heritage’ with their
classmates. It can also
be used to celebrate the
differences in people and
build tolerance of those who
are different. Learning about
heritage in early years can
get families involved in a
good way!
You will need:
»»
A world map attached
to a board near your
storytime area.
»»
Push pins
»»
A world globe
»»
A picture atlas or book
showing how different
buildings (churches/
castles etc) look in
different countries.
»»
Book - “Everybody Bakes
Bread” by Norah Dooley
(or similar)
1. Explain to the children that a world map is the same as a globe, but flattened out. You can show where you live on
both the globe and the map.
2. Read a story book that illustrates that many people come from different places and cultures. Norah Dooley books are
really good for this as they show that so many different recipes come from different countries
and food is an easy way to introduce the children to different cultures! As you read the
story, mark the places on the map where these recipes originated.
3. Discuss with the children that each of them have ancestors (grandparents, etc.) that
have come from other places. This usually encourages them to say things like, “I’m
Polish!” or “My dad comes from Italy.”
4. Explain that people learn skills and customs from their cultural heritage, passing it down
through the family. People may seem different because of how they dress, what they eat
and how they celebrate holidays. Give some examples of how your family heritage has
influenced you.
5. Let the children know that they have a task to do - to find out what
countries their relatives came from and what famous food comes from
that area. If they don’t have any family members originating from a
different country, you could ask them if they have any friends from
overseas. You could help them put a pin on the map of the different
locations!
6. Don’t forget to inform parents of the task!
20 Parenta.com September 2019 21

Starting a musical journey: changes in
your little one’s musical behaviour
It’s 2006 and I have a new baby. I love music, so I look for a local baby music group. I’m not even sure
what to look for, and as a new mum, I cannot find a central directory of services. Finally, I Google the
right keywords to find a local franchise, but it has a waiting list. (A waiting list? For baby music?!) I look
further afield. I find another franchise about an hour’s drive away, with free spaces. Chatting to the
teacher after the session, she suggests that because I live so far away, I sign up to the same low-cost
franchise and start delivering my own sessions – that way, my little one will definitely attend! Being fairly
musical (I had taught myself guitar as a child and sung in the school choir for a couple years), I did it.
Photo by: Dave McNabb from DMC Photography
After completing the franchise training, I had loads more
questions, so I signed up to local training in three styles of
music education that the franchise talked about: Kodály
(pronounced Ko-dye!), Dalcroze (otherwise known as Dalcroze
Eurhythmics, nothing to do with Annie Lennox!) and Orff.
And then signed up to a part-time psychology degree, to
understand child development theory. When I finished that
degree, I completed a part-time Master’s degree in education,
where I focussed on identifying inclusive music activities for
pre-schoolers (3–4 years). Researching the music education
approaches, I noticed a clear progression in 12 skills, loosely
divided into supporting skills and musical skills, and all easily
introduced using easy-to-learn singing games. This article
is part one of a four-part series describing the musical
behaviours that we can see and encourage from birth to 7
years old.
Supporting skills: (Part 1)
♫♫
In a circle, children can:
(learning relationship)
♫♫
In a line, children can:
(learning sequencing)
♫♫
When leaving out the last
line of a song, children
can: (planning skills)
Musical skills: (Part 3)
♫♫
Children keep the pulse
through: (pulse skills)
♫♫
Children recognise:
(rhythm skills)
♫♫
Children can use:
(percussion skills)
SUPPORTING SKILLS: (PART 1)
Supporting skills: (Part 2)
♫♫
Children use language
by: (language skills)
♫♫
Weekly sessions:
(concentration skills)
♫♫
Children can learn:
(memory skills)
Musical skills: (Part 4)
♫♫
Listening to music,
children can: (listening
skills)
♫♫
Children match the pitch
by: (pitch skills)
♫♫
Children recognise:
(interval skills)
In a circle, children can: move in a circle (relationship)
Circle work is important in group sessions because circles
bring equality to the group, as no one is at the front or the
back, and no one can see or be seen more or less. Circles
reduce distraction, and encourage concentration and interest.
In a circle we are both independent and also belong to a
bigger group. Circles are used as music note heads (

Eczema – nutritional advice and
lifestyle tips for your setting
Throughout your career as an early years professional, it is very likely that you will have at least
one child in your care that suffers with eczema. It can be distressing for many children, and for
some - in severe cases - painful. You and everyone in your team all play a key role in helping
parents care for their child’s skin and trying to reduce the discomfort of eczema.
Eczema (also known as dermatitis) is
thought to affect one in five children
and one in twelve adults in the UK. It’s
a non-contagious inflammatory skin
condition that presents itself in many
different forms and it varies hugely
from individual to individual. Affected
skin can range from dry, scaly and
itchy to weeping and bleeding. It
can be hereditary (although not
always) and has a strong link to other
inflammatory conditions such as
asthma, rhinitis and hay fever.
Here are some top lifestyle and
nutritional tips that may be beneficial
in your setting - you can share these
with parents too!
When the signs of eczema appear, it’s
important to identify the root cause
of the problem and work to address
it, to help support the body to find
a resolution. Main triggers include
external irritants like perfumes,
washing powders, toiletries, paint,
dust mites and pet hairs; and
research suggests that 80% of
sufferers have an underlying food
intolerance, which can affect digestive
health and immune function.
If needed - and with a little
imagination - some of the more
unusual foods listed here can be
‘hidden’ and incorporated into your
regular recipes for meals and snacks!
Food

FREE EYFS
tracker!
Write for us for a chance to win £50!
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monthly magazine.
If you’ve got a topic you’d like to write about, why not send an article to us and be in with a chance of
winning? Each month, we’ll be giving away £50 to our “Guest Author of the Month”.
Here are the details:
••
Choose a topic that is relevant to early years childcare
••
Submit an article of between 800–1,000 words to marketing@parenta.com
••
If we choose to feature your article in our magazine, you’ll be eligible to win £50
••
The winner will be picked based on having the highest number of views for their article during that
month
This competition is open to both new and existing authors, for any articles submitted to feature in our Parenta
magazine. The lucky winner will be notified via email and we’ll also include an announcement in the following
month’s edition of the magazine.
Got any questions or want to run a topic
by us? For more details, email
marketing@parenta.com
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Guest author winner
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Congratulations
Congratulations to our guest author competition
winner, Joanna Grace!
Joanna Grace’s article in the July edition of the
Parenta magazine, “Drinking games for children on
summer days” was very popular with our readers.
Well done, Joanna!
A massive thank you to all of our guest authors for
writing for us.
You can find all of the past articles from our guest
authors on our website: www.parenta.com/
parentablog/guest-authors
Joanna Grace
START YOUR FREE FULL FEATURE 60 DAY ACCESS TODAY!
26 Parenta.com September 2019 27
visit www.parenta.com/footsteps2-60 or call us on 0800 002 9242

Into the woods to take to take only only pictures pictures and
and leave leave only footprints only footprints
How Forest and Beach School activities can help to combat Nature-Deficit Disorder
As I write this article, my children are looking at how we should fill the last few days of their
school summer holidays. Many of the local activities available include Forest School-type
activities, or visiting local natural spaces to explore. I was reflecting upon how during my own
childhood we didn’t pay others to enable us to play in the natural environment, we just went
outside and played! However, nowadays there appears to be a whole generation of children
who are unable to entertain themselves outdoors; could this be more evidence of ‘Nature-
Deficit Disorder’?
The term ‘Nature-Deficit Disorder’,
popularised by Richard Louv, is now
a metaphor that is readily used when
thinking about children not spending
enough time outside and in nature.
Many settings underuse the outdoors
and features of our natural landscape
to support learning and development,
yet, if you think about it, nature provides
some wonderful free resources to use.
So several early childhood settings have
chosen to combat this by adopting ideas
from Forest School education and, more
recently, Beach School education.
Forest School education began in the
UK when a team from Bridgwater
& Taunton College visited Denmark
and were impressed by the ‘open
air culture’ and the way that outdoor
learning underpinned all aspects of
their play provision. They returned to
the UK and created their own version
of this ‘Forest School’ which was so
successful that they began offering a
Forest School qualification a few years
later. Over twenty years on, this idea has
blossomed into Forest School education
as we see it today, with many schools
and nurseries investing in training so
that they have a named Forest School
practitioner. In addition, although children
in Scandinavian countries begin formal
education at age six or seven, we can still
take a leaf from their book and consider
how this ethos might support us in our
settings and embrace this open air
culture.
Beach Schools have evolved out of the
Forest School approach, when providers
have made regular trips to the seashore
instead of visiting local woodland.
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of
National Day Nurseries Association, said:
“The seashore offers a really unique
environment for discovery and learning all
year round. Young children love to be out
in the elements, playing in and learning
in sand, pebbles and mud.” In addition,
children can learn about building shelters,
make campfires, experience all weathers
and begin to understand the tides and
the unique ecosystem that exists on a
beach.
However, using the outdoors as a
teaching resource is not a new idea as
Margaret McMillan famously said: “The
best classroom and the richest cupboard
are roofed only by the sky.” She and her
sister Rachel began the Open-Air Nursery
School & Training Centre in London in
1914 and their whole ethos revolved
around learning through first-hand
experiences, active learning and outdoor
play. For their time, these women were
truly remarkable and were introducing
concepts that, although popular and
commonplace today, were revolutionary
for the education system in the early 20th
century.
According to the Forest School
Association, there are six principles
underpinning the ethos which were
agreed by the UK Forest School
community in 2011.
Principle 1:
Forest School is a long-term process
of frequent and regular sessions in
a woodland or natural environment,
rather than a one-off visit. Planning,
adaptation, observations and reviewing
are integral elements of Forest School.
Principle 2:
Forest School takes place in a woodland
or natural wooded environment
to support the development of a
relationship between the learner and
the natural world.
Principle 3:
Forest School aims to promote the
holistic development of all those
involved, fostering resilient, confident,
independent and creative learners.
Principle 4:
Forest School offers learners the
opportunity to take supported risks
appropriate to the environment and to
themselves.
Principle 5:
Forest School is run by qualified Forest
School practitioners who continuously
maintain and develop their professional
practice.
Principle 6:
Forest School uses a range of
learner-centred processes to create
a community for development and
learning.
It could be argued that there is a danger that Forest and
Beach School education is becoming watered down by the
many practitioners who are literally dipping their toes into
the water that is Forest and Beach School education without
the appropriate training. Forest School is an ethos underpinning
qualified practice and we can’t take the children into the woods once
a week and claim to ‘do Forest School’. However, although we may not be following
all of the principles that underpin the Forest School ethos and thus should not call
ourselves a Forest or Beach School, we can all use the natural environment more and
introduce children to the many experiences that they may otherwise not have had. We
must ensure that we are confident and competent in our role when taking children
outside, either into woodland or to the coast and the children’s safety should
always be paramount. In my view, encouraging more outdoor play will help to
combat ‘Nature-Deficit Disorder’.
There are many activities that you can engage in with your children which will offer
them a taste of the Forest and Beach School ethos. Here are some top tips and ideas
for outdoor activities:

ROALD DAHL DAY
Most people know Roald Dahl was a children’s author – but did
you know that he was also a “spy, ace fighter pilot, chocolate
historian and a medical inventor?” Then read on to discover more
about his life and legacy, and join millions of others around the
world celebrating Roald Dahl Day on September 13th.
Roald Dahl was born in Llandaff, Wales
in 1916 to Norwegian parents. He
attended boarding school in Repton,
Derbyshire, and many events during his
time there were later recounted in his
book, “Boy”. At Repton, students were
invited to trial chocolate bars, which
inspired one of his best-loved stories,
“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”.
At the age of 23, he enlisted in the
Royal Air Force, but sustained injuries at
the start of World War II which left him
temporarily blind. He recovered and
returned to active service as a fighter
pilot, not only surviving the war, but
also writing about his experiences in
his first piece of paid writing, published
in 1942. “The Gremlins” (1943) was his
first children’s story, and was based on
RAF folklore in which small, destructive
creatures were responsible for a variety
of technical problems facing RAF pilots.
After the war, Dahl worked in the
diplomatic and intelligence services
where he was introduced to the creator
of James Bond, Ian Fleming, and the
director, Alfred Hitchcock.
In 1960, his son was injured in an
accident in New York, and Dahl helped
invent the Wade-Dahl-Till valve, which
QUOTE 1
I’m right and you’re
wrong, I’m big and
you’re small, and
there’s nothing you
can do about it!
subsequently helped alleviate head
injuries in thousands of children.
Despite his colourful early life, Dahl
is best known for writing children’s
stories, which have themselves inspired
generations of children to read and
write, and have been made into films,
animations and hit musicals.
QUOTE 2
Never grow up...
always down.
Each year on his birthday, people
celebrate his incredible life and work,
so why not join them this September
13th and have some ‘hopscotchy’
(cheerful) fun?!
One of the things Roald Dahl is famous
for is his use of language – or more
specifically, for making up his own
language. It’s called Gobblefunk and
The Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary has
been published to prove it. We’ve listed
a few of our favourites below, as well
as some whoopsy whiffling (great)
ways to celebrate Roald Dahl Day in
your setting:
GOBBLEFUNK WORD
Hopscotchy
Ucky-mucky
Quogwinkle
Squibbling
MEANING
Cheerful
Messy
An alien from
outer space
Writing
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
1. Dress up as your favourite character.
There are so many wonderful
characters to choose from: The BFG,
Matilda, Miss Trunchball, Willy Wonka,
The Twits, Fantastic Mr Fox, and The
Enormous Crocodile to name but a
few. You could also raise money for
Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s
Charity at the same time by asking
for a small donation on your mufti
day. The charity was set up after
Dahl’s death in 1990, and funds Roald
Dahl Specialist Children’s Nurses in
communities across the UK. These
nurses support children with rare
and serious illnesses and help their
families in times of need.
2. Read some of Dahl’s stories. There
are so many stories and most of
them have a moral core as Dahl
championed children and often set
them against cruel or repugnant
adults, who luckily, always get their
comeuppance.
QUOTE 3
One child a week is
fifty-two a year. Squish
them and squiggle them
and make them
disappear.
3. Teach numeracy, art or sensory
craft by using some of the free,
downloadable lesson plans from the
official Roald Dahl website. There are
special lessons designed for preschoolers
helped by The Enormous
Crocodile. You can download them
here but beware - The Enormous
Crocodile is grumptious (bad and
greedy) and loves to dine on little
chiddlers (children)!
4. Get crafty and create some
delumptious (delicious) new sweets for
Willy Wonka. You can get the children
to draw them, paint them or use real
ingredients to create something edible.
Let their imagination run riot and see
what amazing inventions they come
up with.
5. Visit the museum. If it’s not too far to
travel, visit the Roald Dahl Museum at
Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire.
Be prepared to spend a few mintinks
(minutes) there as it’s razztwizzler
(exciting and enjoyable).
6. Make up some new Gobblefunk
words. Ask the children what they
would call different things and make
a display of their suggestions. You
could end up with some rommytot
(nonsense) or something giganticus
(grand and spectacular). Whatever
you get, it’ll be a great way to
engage their creative brains and
imaginations.
QUOTE 4
You should
never, never doubt
something that no
one is sure of.
7. Hold a quiz. We’ve put 5 famous
Dahl quotes around this article,
but can you identify which book
they are from? Answers are at the
bottom of the article but there are
more fun quizzes on the main Roald
Dahl website that you could use to
challenge the children, parents or
your staff too. They may even end up
all biffsquiggled (confused or puzzled)!
WIN ROALD DAHL GOODIES!
We love Roald Dahl here at Parenta and
to celebrate his day on 13th September,
we are giving you the chance to win a
fabulous prize!
To enter, simply send an email to
marketing@parenta.com - telling us
what your setting’s favourite Roald Dahl
book is - and you will be entered into
a prize draw to win some Roald Dahl
goodies.
Closing date for the prize draw is Friday
20th September and the winner will be
announced in October’s magazine. Don’t
forget to include your postal address too!
And whatever you do, have a
gloriumptious (glorious and wonderful)
day!
For more information on the day,
free downloads and a party pack full
of activities, party invites, stickers,
certificates and more, see:
www.roalddahl.com
QUOTE 5
I cannot be right
all the time. Quite
often I is left
instead of right.
30 Parenta.com Answers to quiz: 1. Matilda 2. George’s Marvellous Medicine 3. The Witches 4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 5. The BFG September 2019 31
Photo by Flickr member Wee Sen Goh

How to teach young
children friendship skills
Until the age of three, children view a ‘friend’ as whoever they happen to be playing with at the time.
However, after that, youngsters start to seek out the company of playmates they play particularly
well with. When social scientists looked at what made children become friends, they found that they
are drawn most to their peers with the same level of play interests, social skills and assertiveness.
So, how can you help young children develop the skills they will need to learn to make good friends throughout life?
In my new books “The Friendship Maze” and “What’s My Child Thinking?” - written with child psychologist, Dr Angharad
Rudkin - we look at the latest science on children’s peer relationships at each developmental level. Here are some of the
common friendship issues young children in early years settings encounter - and the best psychology on how to respond.
THEY BIT ME!
SCENARIO: You spot two children crying after one of
them has bitten the other.
Around the age of two or three, children may bite others for
a range of reasons: to release frustration, to protect their
turf in a row over a toy, or because they feel threatened.
Children this age often resort to biting because they haven’t
yet developed the higher thinking skills to resist their
primitive impulses to lash out.
HOW TO HELP:
First, put yourself in the child’s shoes and try to imagine how
you’d react if another adult grabbed one of your favourite
possessions. Then you will understand how difficult it is for a
young child - who still relies greatly on their instincts - not to
retaliate when someone they like upsets them.
First, give attention to the child on the receiving end. This
will send a message to the child who bit that they will not be
the one to get the primary attention. By the time they lashed
out, the biter’s fight-or-flight reflex will have already kicked
in, so they will not able to process much of what you are
saying. So, rather than shout and raise their stress
levels more, remove them from the situation to allow
their more rational thinking to return.
Tell them: “No, that’s not acceptable. You can be
angry, but you mustn’t hurt”. Try talking through what
they could have done differently. Although their
brain is very much a work in progress, this will help
the child start to use their verbal negotiation skills,
rather than their teeth to get what they want. It will
also guide them on the path to start to master their
impulsive behaviour.
THAT’S MINE!
SCENARIO: A child is refusing to share their favourite
dinosaur toy with another child.
According to research, social conflicts at around the ages of
three and four usually break out for three reasons: a child
takes a toy without permission; says they don’t like what
the other one is doing and asserts they can do it better; or
calls them names. While it’s good to start helping children to
learn how to share, children are usually four or five before
they are consistently happy to take turns and let others have
a go with their possessions. When they are still two or three,
a child still believes that if they have to give a toy to another,
they will never get it back.
HOW TO HELP:
Your first instinct may be to tell the child in question they
must try to share – and to demonstrate to them how it’s
done. But studies show that young kids are less likely to
learn to share their things if you tell them they have to. So
don’t take away the toy. This is likely to make the child more
possessive and anxious in the future about others taking
away the things they like to play with. Research has found
that children learn how to share best if you talk about how
the other child feels. You could say
something like: “Joe is happy
when you let him play with
Mr Rex” or “He’s sad when
you grab Mr Rex away.’
If a child is bringing their
personal toys into the
setting, suggest they keep
them safely hidden away
during the day until they are
able to play with them on
their own.
I HAVE NO ONE TO PLAY WITH
SCENARIO: A child always seems to be left out of the other children’s games.
It’s not unusual for children to say they have no friends, from time to time. But if a child
says this a lot and you suspect they are becoming isolated from their peers, see if you can
find out more.
HOW TO HELP:
Some children take longer to develop the skills and judgement to understand how to
be accepted into a game. But it is possible to help. Show them how turning their body
towards the game and making helpful suggestions to the children who are playing it, will
increase the chance they will also be included. Social scientists have found that rather
than saying: “Can I come into your game?” - a direct question which can elicit a ‘no’ - it
generally works better for a child to show quiet interest, observe what’s going on, and
then see where they can slip in. It’s also easier for children who are on their own to be
shown how to pair up with another child on their own who will be glad of a playmate, or
to join slightly larger groups of more than three. Make it clear that not all their attempts
will work and not to feel personally rejected. Sometimes other youngsters may be so
wrapped up in their play they don’t want an interruption.
I’M NOT PLAYING ANYMORE
SCENARIO: A row breaks out because a child says they no longer want to play the
game they are losing.
As a child’s social group expands after the age of about four, they will start to compare
their abilities with others, resulting in the start of more openly competitive behaviour.
At this age, a child may also be testing others to find their place in the social hierarchy
because they will believe that being ‘good at’ activities will make them more admired. If
they have a dominant personality, they may want to be ‘top dog’, and winning is one way
to pull rank and impress others. They may not yet have learned that their drive to do
well has to be balanced by a willingness to play cooperatively.
HOW TO HELP:
Explain that no one can win all the time and next time the result might be different. If a
child has a meltdown over losing, you could say: “I understand you’re upset, but it’s just
a game and you need to control your frustration.” Ask them: “How can you change how
you play that will keep it fun for everyone?” If a child needs more help, try practising
some turn-taking games, like board or ball games and describe out loud what you are
doing. Start with non-competitive games, so younger children can get used to the to-andfro
of turn-taking – and suggest parents also try this at home.
Tanith Carey
Tanith Carey writes books
which offer a lucid analysis of
the most pressing challenges
facing today’s parents and
childcarers – by looking at the
latest research and presenting
achievable strategies for how
to tackle them. Her books
have been translated into 15
languages, including German,
French, Arabic, Chinese and
Turkish. Her 2019 publications
are “What’s My Child Thinking?
Practical Child Psychology for
Modern Parents” and “The
Friendship Maze: How to
help your child navigate their
way to positive and happier
friendships”.
An award-winning journalist,
Tanith also writes on parenting
for the Daily Telegraph, The
Times, the Guardian and the
Daily Mail, in which she also
serialises and promotes her
books. She is also a regular
presence on TV and radio
programmes, including the NBC
Today Show in the US and Radio
Four Woman’s Hour and You
and Yours.
Her full bio can be found on her
website at www.cliomedia.co.uk
and you can follow her on social
media channels @tanithcarey.
32 Parenta.com September 2019 33

The importance of Continuing Professional
Development (CPD) for your staff
CPD eLearning courses
At this time of year, when GCSEs and A levels are finished, results are out and the focus is
on recruiting those who have just completed their education, it can be easy to overlook the
importance of improving the knowledge of those already working in your childcare setting.
Continuing Professional Development
(CPD) is key for not only upskilling your
existing workforce, but it also reduces
recruitment costs, attracts top talent and
helps to prevent skills shortages within
your setting. If you can ensure that
your team undergoes regular refresher
training on a variety of subjects relevant
to working in early years, it means that
they’ll always be up-to-date with the
latest policies, procedures and practices
– and it certainly doesn’t need to be
expensive!
Through the training that you already
provide to your staff, you may have
experienced that even though the team
is predominantly hard-working and
passionate, occasionally, some may lack
the drive or confidence to put themselves
forward for their next qualification.
Encouraging your team to continue
their development is great for morale,
motivation and their wellbeing – it has
many benefits for the employer too!
For employers
The main benefit of CPD for employers is
that it can ensure that standards across
the setting are both high and consistent
– this is great for your reputation and
if you have a childcare website, this is
something you should be shouting about
online! Having a number of employees
undertake CPD over a period of time
allows for the sharing of ‘best practice’
and support for each other. CPD also
contributes to maximising staff potential
and provides a useful benchmark for
annual appraisals. Be sure to use CPD
courses which are fully accredited.
For employees
CPD not only helps employees keep their
knowledge and skills current, but it also
ensures that the professional standard
of their qualifications and registrations is
maintained. In addition, it can contribute
to their professional ‘sense of direction’.
Completing CPD helps build confidence
and credibility, allows staff to showcase
their achievements and arms them with
the tools to cope positively with change.
CPD is also beneficial for employees’
career progression as it shows
willingness to improve.
The great thing about CPD accredited
courses relevant to early years childcare
is that there are many available to do
online - which means there are no
deadlines, no time restrictions and no
classroom visits. So study is done in the
learner’s own time and at a pace that
suits them.
There are also a few simple things you
can do to make life easier for your staff
during their CPD training.
Create a revision area
Space permitting, try and have a quiet
area where staff can go to do any
research they need to do, or complete
their assignments online in peace
when they have spare time. Making
your setting ‘revision-friendly’ is not too
difficult if you can provide a table and
put up a sign to let people know that the
area is reserved for staff revision/study.
Celebrate success
Make a point of celebrating staff
members who successfully complete
their training. For instance, you could
bring homemade cakes and special
treats into work when someone passes
a course, or if you have a few members
of staff who are doing online CPD
courses, you could bring treats in on
one day of the month to celebrate all
of them at the same time! Showing this
level of recognition will help incentivise
other members of your team and boost
morale.
Tell your staff what it means to you
and set a good example
Whenever you get the chance, whether
in your one-to-one catch ups or when
a new person joins your team, be
vocal about how much you value
people continuing their professional
development and what a positive
impact it has for not just the setting but
the children too. You could enhance
your own knowledge even further and
should lead by example by taking a CPD
accredited online course yourself!
Include training in objectives
When you set out objectives for your
staff, talk to them about working
towards their next qualification. Having
the goal written down can be strong
enough motivation to nudge them
towards taking action and signing up for
a course!
Continuing
Professional
Development
eLearning
courses
Whether you are a
manager looking
to support your
staff by enhancing
their knowledge, or
looking at developing
your own career,
when you study one
of Parenta’s online
CPD courses, you
study in your own
time and at your own
pace – all from the
comfort of your own
home!
Our full list of
eLearning and eBook
courses can be found
on our website:
parenta.com
START YOUR TRAINING
parenta.com/parenta-online-courses
CPD
accredited
Study at
your pace
No classes
to attend
34 Parenta.com September 2019 35
Affordable

Sensory engagement
Much of my work focuses on children who face significant barriers to their learning, many of these
children have profound and multiple learning disabilities or complex autism and are non-verbal
communicators. The senses are everything to me when I want to connect with them. However
sensory communication affects everyone, and being able to engage a person’s senses is critical to
gaining their attention and supporting their learning.
more readily identifiable
can support children in
remembering to go to the
toilet. In the same way,
supporting visual accessibility
can boost children’s
independence skills.
Remember to consider
this with vision alone, not
cognition. For example here
are the chairs on either side
of my dining room table. My
dining room is very sparse;
you would think that all the
chairs were easily accessible
but as this picture shows
there is a big visual difference
between the chairs on either
side of the table.
Engagement
If you are looking for a
fabulous visual engagement
activity, try making
improvised light boxes. Find a
plastic box with a flat clear lid
and stick baking paper to the
underside of the lid (to diffuse
the light). Line the box with
silver card or tin foil. Pop in a
handful of battery-operated
fairy lights and enjoy the
gorgeous uplighting: it will
make the activities you place
on the box all the more
visually engaging.
Consider how sensory
information is prioritised in
our minds: it is absolutely
fundamental, it is before
thought. Think of how
we speak about sensory
experiences: “I saw it with
my own eyes”, “I heard it
for myself”. These sensory
references are proof,
evidence that cannot be
argued with. Even at times
when we know our senses
to be fooling us (for example
have you ever felt like you
were falling when you were
in bed?), we cannot override
them with our mind. The
sensory experiences that we
feel, beat the information
that we know intellectually.
Which is why it is so
important that the sensory
information we present
when we seek to teach
children, matches up with
the intellectual content we
hope they will gather from
our teaching.
And making
activities
appeal
to the
senses will draw children’s
curiosity before their intellect
wonders what is going on.
Sensory engagement is
essential for learners of all
abilities.
In this article, I want to get
you started thinking in a
sensory way. We haven’t
got room to go through the
eight sensory systems that
I generally tackle at The
Sensory Projects (yes more
than five!) but if we start with
our most dominant sensory
system: vision, then you will
be off on the right track.
Vision dominates our cerebral
cortex taking up nearly
a third of it. Seeing is the
processing of light by the
retina; brighter items throw
off more light and so place a
bigger processing demand
on our brains. Consider the
child being asked to look at
a red shape held up against
a white wall, compared to
the child being asked to
look at a red shape held up
against a black cloth. The
first child is asked to do a lot
more visually, as they have
to process all the white light
thrown off by the wall as
well as the red of the shape.
Now imagine the child who
has to pick that shape out of
the confusion of a brightly
patterned, multi-coloured
background. It can be
exhausting! Seeing uses a lot
of our brains and it is tiring.
Visual attention
If we support visual attention
then we support children’s
concentration. This can be
as simple as setting up toys
against a dark contrasting
background – Tuff Trays are
great at this and you might
notice how children are more
drawn to toys in this clearlyvisually-denoted
environment
compared to toys laid out on
the carpet or a table top.
When you are showing things
to children, consider the
background you are standing
in front of; be careful of things
like vertical or Venetian blinds
which can be visually very
disturbing. If you have a very
busy visual environment,
consider installing roller
blinds along the walls so that
you can choose to have a
muted, plain backdrop when
you wish.
Behaviour
If a child is feeling stressed,
anxious or unwell, they may
be less able to cope with
a busy visual environment
than usual. An environment
offering relatively low visual
stimulation may help a child
to calm and regulate. Think
of where you would want to
be if you had a migraine; it’s
unlikely to be gazing at your
bright display board.
All of our senses have a
development that they run
through, and experiences
from early sensory
development are easier to
process than those from
later on. The easiness of
processing makes these
experiences naturally
calming. For vision, warm
red tones come very early on
in the development of sight
and most young children will
declare a preference for the
colour red as it is likely to be
the first colour tone they were
able to see.
Accessibility
Take a look around your
environment and imagine
that you were seeing it with
just your eyes, not with
your understanding. Are
the different places clearly
identifiable? Does the route to
the bathroom look different
to the carpet circle? Is it easy
to pick out where the coats
are and where the drawers
are? How much would you
know about your space if
you took it in through vision
alone? Making changes so
that, for example, toilets are
Readers curious to know more may be
interested in Joanna’s courses:
Sensory Engagement for Sensory Beings: A
Beginners Guide
Teaches structured and playful sensory
engagement techniques.
Exploring the Impact the Senses have on
Behaviour
Looks at how we can respond to
behaviour triggered by sensory
experiences.
Develop Your Sensory Lexiconary
Looks at the development of the sensory
systems and relates this information
to the development of cognition,
communication, engagement and
wellbeing.
Joanna Grace
Joanna Grace is an
international Sensory
Engagement and Inclusion
Specialist, trainer, author, TEDx
speaker and founder of The
Sensory Projects.
Consistently rated as
“outstanding” by Ofsted,
Joanna has taught in
mainstream and specialschool
settings, connecting
with pupils of all ages and
abilities. To inform her
work, Joanna draws on her
own experience from her
private and professional life
as well as taking in all the
information she can from the
research archives. Joanna’s
private life includes family
members with disabilities and
neurodivergent conditions and
time spent as a registered
foster carer for children with
profound disabilities.
Joanna has published three
practitioner books: “Sensory
Stories for Children and Teens”,
“Sensory-Being for Sensory
Beings” and “Sharing Sensory
Stories and Conversations with
People with Dementia”. and
two inclusive sensory story
children’s books: “Voyage to
Arghan” and “Ernest and I”.
Joanna is a big fan of social
media and is always happy
to connect with people
via Facebook, Twitter and
LinkedIn.
Website:
thesensoryprojects.co.uk
36 Parenta.com September 2019 37

National
Eye Health
Week
What would you do if you
lost your sight? How would
it affect your lifestyle, your
independence and income?
And what impact would it have
on your dependents, family
and friends?
Most of us don’t think about this often,
but once a year, National Eye Health
Week (NEHW) helps to focus our
thoughts on our eyesight and ways
we can look after it better. This year’s
National Eye Health Week will take place
from 23 rd –29 th September, promoting the
importance of good eye health and the
need for regular eye tests for all.
WHY WORRY ABOUT EYESIGHT?
We all know about our 5 main senses
and their associated body parts:
Sight - eyes
Hearing - ears
Taste - tongue
Smell - nose
Touch - skin
Without any one of these, our
interpretation and understanding of the
world would be limited, but vision is
what people fear losing the most; yet
many of us don’t know how to look after
our eyes. National Eye Health Week aims
to change all that, and statistics about
the state of the nation’s sight, make
‘eye-opening’ reading.
13.8 million people in the UK could
be at risk of avoidable sight loss
because they fail to have regular
eye tests 1
Almost two million people in the UK
are living with sight loss yet over
half of sight loss can be avoided 2
Sight loss affects people of all ages 2
The number of people in the UK with
sight loss is forecast to rise by 30%
by 2030 3
A sight test easily detects the early
signs of eye conditions such as
glaucoma, which can be treated if
found early enough
During any sight test, other health
conditions including diabetes
and high blood pressure may be
detected
NEHW aims to raise awareness of the
importance of having regular eye tests
and inspire people to make healthier
lifestyle choices that benefit their eye
health. It’s run in conjunction with The
Eyecare Trust and has official partners
and supporting organisations in the
business and charity sectors. The official
website, at visionmatters.org.uk, is full
of information, downloadable resources
and ideas to help you make the most of
the week and have a positive impact.
The official hashtags are #EyeWeek and
#VisionMatters and you can register for
a free resource pack by sending your
name, position, organisation and postal
address to info@visionmatters.org.uk.
6 TIPS TO LOOK AFTER YOUNG
CHILDREN’S EYES
1. Get tested
Everyone should have an eye test at
least every 2 years. It’s a common
misconception that children’s
eyesight cannot be accurately
checked until they can read, but
a child’s eyes can be tested from
birth. Regular tests can ensure that
any problems are identified early,
and childhood conditions such
as squint, lazy eye (amblyopia),
short-sightedness (myopia) or
long-sightedness (hyperopia) are
picked up early, allowing for the
best treatment outcome. Eye tests
are free for all children under 16 and
adult tests are inexpensive.
2. Eat a rainbow
We’ve all heard about the
importance of eating a balanced
diet and how colourful fruits and
vegetables can help maintain a
healthy weight, increase resistance
to disease and provide optimum
energy, but young eyes also need
the correct nutrients to ensure
healthy development too. Tomatoes,
melons, grapes and blueberries are
packed with eye-friendly nutrients,
as are proteins such as eggs,
chicken and fish (salmon, tuna and
mackerel). Whole grains are good
too. And don’t forget carrots – most
of us are told early on that carrots
can help eyesight because carrots,
sweet potatoes and pumpkin are
just a few veggies that are packed
with beta-carotene; an essential
precursor for Vitamin A, needed for
eye health.
3. Protect your eyes from the sun
The lens at the front of young
children’s eyes is very clear so can
let in more damaging sunlight.
Always protect children’s eyes with
sunglasses whenever the UV index
rises above 3, and check their
sunglasses have a CE;UV 400 or
British Standard Mark to ensure the
correct level of protection.
4. Go outside
Research shows that time spent
playing outside can help prevent the
onset and progression of shortsightedness
in children 4 , so make
time to go outside every day.
5. Act on advice
Follow the advice of the child’s eye
care practitioner such as when and
when not to wear glasses.
6. Stimulate the senses
Children’s eyes continue to
develop from birth until the age of
about eight, so stimulating visual
engagement by using high contrast
toys and mirrors, and playing
games such as peekaboo can
help. You can also encourage good
hand-eye coordination by playing
throwing and catching games,
using building blocks, colouring
and mark-making.
For adults, advice also includes
the importance of reducing alcohol
consumption, stopping smoking and
maintaining a healthy weight, since
these factors affect eye health too.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED IN EYE
HEALTH WEEK
There are many ways to get involved.
You can organise your own event or see
what other events are being held in your
area. You could:
Tell your parents, staff, friends and
colleagues about the week and ask
them when they last had an eye test
Make a display about eyes; take
photos of eyes, or draw pictures
and make an interesting collage
including some facts and figures
Organise an event such as:
a quiz with lots of questions
about eyes
a lunch with healthy foods to
help eyesight
bring your ‘sunnies’ to nursery
day
get outdoors to celebrate
the day, but remember your
sunscreen, hats and sunglasses
Invite an optician to come in and
speak to the children, parents and
staff
Add information to your social
media sites or send one of the preprepared
tweets available from the
website
Run a session on what it might
be like to lose your sight: get the
children to do some simple things
wearing a blindfold and explain to
them the importance of looking after
their eyes at the same time
Let us know what you do and look after
those peepers!
REFERENCES:
1. Eye Health UK
2. Access Economics (2009)
3. RNIB
4. JAMA. 2015;314(11):1142-1148.
doi:10.1001/jama.2015.10803
38 Parenta.com September 2019 39

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