During the day the conference speakers – including Deputy Minister for Skills John Griffiths – will discuss new ideas and policy initiatives to engage parents in helping to develop their children’s language and numeracy skills.

To help break the link between child poverty, deprivation and low educational attainment, the Welsh Assembly Government’s national basic skills strategy includes a commitment to ensure that all young children are prepared for learning when they begin school. During his talk, Deputy Minister John Griffiths will celebrate the success of the Language and Play (LAP) and Number and Play (NAP) programmes in targeting parents and children aged 0-3. The Deputy Minister will also talk about related policy initiatives such as the Flying Start programme (introduced in 2007) and the new Foundation Phase (due to begin in autumn 2008) designed to deliver the right curriculum for 3-7 year-olds.

Other speakers at the event – including Sian Wyn Siencyn, Head of Early Years Learning at Trinity College in Carmarthen; Alice Sharp, Managing Director of Experiential Play; and Neil Griffiths, speaker, picture book
author and the developer of the ‘Storysack’ – will provide an overview of current research and a view on what works in helping to engage both parents and children.

Over 400 people are expected to attend. The delegates will include experts concerned with the Welsh Assembly Government’s National Basic Skills Strategy – including LEA staff, early years and numeracy advisers and LAP and NAP co-ordinators. Other delegates will include education professionals working in early years education and representatives from key professional associations.

Commenting on the conference Deputy Minister John Griffiths said: ‘This year alone around 9,000 parents and children are expected to take part in Language and Play and 5,000 in Number and Play. Both programmes have been hugely successful in educating parents about the role they play in their child’s development.’

‘We are now building on this success and helping to support both parents and schools through a range of programmes such as Flying Start and The Foundation Phase, due to be launched in September this year. Together these programmes will help to give children in Wales the best foundation for learning and for future success.’

For further information contact Valerie McBurney in the Basic Skills Agency Press Office. Telephone 020 7440 7788, mobile: 07979 240936, email: valeriem@basic-skills.co.uk.

Notes to Editors

The Welsh Assembly Government launched the first National Basic Skills Strategy - The Learning Country - in 2001. Since then it has been overseeing the delivery of programmes to help reduce the number of children and adults struggling with reading, writing and use of numbers.
The Assembly Government’s second Basic Skills Strategy – Words Talk – Numbers Count – takes forward the agenda set in The Learning Country and has the same fundamental aims as the first Strategy. These are that:

· all young children should be prepared for learning when they begin school;

· the number of children leaving primary school struggling over reading, writing and the use of number should be further reduced;

· fewer young people should leave compulsory education still struggling with basic skills; and

· the number of adults with poor basic skills should be diminished significantly.

To access a copy of Words Talk – Numbers Count see: https://www.learning.wales.gov.uk/pdfs/c1505-words-talk-e.pdf

Basic Skills Cymru, part of the Welsh Assembly Government, is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the National Strategy - Words Talk – Numbers Count. For further information see Basic Skills Cymru’s website at: www.basic-skills-wales.org

The ‘Talking Together’ conference

Speakers include:

Siân Wyn Siencyn – Sian is Head of School of Early Years Education at Trinity College, Carmarthen which she founded in 2000. Her specialist interests are child language development, early bilingualism, and learning theories.

s.w.siencyn@trinity-cm.ac.uk

Neil Griffiths (B.Ed) (B.Add.) – Neil is a former Primary School headteacher and the creator of the internationally acclaimed Storysack concept. Having lectured extensively worldwide he is currently a freelance lecturer and inset-provider. Neil has written a highly successful book on creative play, is co-author of a nursery curriculum and has made lively contributions to several reading schemes.

neil@cornertoloearn.co.uk

Alice Sharp – Alice has many years of experience in the early years sector - starting out by running nurseries in Brighton and in Glasgow and then becoming involved in working with children with additional needs and in lecturing. Alice is the author of three books and is a contributor to Nursery World and Nursery Education magazines. In addition she runs Wonderbox, an educational resource company and is MD of Experiential Play, a training company specialising in working with staff, parents and local authorities concerned with the provision of play and stimulation for children aged 0-8 years. www.experientialplay.com

Flying Start , which began in 2007, provides a package of measures to give children in disadvantaged areas a better start in life (these measures include: free, part-time, high quality childcare for two-year-olds; increased health visitor support; help for parents; extended LAP programmes; and a free book bag for every child).

Building on the experience of the Cymorth scheme in Wales, the evaluation of Sure Start in England, and international best practice, Flying Start is an important part of the Welsh Assembly Government’s coherent package of support for children aged 0-10.

The Foundation Phase and its curriculum and associated assessment arrangements for 3 – 7 year olds is being introduced in September 2008. Its introduction follows the Welsh Assembly Government’s consultation document: ‘The Learning Country: Foundation Phase 3 – 7 year olds’ (February 2003), its subsequent consultation responses and Action Plan, and the Assembly’s ‘Iaith Pawb’ document (February 2003).

The Welsh Assembly Government’s consultation document highlighted research evidence to support the introduction and development of an appropriate curriculum. This research evidence suggests that children do not begin to benefit from extensive formal teaching until about the age of 6 or 7, in line with their social and cognitive development. An earlier introduction can result in some children underachieving and attaining lower standards. An appropriate Foundation Phase curriculum that is broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated to meet the developmental needs of all children should help prevent underachievement and raise overall standards.