Creating Communities in Early Years Settings ─ Supporting Children and Families

Creating Communities in Early Years Settings encourages and supports all early years practitioners who work with children and their families within the Early Years Foundation Stage. Offering advice, ideas and strategies for developing an early learning community, this book provides clear guidance and real world examples that show how practitioners can provide an excellent, inclusive service to meet the needs of young children and their families and help them to thrive.

Debbie Chalmers presents innovative and practical ideas to promote progress, development and inclusion, while outlining potential pitfalls and explaining how to identify and cater for individual needs. Chapters cover key topics such as:

• the legal responsibilities of a setting

• inclusion

• parental participation and parent managed settings

• roles and duties of different staff within a setting

• effective and sensitive communication with colleagues and caregivers and

• managing transitions.

Creating Communities in Early Years Settings is designed to support early years practitioners, teachers, teaching assistants, nannies and childminders working with babies and children within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The book will also be of interest to students on early years childcare and education courses from level 2 upwards.

Debbie Chalmers is an early years practitioner, a drama teacher and consultant, and a freelance early years and primary education writer.