Parenta Magazine Issue 5 March 2015 2.4

Issue 6 April 2015
GUEST:
Teaching young
children to develop
good sleep habits
Are you
paying your
staff the
right wages?
Top tips to encourage
toddlers to learn to talk

Contents
GUEST:
Benefits of sensory play for children with SEN
GUEST:
Teaching young children to develop good sleep
habits
GUEST:
Top tips to encourage toddlers to learn to talk
GUEST:
Identifying and managing food allergies in
young children
How to get a business loan
Are you paying your staff the right wages?
Making an origami dress
We hope you enjoy our latest edition
Daffodowndilly
She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,
She wore her greenest gown;
She turned to the south wind
And curtsied up and down.
She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbour:
“Winter is dead.”
by A.A. Milne
April 2015

Benefits of sensory play for
children with SEN
by Lisa Lane
Incorporating sensory play
We are all different and how we learn is different too. Therefore, it is important to
recognise, particularly for SEN children, how their needs can be met to give the best
learning experience possible. By incorporating various forms of sensory play into the
everyday learning experience we are able to enhance the learning journey of every child.
Allowing children the luxury of discovering their world in more interesting and stimulating
ways means they can experience challenges, success and peer teaching, whatever
their ability!
We know from research that sensory
play allows children to engage with their
environment, develop social skills,
language and learn. For children with
special educational needs where a child’s
ability to learn in the same way as their
peers is affected, sensory play can be
highly beneficial.
Social development
A sensory play tray can engage
numerous senses, creating an inviting,
calming and tactile stimulus for children of
all abilities. Playing alongside peers in such
an environment takes away the pressure
for a particular outcome and allows the
children to develop their own games,
scenarios and learning experience.
Social relationships become more natural
if children are all engaged in digging in the
sand or finding letters in the tub of dried
pasta. While the learning aspect is what
letter sounds are found, the focus is on the
fun of digging! A sensory table filled with
animals, vehicles, different textures, scent
pouches, nature items and sound
shakers is a platform for all learning
abilities and open-ended play. By theming
the play table, different learning goals can
be incorporated because - as Albert
Einstein stated - ‘Play is the highest form of
research’.
Learning through
sensory stimulus
As children learn to use their senses more
and more, the better they become at
exploring the world via those senses. For
instance, if a child with SEN is more open
to tactile learning, then teaching with
this in mind will be beneficial to their
individual development.
Learning to write doesn’t have to be just sat
at a table with a pencil and paper, but can
be mark making on a tray filled with foam
or forming letters out of play-dough. Once
the letter formation and hand-eye coordination
is learnt, the finer motor skill of writing
can be introduced.
Using a combination of senses can also
be beneficial to everyday learning. By
listening to a story read aloud whilst
following the words in a book and hearing
the difference in expression, a child can
develop language, emotion and social
skills. Music and dance will allow gross
motor skills to develop and can incorporate
learning key information such as days of the
week, the alphabet or number sequences.
The use of different approaches to play and
learning will allow a child with SEN to get
the most from their environment.
Lisa Lane launched Sensory Scenes in 2014 with the aim to provide
themed bags of fun for play, exploring and learning. With three boys
of her own, she is passionate about children being able to manipulate,
explore and use their imagination. Sensory Scenes’ themed bags are perfect for
individual play, sensory tray play and themed subject planning.
Follow Sensory Scenes on Facebook, on Twitter @sensoryscenes,
visit the website or email lisa@sensoryscenes.co.uk

Teaching young children to
develop good sleep habits
by Tracy Newberry
Tracy Newberry, a baby sleep coach and sleep consultant, is the founder of
Happy Baby and Me. She teaches sleep in a gentle reassuring way; never using
any of the ‘cry it out methods’. Tracy was passionate about working with children
from an early age and began working as a nanny in London when she was 18. A
year and a half later, she returned to her home country of South Africa, where she
nannied and worked as a nursery school teacher. Arriving back in London in 2009,
Tracy continues to work with families, growing her experience and childcare
knowledge. As her passion for teaching sleep grew, she set up her own business
Happy Baby and Me. Tracy now helps many babies and young children learn the
wonderful skill of falling asleep in a gentle,
Teaching a baby the skill of falling asleep is one of the first skills we will ever teach our little
ones and indeed one of the greatest skills we can teach them. We all know how vital sleep
is for ourselves and for our children. Having adequate sleep is even more important for
babies and young children who need sleep to grow, store memories and develop,
mentally and physically. It goes without saying how very important sleep is.
It may feel that we need to help babies
fall asleep or actually put them to sleep
each time, but in reality it is not always
necessary. As adults, we are not put
to sleep. We fall asleep. Sleep is not a
science, but a skill.
By teaching a child good sleep
habits and positive sleep
associations you are setting
them up for great sleep in
the future. It’s never too late
to start. Teaching sleep should
always be done in a gentle,
loving way. Just as if you were
teaching anything else to a child
in life: with time, patience and
consistency, sleep independence
is absolutely achievable.
To sleep and to fall asleep is a wonderful natural activity. A baby would have been
sleeping in his mother’s womb for much of the time before he was born. Sleep is not a
difficult thing for a baby to do, but if you begin to do too much for baby to get him to sleep,
you begin to take away his sleep independence. He slowly learns to become dependant
upon you to help him sleep. In fact, he begins to learn that he needs external help in order
to fall asleep.
It can get tiring very quickly for you if you take away baby’s sleep independence. By
teaching baby good sleep associations and encouraging good sleep habits from early on,
baby will be assured of the vital sleep that he needs.
What you teach a child, they will often take as the absolute truth. Imagine you taught a
child that a sock was called a banana (we wouldn’t do such a thing) but imagine it. The
child, until corrected, would think the word for sock was not sock but indeed banana. That
is how children believe so passionately about Father Christmas and The Tooth Fairy. They
have taken us at our word. Until they learn differently, they believe it to be the truth.
Similarly, if you teach baby that by rocking or feeding him to go to sleep is the way to
go to sleep, he will believe that that is the only way to go to sleep. Each time you rock or
feed baby to sleep, you take away from baby the precious chance and opportunity to fall
asleep alone.

Top tips to encourage toddlers
to learn to talk
Interaction - wanting to communicate, both verbally (words)
and non-verbally (gesture, tone of voice, facial expression)
Listening - recognising that someone is communicating with
us, physically hearing what is being said and being able to pay attention
long enough to focus
by Kathryn Stinton
As practitioners, it’s easy to focus mainly on how children say
words, particularly when they mispronounce certain sounds.
But, if we think of communication as making a
cake - clear speech is the icing on the cake
and the main ingredients are:
Understanding - making sense of the vocabulary being used by the other
person, processing any comments, instructions or questions
Responding - thinking carefully about how we react to what has been said, choosing the correct
vocabulary and sentence structure, finding the correct sounds and physically producing them clearly
and fluently
Monitoring - evaluating the other person’s response, do we need to
adjust our communication to help them understand?
With young children, self-chosen play is the key way for them to interact while we play alongside them.
It’s important we don’t try to take over the play and reduce the number of questions we ask, as this puts
unnecessary pressure on them to talk. Ideally, there should be a ratio of 4:1 comments to questions.
The listening stage is key to developing successful communication. Try some of the activities from Phase
1 of the Letters and Sounds document.
Don’t assume that children have a good vocabulary, many may have gaps in their knowledge and will be
unable to identify household items, animals, items of clothing, vehicles and toys. Children need to
understand what an object is before they can name it, so the following activities and strategies can help:
Sharing simple books with you naming the pictures as the child points to them
Laminated photos of basic objects (make sure the photo background is plain so the object is
clear to the child) which you can hide around the room and find with a torch or magnifying
glass, stick outside, use as stepping stones, play a matching game, stick on
plastic bottles to use as skittles or throw beanbags onto
Putting small world items in a feelie bag or pillow case and taking turns to
pull them out
Giving children choices so they can copy a word you say in a relaxed way. For example,
“juice or milk? Sand or water? Teddy or doll?”
Opportunities to have fun with sounds and words in rhymes and songs
Further resources
The Communication Trust has a useful downloadable book called Universally
Speaking which outlines the typical stages of speech and language
development. It also suggests ways to support children.
They have also recently published a free e-learning module entitled
An Introduction to Speech, Language and Communication which will
help you understand more about communication
development in children.

Did you Know we do?
Training
Level 1 Introduction to Health, Social Care and
Children and Young People’s Settings
Level 2 Children and Young
People’s Workforce
Level 3 Early Years Educator
Level 5 Childcare Leadership Qualification
Assessor Award
Level 2 Diploma Business Administration
Level 3 Diploma Business Administration
Level 2 Diploma in Team Leading
Level 3 Diploma in Management
Nursery management software
Our award winning software has been designed to
provide you with more hours in the week, giving you
more time to focus on enriching a child’s learning
experience
Footsteps EYFS Software
Footsteps makes it easy for you to capture detailed
notes when observing a child play or interact, as well
as making it quicker to identify where that child is in
their own development pathway.
Dayshare
Dayshare is software which allows you to capture a
full day’s activities for an individual child or group of
children and email this to parents, making sure they
never miss a moment.
Fee Collection
Fee collection is a service which collect money from
parents’ bank accounts every month on your behalf.
This means that rather than you struggling to speak
with parents about how much they owe, you can
talk to them about what really matters instead - their
children.
Websites
The internet is the go-to place to find childcare, so
having an online presence is soo important. We can
work with you to build a great website which reflects
the services you provide.
For more information
Call 0844 504 5504
Email contact@parenta.com

Food allergies in
young children
By Katharine Tate
The Food Teacher, Katharine Tate, is an award winning nutritional therapist, she has founded The Food Teacher
brand that combines her passion for education and nutrition to deliver a healthy childhood, focusing on
promoting family health through food and lifestyle. For more information, visit her Facebook page, follow her
on Twitter or email her at thefoodteacheruk@gmail.com
Childhood allergy is becoming increasingly common in the UK, with 50% of children
being affected. Food allergy symptoms can be wide ranging and for many, they can be
life threatening (e.g. anaphylaxis). An awareness of symptoms is essential within all
childcare settings and an understanding of allergies and their management can help
teachers and parents work together. These factors can support a child’s development,
concentration and learning and can also reduce/eliminate opportunities for exposure.
What causes allergies?
Allergies are caused when the body reacts to an offending protein, triggering the
immune system to respond inappropriately every time there is exposure. Allergens
are the substances which trigger the body’s inappropriate reaction. As allergies
can be triggered by a range of different allergens, symptoms can present in a
whole host of different ways and may develop suddenly without any obvious cause.
Common allergens
The commonest allergens in children include peanuts, tree nuts, milk,
eggs, wheat, fish, pollens from tree and grasses, house dust mites
and insect stings.
Symptoms to note
The majority of symptoms are linked to areas of the body that come into
contact with the external environment as the cells which react to allergens
are found in these body tissues. Some common symptoms include watery,
tchy eyes, runny, blocked nose, swollen lips/tongue, wheezy breathing or
bumpy, itchy skin.
Allergy or Intolerance?
An allergy is very different to a food intolerance, which can be
a short-lived reaction to a specific food. Individuals with an
intolerance may be able to eat small amounts of the offending
food without the level of reaction of an allergy.
Impact of suffering from an allergy
The impact of an allergy can have a huge
effect on a child, especially as symptoms
may disrupt sleep and mood, which can
affect their development and concentration.
Strategies to support them within each
setting can be helpful.
Why is allergy becoming more prevalent?
Research suggests a range of factors may
relate to the rise in allergic conditions.
These include genetics: with 1 in 5 children
in the UK having a predisposition to
developing an allergy. The ‘clean’
environment children tend to live in
today which reduces their exposure to
micro-organisms and bacteria which help
to develop their immunity may also play a
role, with the lack of exposure potentially
unbalancing the immune response and
increasing the body’s drive to react to
allergens. Other factors could also include
potential nutrient deficiencies, which may
increase the risk of developing an allergy.
Current research is around vitamin D and
omega-3 fatty acids.
How can it be managed in
childcare settings?
1. Having agreed procedures and
paperwork in place of which all staff
are trained is vital (see Allergy UK for
an example document).
2. Reducing exposure, e.g. children with
asthma should not sit near an open
window in the summer, temperature of
the environment is key for children
with eczema.
3. As there is a strong genetic link, it is
useful to ask parents in your paperwork
if they have an allergy or have had one
in the past.
4. When cooking with children, always opt
for ingredients which don’t contain the
common allergens, e.g. bake with gluten
free flour, use seeds instead of nuts
in recipes.
5. For snack time - low allergenic foods
can be offered including fruit, wheat free
snacks, e.g. oatcakes, seeds, vegetables
and hummus.
Interesting developments
Ongoing research brings with it new
and innovative strategies for dealing with
allergy, which may help to control the rise
and find a resolution for many. Finding a
cure for allergies is hot topic, with
immunotherapy having had some success.
This involves controlled, gradual exposure
to the offending allergy under medical
supervision, which can modify the body’s
immune response to that of an intolerance
rather than an allergy. This is an area of
interest to watch out for as
research continues.

How to get a business loan
According to the European Commission,
the economy in the UK is forecast to grow
by 2.4 per cent in 2015. With the cost of
borrowing cheaper than it has been for
many years and credit becoming widely
available, demand for lending in Britain is
also on the rise.
This is positive news for those wanting to
start a childcare business or expand the
size of their setting this year.
Before you jump in and apply for as many
different loans as you can think of,
remember that every lender will have
different eligibility criteria and specific things
they’re looking for. With this in mind, you’ll
increase the chances of being accepted for
a loan if you spend time doing your
homework before submitting
your application.
Here’s our top 6 tips to help you
get a business loan:
1. Put together you loan proposal
Before you approach a lender, put
together a loan proposal. This document
should provide some background about
you and your childcare business. It should
also cover these important questions:
1. How much do you need to borrow?
2. For how long do you want to borrow it?
3. What will you spend the money on?
4. How do you plan to pay it back?
Use the loan proposal to demonstrate
you’ve carried out thorough research into
local demand for childcare in the area, rival
competitors and how you’ll fill a gap in the
market with your service.
2. Prepare your paperwork
Get your “financial house” in order.
Lenders are likely to want to see your
statutory accounts from the past 3 years,
but ask the lender specifically what
documents they want to see - as this can
vary. The more prepared you are with your
paperwork beforehand; the more likely you
are to instil confidence in the lender to
approve your loan request.
3. Do you have security?
Lenders will normally require some form
of security from you, such as a building to
secure the loan against. If this isn’t possible,
you may be eligible for the government’s
Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG). This is
a system where the government provides
75% of the security and is worth looking
in to.
4. Check your credit rating
If you already have a childcare business,
check your company’s credit rating before
you apply for a business loan. Most
lenders will want to assure themselves that
the people they’re lending to have a good
track record of managing their finances.
5. Invest in a smart shirt
Incredibly, it takes just 7 seconds for people
to form their first opinion of you. Although
comfy clothing is the norm when you work
in childcare, you can create a good
impression with the lender in your first
meeting if you dress smartly. Having
polished shoes and a well groomed
appearance will help to show the lender
that you’re serious about getting your
loan approved.
6. Prepare to talk scenarios
Whilst it’s great to talk positively about what
the loan will be used for, be prepared to
talk your lender through your plans for
dealing with possible threats to the
success of your business. It may be helpful
to jot down all the different scenarios you
can think of: low occupancy, competition
from other businesses etc and come up
with a solution to overcome each challenge.
Sources of funding
Many people will go directly to their bank
manager for a business loan, as they have
already built up a familiar relationship with
them over many years. However, it might
be worth your while to explore other options
for funding your start up or expanding your
nursery:
Peer to peer lending
An alternative to a traditional bank loan is
Funding Circle. This is a government
backed lender that has lent over £487
million pounds to British business since it
was created. Of this, a large proportion
of funding has been secured by small
businesses and start ups. Funding Circle
provides loans from £5,000 - £1mil and is
reputed to have a quick turnaround time
if your application is approved. However,
interest rates can be higher than if you
used a bank.
Business grants
If you’re looking to start up a nursery from
scratch and do not currently run a childcare
business, you may be eligible for a £500
grant. The government has announced
that it will fund a £2 mil extension of its
Childcare Business Grant Scheme to cover
2015-16. The scheme was set up to help
with the costs of buying equipment, training
and adapting premises.
Whether you choose to apply for a loan at
the bank or through Funding Circle, you’ll
need to be prepared to provide a
personal guarantee. It basically means
that if the business fails - you’ll honour the
debt. This can have implications on your
personal and family life, so think carefully
before you apply.
Have you successfully applied for a loan for
your childcare business? If so, let us know
how you got on!

Are you paying your staff
the right wages?
With strict regulations imposed by HMRC around paying
minimum wage, as well as rules around pay and training, it can
be difficult to get to grips with how much each staff member
should be paid and in what circumstances.
You probably have a range of different practitioners working at
your setting: from childcare apprentices, childcarers who have
completed their Level 2 or Level 3, right through to much
more experienced members of staff. But, what are they
all entitled to?
The amount of money your practitioners should be paid depends on their age and
whether they’re doing a childcare apprenticeship. Currently, the adult rate for National
Minimum Wage, as stated on the gov.co.uk website, is £6.50.
Year 21 and over 18 -20 under 18 Apprentice
2014 (current) £6.50 £5.13 £3.79 £2.73
2015 (1 October +) £6.70 £5.30 £3.87 £3.30
Apprentice wage
The hourly rate for apprentices applies to staff who are 16-18 years old and also to those
aged 19 or over in their first year of working as an apprentice at your setting. In these
circumstances, the wage you must pay is £2.73p an hour (minimum). However, some
nurseries opt to pay a higher rate than this. All other apprentices are entitled to the
National Minimum Wage for their age.
Working time directive
The working time directive covers how many hours an employee works per week. The
amount is set at an average of 48 hours. This means that, if your staff work more than
this one week, it should be balanced out by working less in another week. The average is
worked out over a 17 week period and you cannot force employees to work beyond this
48 hour limit, unless they choose to opt out of the directive by choice.
If you employ a young school leaver who is under 18 years old, there are slightly different
rules to how much time they can work. They cannot work longer than 40 hours per week
on a full time contract.
Pay and training
Your employees (regardless of whether they are apprentices or not) must be paid by you
for their working time. This does not apply to volunteers at your setting. “Working time” is
defined as time spent:
1. at work
2. where the employee is required to be working
3. travelling in connection with work
4. doing training
5. travelling to training
Getting it right
As a business, you cannot claim that you don’t know the rules about paying your staff
correctly; this will not exempt you from the law. Aside from getting into trouble with HMRC,
you also run the risk of losing the trust of your staff if you accidentally underpay them. If
you’re still unsure where you stand in respect of paying certain members of staff, seek
advice from a human resources consultant who will be able to provide you with further
information.
Holiday entitlement
Childcare apprentices have the right to the same holiday entitlement as other employees.
The standard holiday entitlement for employees in the UK is 4 weeks off each year. You
may offer more than this, but this minimum still applies.
You may not know that bank or public holidays do not have to be given as paid leave. You
can choose whether to include bank holidays as part of an employee’s statutory annual
leave of 28 days.

A simple and easy
decoration and craft
for kids!
Instruction set 1 Instruction set 2
Origami Paper Dresses

Social media can be confusing, but in today’s world it is soo
important in making yourself known
We will set up your Facebook or Twitter pages for you, adding in a few extras,
to get you on your way.
www.parenta.com/lets-talk-social-media/