Think Together Talk Together – Lorna Chappell and Linda Bankier Case study of a Berwick Children’s Centre Family Learning Course, focusing on developing family communication skills through museum objects.

1. THINK TOGETHER, TALK TOGETHER BERWICK PILOT JUNE 2011 Lorna Chappell – Adult Learning and Community Involvement Co-ordinator Children’s Centres North

3. Local organisations have learnt to think outside the box and work in sometimes unexpected partnerships to reach as many participants as possible

4. Museums and Libraries need families with young children to know that they will be welcomed and that there is fun to be had for all age groups

5. ‘Hello Year’ and Early Years ‘Chatter Matters’

8. Book Venue

9. Book Facilitator/s

10. Book Childcare provision

11. Book transport for trips

12. Book in with chosen venues for trips

13. Discuss the order of events

14. Produce Lesson Plans

15. Create any handouts required

16. Create marketing

18. How it looked Week One-Parents and children together at Children’s Centre Topic – Families and Food Resources – Box from records Office Flour –based foods Photographs Dressing up clothes

20. 6x children

21. The miller

22. 10 mins-Simple things for discussion e.g. Trap doors, big sacks of grain, cogs of the mill

23. 20 mins-paddling pool filled with grain (as popular as any sand pit!)

24. 10 mins-mill stones – everybody got to try

25. Museum shop

27. Very old toys to look at and discuss

28. We played games

30. Visited the Museum

31. Had a drink and a biscuit

32. Walked to the library

33. Had a story

35. Dressing up clothes like Edwardian bathing suits

37. Sand Castles

38. Picnic

39. Fairy House Building

40. Paddling

42. Parents need it to be crystal clear that they are to talk to their children about what is happening not exclusively each other

44. It should be on in the afternoon as many children are at pre-school in the morning so couldn’t join us

45. They hadn’t realised how much free stuff went on in the library for kids

46. They were surprised at how much the children got out of the museum and that they would go again with older siblings

47. They liked showing their children toys and other old things from the resource boxes

49. Can we do baking? (We said ‘no’ but maybe it’s an idea for something else in Family Learning)

50. Didn’t know what flour was or what it could be used for

51. Loved the Beach Party!

53. We will continue to work in the partnerships we have formed

54. Children can join us for 2 or 3 of the sessions in future

55. We will offer the course during afternoons

56. Sessions will last about one and a half hours as two is too long for the children

57. We will ask the adults to make rough notes in a ‘chat log’ to raise awareness of communication with their young children

58. We are thinking of inviting adult participants to come along and do a memory board of the course as a craft exercise and a reinforcement/reminder (and a bit of fun!)