Workshops
The support Kindling provides is based on the UK’s Early Years curriculum (EYFS), which is broken down into seven key areas of learning. All workshops therefore underpin the national curriculum for children under five, and dovetail with the syllabus as they start in year one.
In-person workshops typically involve a cup of tea or coffee while we introduce ourselves, followed by a presentation from Katie. We then open it up to talk about real-life situations and answer any questions. The tone is informal, and our goal is to send you away feeling informed.
We also hold workshops online. If you don’t see the topic that interests you, or the dates, times or locations don’t suit you, please get in touch!
Workshop topics
All workshops are currently taking place online
Helping children to communicate effectively
This is perhaps the most important of all our workshops, giving children the skills they need to verbalise their needs, and to respond to the needs of others. Communication is the lynchpin of learning and can also improve behaviour, helping children to develop a sense of self, and to express how they feel in new situations – feeling nervous or shy, for example.
Our role as parents is vital to their developing communication skills. With your help, your child will develop and practise their skills, and learn to process information, and organise their ideas before they speak. This workshop gives your children the tools they need to say, “I am finding this hard” or, “I need some help, can you show me?” It sets them up to practice all the things they’ll need at school.
Promoting independence
Only when a child feels in control with a certain degree of independence can they truly make room for friendship and academic learning. Forgetting something, feeling flustered or rushed, having tummy pain, worrying about wetting themselves, struggling with their coat or shoes, or needing something but not knowing how to ask for it – all these things can prevent them learning, but simple hacks can solve them.
This workshop gives parents the tips and tricks they need to help their child develop true independence, so they can cast aside fears and niggles and devote their brain space to learning.
Optimising physical health for learning
A key aspect of learning that parents can sometimes overlook is their child’s physical health and development, and the motor skills they need to master before starting school. Fine motor skills (buttoning a shirt or holding a pencil) and gross motor skills (climbing, or doing star jumps) are both vital. Developing good core strength is the starting point for this – and without it your child might struggle, not just during physical activities but also with tasks such as handwriting and scissor work.
This workshop shows parents how to develop their child’s physical readiness for school through games and playful activities, and how to encourage postural changes that will safeguard their physical health in the future and unlock their ability to learn.
Supporting children emotionally
Any change, whether it’s a playdate or a parent going away for a few nights, is potentially going to have an impact on your child’s behaviour. The transition to school in particular asks a lot of children — and they’ll need help to safely manage and balance out any difficult emotions that may arise. It can be hard to know how to help our little ones when they are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or anxious. This workshop shows adults how to support their children with confidence during this period.
You will learn how to encourage your child to notice and acknowledge their own feelings as well as the feelings of others, and how to maintain an equilibrium. You’ll learn to talk positively about different emotions, and to help your child to understand what’s going on with the different parts of their brain, so they can self regulate and manage those intense emotions. With our continued support, children will learn what to do when they experience difficult and uncomfortable feelings, ultimately helping them become emotionally ready for school.
Building child's self-esteem and resilience
All children are capable of becoming resilient, confident individuals, but it can be difficult to know how to help them develop their inner-strength. As adults, we know that life is never without challenges, so we need to teach our children how to cope with change and potentially stressful experiences. The more resilient children are, the better they will be able to focus on building relationships and new learning experiences.
By building positive relationships and strengthening your children's character, we can lay the foundations necessary to develop their confidence and self esteem. In this session parents will gain advice and tips to know how to develop these skills, so your child will be able to successfully adjust to their new environment. Through the power of our language and mindset, we can guide our children on how to bounce back from mishaps and take different situations in their stride.
Workshop dates
