Through Gestures and Music into the world of phonics has developed, tested and implemented an innovative method of teaching phonics through signs, gestures (using British Sign Language), songs and movement to preschool and primary school children (3 to 4 years in the UK and 3 to 8 in the Czech Republic and Slovenia). It has also developed training materials and courses for Early Years practitioners and English language teachers. Project activities were targeted at early English language learning in Slovenia and the Czech Republic. In the UK the project also worked in settings with children with communication difficulties, including children whose first language is not English. However, the methods were used in additional ways than originally planned. Although using BSL signs, nurseries in Slovenia and the Czech Republic used the methods with children whose first language was not Czech or Slovenian (or English) as a bridge between languages. The methods were used with all children in settings and evaluation showed more generally that signing, music and movement help children with communication skills at a time when lockdowns and increased screen time has made this an important issue. In Slovenia, the project has included language teachers in formal education between the ages of 6 and 8. The methodology teaches phonics stage 1 (phonological awareness) and stage 2 (Introduction to phonics) and includes listening walks, action songs, learning rhymes and learning the most common single letter and 20 sounds supported by gestures and music. Using gestures and music within the teaching of phonics for young children keeps them engaged and focused on the teacher to get information. This method of teaching improves confidence, memory, involvement and recall of sounds and letters.The project has the following results•Handbook: The guide introduces the method and and materials of how to implement early literacy skills and first phonic concepts to children through music, singing, signing and also books. The handbook is divided into two sections of theory and practice of GEM teaching concept (sections 1 and 2) followed by the examples from the implementation phase, including some of the activities and original songs. This includes short instructions for teachers of how to teach phonics to young children. The ideas of who the lessons can be structures and what to do during the lessons can be found on 20 lesson plans. •GEM songs We have prepared 20 original Gem songs to introduce children with the first words of English writing system. The songs lead children to easily recognise the short simple familiar words with their simple pattern which later helps them to to transform individual sounds into words and the other way around. •The GEM songs are accompanied by the song booklet. The song lyrics are also accompanied by engaging illustrations with the sign symbol and visual image of the song to capture the interest of children. The songs are adapted to teach children between the ages of 2 to 4 in the UK within the early years framework literacy curriculum or children between the ages of 2 to 8 who are learning English as a second language. •GEM stories. Four originally written stories to introduce the relevant words to children. They are available in printed form and powerpoint •The GEM vocabulary was prepared to purposefully teach children to start putting together their very first words and simple sentences and to link them with the print. We have prepared the vocabulary of 50 easy CVC words which don’t include any tricky blends and are very easy to remember. They are presented with the print, sign and illustration. Our songs, graphic and mini charts will all help you to reinforce the learning in a playful and meaningful way. •Mini charts are a great tool to help children linking sounds and words with print. Our original mini charts combine delightful colour illustrations with graphics and printed words separately so that the children can play a matching game and practice rhyming, alliteration, letter sound matching and blending words Check out ideas from the lesson plans and activity videos as how to use them. They are available at our training programme. Our designer has produced 100 images for the mini charts (illustrations of gestures and first words/images and print separately which aid learning) Let me know if it needs explaining. •Training programme: we have produced a 10 unit training programme with the aim to help the teachers to introduce GEM into their settings. It has the following units: What is GEM, About languages, Literacy in early years, GEM songs, Phonological awareness, Rhythm and rhyme, Alliteration, Phonemic awareness, GEM vocabulary and mini charts, Teaching instructions and lesson plans. All materials are available through our project website and ELearning platform

The project Learn English Through Signs (LETS) has developed and tested tools and methodologies for Teaching and Learning English through using signs, symbolic gestures and music for children between the ages of 2 and 6 years who are learning English as a second language. The aim was to teach children below the age of 6 their frst 500 words and phrases in English. The materials have been tested in early years settings in each of the 3 partner countries, following international training in Leeds, UK. The training materials and course were developed from initial research in the partner countries to identify firstly the current position (in 2017) as to how children are taught an additional language in early years education in the partner countries. Further research into the training requirements and recommendations from professionals to develop the materials, resources and training programme for the international training programme then took place. The target group for the training was childcare practitioners, early years teachers courses and language teachers, with 5 participants taking part in the international training from Poland and Slovenia, together with 15 childcare professionals from the UK. The 5 day international training programme therefore delivered the tools, materials and methodologies and those who received the international training then were tasked with delivering national training programmes in their own country. In the case of the UK the national training took part within the international training.To support the training and delivery of introduction of Learn English Through Signs, the project developed a wide range of signs, materials, lesson plans and accompanying music. The material is stored within the project website and within the eLearning platform. All of these materials will be freely available for a minimum of 5 years following the end of the project. The childcare practitioners, early years teachers and language teachers were therefore provided with both training to deliver the programme as well as the tools to deliver the programme within the classroom. Lesson Plans have been produced by the partners with a final course of 36 weeks, broken down into 3 x 12 week programmes. Examples are provided through case studiesA final project handbook has been produced which acts as an introductory guide to childcare providers and language teachers who would like to introduce elements of the model within their settings. This is then supported by songs, signs and other materials available online. The methods have been very successful within the 20 settings that they have been tested and all settings have confirmed that they will use the methods on an ongoing basis. The numbers of childcare professionals, language teachers, children and their parents involved in the learning from the project has far exceed our initial expectations. The same methodology was used in all countries but the target groups in each country has been different. Within the United Kingdom, the project was targeted at early years education settings and children (2-6) whose first language is not English. This project therefore developed a new model where all children in the educational setting can support the children whose first language is not English in learning new English words. The models have also been used and tested within 20 childcare settings. Elsewhere the project has developed innovative methods of language learning in early years which has introduced a holistic approach to language teaching building on the diversity of todays multilingual classrooms. This has been done by introducing a new model of English to early learners between the ages of 2 and 6 in Slovenia and Poland.Additionally the project has aimed is to create a more meaningful dialogue between home and early childhood settings to support language learning. This has been done through the increased participation of parents in both the development as well as the implementation of LETS curriculum.. We have therefore engaged parents into learning with their children also at home, and have prepared and implemented the parents/children sign supported English language activities with the basic English signs vocabulary which can be used with the mother tongue as well as second language. In this way we have stimulated children’s natural condition to code switching from one language to another using the signs as a common denomina. This has been supported therefore via a variety of methods of engaging parents, through offering signing courses to parents through to providing learning bags for the children to take home to use with their parents. The packs have included books, signs, music and toy animals eg spiders to link with the songs in the pack. All materials in the packs were therefore in English.

According to the Eurydice Key Data on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) in Europe 2014 report, 25 % of children under the age of six in the EU are at risk of poverty or exclusion. This number is likely to become higher with the current influx of refugees into Europe. To reach the aim of 95 % attendance for ECEC set out by the European Commission’s Strategic Framework for Education and Training 2020, we must develop and strengthen capacities to meet the extra demands of this vulnerable group. Family and community engagement is a necessary component in any strategy to tackle this challenge. As highlighted by the OECD report on Encouraging Quality in ECEC, strengthening links between ECEC programs and community services is an effective way to engage with disadvantaged groups. Through already established contact and cultural sensitivity they are valuable partners in developing and implementing strategies to improve attendance and quality. Therefore, this project focused on the possibilities of cooperation among informal education settings with the pre-schools aiming to support the inclusion of children from socially disadvantaged or culturally different environments. The project built on the outputs of the Strategic Partnership implemented in 2014-2016 focused on the support of social and emotional competencies of pre-school children. The goal of this project was to draw out innovative recommendations based on the best practices in partner countries on how they work with families and children from socioeconomically disadvantaged or culturally different environments, such as migrant and Roma families, in order to prepare children to enter formal education. The project also intended to prevent early school leaving (ESL) through engaging with socially and economically disadvantaged children at an early stage. This project was carried out by six partner organisations, each of which has rich experience in areas related to formal and/or informal education. Partners first conducted research into the current policies regarding ECEC in their respective countries (IO1), and then identified examples of successful inclusive strategies applied in their countries (IO2). Subsequently, training program for pedagogical as well as non-pedagogical personnel was implemented for participants from every partner country in order to facilitate an effective exchange of best practices. The practitioners were able to gather information on the methods and strategies used by various organisations in partner countries and bring this information back to pilot in their professional environments. The identification and exchange of best practices equipped organisations and professionals with new methods and a larger toolbox to tackle issues surrounding socially disadvantaged children. A strengthened cooperation and coordination among stakeholders such as families, pre-schools and informal educators is paramount to achieve a higher quality ECEC and to identify and support vulnerable cases at an early stage. Finally, a Good Practice Guide for effective inclusive ECEC was compiled describing the methods and strategies of involving children and parents from disadvantaged environments into mainstream education and the conditions needed for their implementation (IO3). The intellectual outputs were achieved successfully and were disseminated among the partners' broad network of contacts. In particular, the Good Practice Guide for effective inclusive ECEC (IO3) was translated into partner countries' languages (English, Czech, Slovak, Polish, and Swedish) and was printed out in 500 copies per partner to be distributed among relevant stakeholders and the general public with an interest in the topic. It was also planned that a large international conference would take place in Prague in May 2020. However, this was made impossible by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, the partners organised an online conference instead, and are further working on dissemination of the results in order to ensure far-reaching and long-term impact of the project.