Home Learning Environment

The important role parents’ play by taking an interest in their children’s learning has a major impact on the outcomes for children. Research suggests that parental involvement in early learning has a greater impact on children’s well-being and achievement than any other factor. Therefore supporting parents to provide a positive home learning environment plays a crucial part on improving children’s outcomes.

Parent Participation

Parents participating and actively being involved in the early years setting can have a significant impact on improving children’s learning and addressing their needs.

This promotes trusting relationships with key persons and an opportunity for them to facilitate and model learning activities, whilst giving a sense of community and belonging within the provision.

It supports shared learning experiences, heightening parents’ awareness and confidence to support their children’s learning and development effectively.

Ideas to try could include:

• Stay and Play
• Parent Workshops
• Social Events
• Information aimed at Fathers
• Sharing familiar things from home
• Setting/School/Parent workshops (see case study)

Activities to take home and share with children

Inspiring parents to carry on learning activities at home by developing and providing low-cost resources and activities can support high-impact outcomes for children, both for school readiness and for later educational outcomes.

Ideas to try could include:

• Den kits to borrow
• Story Sacks (see case study)
• Talk Tickets
• Chatterboxes (see case study)
• Treasurer baskets
• Activity Bear, home to setting link
• Challenging bags
• Personalised activities to take home (see case study)
• Book start packs
• Toy library
• Cameras (see case study)

In the setting

Provide visual information of what children learn linked to the EYFS areas of learning through the play experiences and opportunities within the setting. The informal structure makes it more accessible for parents, in order to encourage them to translate these into the home environment.

Ideas to try could include:

• Display of activities
• Ideas on the Provisions website/Social media
• Focused activity day in the setting
• Messy and sensory play week and/or ideas

Ideas for home learning and the setting

Provide shared ideas and opportunities that support children’s interests and the EYFS areas of learning. This becomes a two way sharing of children’s learning.

Ideas to try could include:

• Baking activities (see chatterbox case study)
• Shopping ideas
• Sharing Nursery rhymes, songs and stories
• Take home activity boxes (see case study)
• Creative activities (see case study)

Case Studies

Action Planning