REAL programme
Together with Southwark Council, as part of their Southwark Family Hub & Start for Life programme, we are now offering support to 3 and 4 year old children and their families in Southwark, in their home to improve the home learning environment through the Making it ‘REAL’ (Raising Early Achievement in Literacy) programme.
Making it REAL draws evidence from the original REAL project delivered by Professors Cathy Nutbrown and Peter Hannon at the University of Sheffield. REAL uses a framework called ‘ORIM’ (Opportunities, Recognition, Interaction and Model), which is based on the idea that there are four main ways in which parents can help their children’s communication, language and early literacy development:
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Creating opportunities for children’s literacy development by making children’s books, CDs and writing materials available and accessible in the home environment;
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Recognising and encouraging children’s literacy milestones;
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Interacting with children positively and supporting real-life literacy tasks and;
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Acting as models of literacy users, so children see parents use literacy in everyday life.
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We are now open to receive referrals from early years settings in schools and the PVI sector to deliver the Making it REAL programme. Our trained team and volunteers will work with referred children and families, either those children and families who have already been supported through Southwark Council's the Early Words Together at 3 and 4 years or children who are yet to be supported in the Home Learning Environment, to share ORIM through a series of home visits and literacy events.
Making it REAL is a fun, engaging and accessible programme that supports the home learning environment and makes a difference to children’s communication, language and early literacy to support parents and the home learning environment, whilst working together with the setting to ensure shared learning and understanding in everyday practice.