Gillian Davies started the full pathway at Edge Hill in September 2008. As she began her second placement in a pre-school in Southport, a new child started who had English as an Additional Language. Gillian knew she would need a lot of support to settle, understand routines and access activities.
Observing the child, Gillian saw that while she appeared confident accessing activities and interacting with other children via body language, she never spoke to peers or adults.
Gillian then arranged an informal meeting with the child's mother, who could speak a small amount of English. Gillian suggested that the child might enjoy poems and stories in her native language. She had already researched traditional songs and brought them to the meeting. Together they worked to pronounce the words phonetically and discuss the meaning of the songs. Gillian also shared this with the child's key person and introduced the songs at circle time.
Gillain found that by spending time observing the child and developing a relationship with her mother, the child began to trust her. She realised that the child had a good knowledge of English and understood what was said to her. This enabled Gillian to work with staff to ensure they had a proper understanding of English as an Additional Language, and body language and non-verbal communication in their observations.
Gillian agreed a policy covering the subject with the headteacher, which was placed on a 'Policies into Practice' noticeboard.
Gillian showed evidence of a variety of standards in this task, highlighting the need to develop relationships with children and parents to find out about levels of development, interests and achievements, and demonstrated her high expectations and commitment.
