Yasmin is an experienced educator, having worked for over 20 years in Bristol schools and surrounding areas, with a history of making a positive difference to the lives of children, young people and practitioners. She has worked in collaboration with senior leaders, delivered training and coached practitioners to raise the attainment of minority ethnic pupils by developing inclusive practice in the classroom, working with schools and settings across all phases with a focus on enhancing outcomes for pupils with English as an additional language (EAL). Alongside her Better Bilingual role, Yasmin works as an EAL Academy Associate.
Catherine has worked passionately as an Ethnic Minority Achievement advisor in London, Bristol and surrounding areas for over 20 years; she is committed to securing the best possible outcomes for BME children and young people. Catherine has collaborated effectively with education leaders, teaching practitioners, BME pupils and their families to develop and deliver inclusive practice across the age range, particularly for children who are learning through English as an Additional Language (EAL). In addition to her Better Bilingual role, Catherine works as an EAL Academy Associate and as a Trainer for The Bell Foundation.
Workshop Details: ‘Engaging EAL Children & their Families in the Early Years’
In this Better Bilingual workshop, we will explore what it means for a young child to be bilingual or multilingual, and how impactful our responses (or lack of) to their first languages (L1) can be. Effective EAL approaches, strategies and resources to both value L1 and support English language development will be considered through a selection of real-life case studies. There will be an opportunity to share your own successful practice with EAL children and families, as well as to raise issues and ask questions. We hope that this workshop will increase your understanding of how positive responses to EYFS children’s bilingualism can:
influence positive partnerships with EAL families
support EAL children’s English language development
encourage a secure sense of identity in EAL children
promote an inclusive EYFS environment in which ALL children feel they belong.