Family Spotlight: J.S.

J.S. took part in the Making it REAL programme from October 2024 and quickly embraced the opportunity to learn through shared experiences with their family.

During the first home visit, J.S. was excited to welcome familiar nursery staff into their home. They enthusiastically took part in creating a shopping list activity and were keen to continue the learning with their mum afterwards.

J.S. and their mum attended all three family literacy events, with the highlight being a trip to the Safari Park. The experience made such an impression that J.S. continues to talk about it months later.

During a later home visit, J.S.’s cousin joined a Handa’s Surprise story session. Both children thoroughly enjoyed exploring the story, discussing the illustrations and using props from the story bag to bring the book to life.

Growing Confidence

Throughout the project, staff observed significant growth in J.S.’s confidence and communication skills.

By the final home visit, J.S. was eager to participate, confidently commenting on characters and animals within the story and even recreating animal sounds.

Their enthusiasm for sharing ideas and engaging in conversation had increased noticeably.

Literacy Progress

Assessment data showed progress across all areas of literacy, with the greatest gains seen in language development.

J.S. progressed from primarily communicating through sounds and noises to using recognisable words and phrases. Although they continue to receive Speech and Language support, their ability to express themselves clearly and be understood by others has improved greatly.

This progress has had a positive impact on their confidence, enabling them to engage more fully with both adults and their peers.

Supporting the Whole Family

The programme also had a positive impact on J.S.’s mum. She reported feeling proud of her child’s progress and valued the opportunities to take part in family learning activities.

As a busy working parent who works night shifts, she often sacrificed valuable rest time to attend events and spend quality learning time with J.S. Her commitment highlights the vital role families play in children’s success.

“Making it REAL has shown how powerful shared literacy experiences can be in supporting children’s communication, confidence and love of learning.”