Let’s TALK DerbyWelcome to the TALK Derby newsletter. We will be sharing with you successes, news about the programme, top talking tips, how youcan get involved and much more!

Please share this newsletter with your friends, family and colleagues to spread the the word about TALK Derby around the city.

Big turnout for TALK Derby launch event

Dozens of key partners, business leaders andcouncillors gathered at Pride Park on 25 September tolearn more about TALK Derby. They heard about waysto support and promote TALK Derby across the city,as well as insights and successes from a similar projectbased in Warwickshire.

Two short films showing children talking to adults inDerby were introduced at the event. The first featuredCouncillor Evonne Williams, Derby City Council CabinetMember for Children and Young People, who chattedwith children at Harrington Nursery School.

In the second Dean Jackson, Managing Directorof Derby-based HUUB, visited Wyndham PrimaryAcademy in Alvaston. Both films can both be viewedon the TALK Derby website.

TALK Derby Project Director, Kate Freemansaid: “Simple, relevant and genuinely two-wayconversations with children help to build theirunderstanding and communication skills.

“We’re asking the people of Derby to make aconscious commitment to spend more time talkingand listening to the children in their lives – and toencourage others to do the same.”

October 2019, Issue 1

About TALK Derby

TALK Derby is a Government-funded project aimed at raising awareness of the importance of speech, language and communication development in children and young people – and provides practical support for it.

The Department for Education has funded the project until August 2020 as part of the national Opportunity Area programme. We’re supported by Derby City Council, the Derby Opportunity Area and a wide range of other partners.

Big turnout for TALK Derby launch event

A packed room tohear about TALK Derby

Arline Mali,Derby Childminder, who

attended the launch event

Pledges smash through thecentury mark

More than 100 people have nowmade the TALK Derby pledge sincethe project’s launch in June. Makingthe pledge shows you believe allchildren in Derby should get thebest possible support for friendships,education and life opportunities.

If you haven’t made that pledgeyourself, it’s easy to do. Head to theTALK Derby website and complete asimple form by providing your name,postcode and email address. Onceyou’ve submitted the form you’ll beable to download a certificate, todisplay at your workplace or home.

Below are a selection of images ofpeople in Derby who have pledgedtheir support for TALK Derby.

How you can support TALK Derby

1. Make the TALK Derby pledgeWe’re asking the people of Derby, and thosewho work with children, to make a consciouscommitment to spend more time talking andlistening to the children in their lives – and toencourage others to do the same. Whateveryour role, you can show your support by makingthe TALK Derby pledge.

2. Find out more about TALK DerbyYou can find out how you can support TALKDerby on the website: talkderby.org.uk or emailinfo@talkderby.org.uk.

3. Follow, like and share our social mediaWe have three social media channels sharinginformation about the project:

Twitter: @lets_TALKDerby Facebook: TALKDerby Instagram: @talk_derby

Follow these for updates, news, information andtraining opportunities.

4. Look at and share TALK Derby’s resources forparentsWe aim to inspire and encourage parentsand carers to help their children develop theircommunications skills. To do this we haveprovided a range of videos, materials and otherguidance: https://talkderby.org.uk/resources/.Training sessions offering further support to helpdevelop listening, attention and communicationskills will also be available soon.

5. Tell people about TALK DerbyTalking to your friends, family and colleaguesabout the TALK Derby project will help to spreadawareness of the importance of communicatingwith children and the support we offer.

TALK Derby in actionHarrington Nursery School

TALK Derby is already having a big impact atHarrington Nursery School in Pear Tree.

Head teacher Wendy Colebourne firmlybelieves that speech, language andcommunication are the number one priorityfor local children – not just in her school, butright across Derby.

Wendy says: “When I was working as an EarlyYears co-ordinator I was really interested inthe interactions parents had with their childrenwhen picking them up from school. They wereengaging – helping children put their coats onand smiling at them – but some weren’t reallylistening to what they were saying or havingconversations with them.

“How can we encourage parents to talkmore with their children and how can weexplain the importance of doing so? TALKDerby is helping us to achieve this.”

The school has really embraced TALK Derby.Its children feature in one of the films on theTALK Derby website. Harrington’s TALK DerbyChampion Lindsay Fravolini is benefiting fromthe free training being provided in eight citywards, and the school has invited one of itsvolunteers to be trained too.

Parents are being told about the programmeand encouraged to make the TALK Derbypledge. Lindsay said: “I’ve made a computeravailable so that parents attending schoolcan pledge there and then. We also useTwitter and texts to make them aware.”

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Derby City Councilstaff from Locality 3 and 4

children’s centres

Cat Moseley fromMotorpoint,at the launch event

Derbyshire county cricketers Leus DuPlooy, Ravi Rampaul and Tom Lace have

pledged their support

Opportunities to talk

Providing more chances to haveconversations is a key part of Harrington’sapproach:

• Children are taken out of school and people are also invited in, giving the children a wider view of the world and more opportunities to talk.

• The Families Are Best initiative brings parents into the school for shared activities such as cooking and reading.

• Parents are encouraged to ‘walk and talk’ to and from school, chatting about subjects like the weather or flowers growing by the path.

• All children and parents have access to the school library. Those less keen to use it receive a special bag to take books home. Parents are given guidance on how to read with their child, with each book having five key words to focus on. Bilingual books in various languages are also available.

Wendy explains: “People are living busy lives,so being more specific about what to talkabout – and when – really helps.

“We’re always looking to improve what weoffer children. People learn from others andthe TALK Derby Champions model also allowspeople to share best practice. It’s aboutchallenging yourself to do the best you can.”

If you want your setting to be featured in thenext issue, please contact TALK Derby:info@TALKDerby.org.uk.

TALK Derby in actionHarrington Nursery School

TALK Derby is already having a big impact atHarrington Nursery School in Pear Tree.

Head teacher Wendy Colebourne firmlybelieves that speech, language andcommunication are the number one priorityfor local children – not just in her school, butright across Derby.

Wendy says: “When I was working as an EarlyYears co-ordinator I was really interested inthe interactions parents had with their childrenwhen picking them up from school. They wereengaging – helping children put their coats onand smiling at them – but some weren’t reallylistening to what they were saying or havingconversations with them.

“How can we encourage parents to talkmore with their children and how can weexplain the importance of doing so? TALKDerby is helping us to achieve this.”

The school has really embraced TALK Derby.Its children feature in one of the films on theTALK Derby website. Harrington’s TALK DerbyChampion Lindsay Fravolini is benefiting fromthe free training being provided in eight citywards, and the school has invited one of itsvolunteers to be trained too.

Parents are being told about the programmeand encouraged to make the TALK Derbypledge. Lindsay said: “I’ve made a computeravailable so that parents attending schoolcan pledge there and then. We also useTwitter and texts to make them aware.”

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Wendy Colebourne,Head of Harrington

Nursery School

Key words attached to books at Harrington Nursery School. These guide parents on

how to read with their children.

TALK Derby DAY announced

TALK Derby Day will take place on Wednesday 1st July 2020. The day will celebrate communication, speech and language through events taking place across the city. Planning is already underway and we’ll be inviting you to get involved in organising and attending the activities. Watch this space - save the date! Start thinking about what you could do.

www.talkderby.org.uk info@talkderby.org.uk TALKDerby @lets_TALKDerby talk_derby

Three top tips… for parents and carers

In each issue we’ll be including a few tips,pointers and ideas for playing, talking andcommunicating with young children. Thank you tothe Communication Trust for these tips for parentsand carers:

• Encourage turn-taking during games. You can make it clear what you’re doing by explaining ‘my turn now’ and telling your child when they’ve done well at waiting for theirs.

• Silence is okay. If you allow your child some space and time, you might be surprised what they say.

• Use repetition: children need to hear words several times in different situations before they can understand and then use them.

For more tips and resources visit: talkderby.org/resources/

TALK Derby in numbers

TALK Derby is making significant progress, as can be seen from the figures shown below.

Jasiah and his mum Nicole playing andtaking turns

Talking at Lord Street Nursery School