Rebecca Skinner and Becky Poulter Jewson on Speech, Language and Reflective Practice

Becky Poulter Jewson and Rebecca Skinner, co-founders of Thriving Language – a Community Interest Company.

Becky Poulter Jewson has over 25 years of experience working with children and families as a qualified Early Years Lead and is the Director of Early Years for Thriving Language. Having owned her own nursery and pre-school, she has developed free flow provision and language-rich learning environments throughout the country.

Rebecca Skinner qualified as a Speech and Language Therapist in 2001 and is the Director of Speech and Language Therapy for Thriving Language. Alongside her work at Thriving Language, Rebecca works as a Speech and Language Therapist for the NHS, specialising in early years and cleft palate. She is passionate about communication and interaction and the role that the adult plays in the development of this.

They have co-authored a new book, which was published in April 2022 by Routledge – Speech and Language in the Early Years: Creating Language-Rich Learning Environments

‘The Beckies’, as they are known, have presented CPD on several aspects of speech, language and communication in the Early Years. In this session, we focus on how reflective practice can improve your own pedagogy and how the children benefit from these reflections.

Rebecca and Becky have some really useful, easy and practical ideas for reflective practice techniques that you can use, whatever your setting. Obviously there is lots of talk about the content of their new book and we also discuss, specifically, the role of the adult (parents, practitioners and teachers) in creating an accessible, language rich, environment.

They also explain why their top tip or strategy is that ‘you have to know why you are practicing, know your ethos and remember that it’s a career that changes people’s lives’. This is a slightly longer session at 40 minutes, with lots of tips and ideas, so you may like to get a notepad as well!

Links:

https://www.thrivinglanguage.co.uk/home

The podcast is here: https://open.spotify.com/show/6K2AiDyFHlopOjJWxcKPn3

You can find the book Speech and Language in the Early Years: Creating Language-Rich Learning Environments here

https://amzn.to/3Aix5Qy and here https://www.routledge.com/Speech-and-Language-in-the-Early-Years-Creating-Language-Rich-Learning/Jewson-Skinner/p/book/9780367689698

The snack time book is here: https://www.thrivinglanguage.co.uk/online-store

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