At Ilminster Avenue Nursery School, we believe that every child deserves to be understood, valued and given the opportunity to communicate in their own way.
This year, we are excited to introduce the use of core boards across our nursery. Core boards are a form of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), which use words and symbols to support communication. They can help children to express themselves, make choices, share ideas, ask questions and join in with conversations, regardless of their level of spoken language.
Earlier this month, our staff team received specialist training from Sirona’s Early Years Speech and Language Therapy Team. The training helped us to understand how core boards can be used throughout the day to support communication for all children.
We were inspired to take this next step after one of our colleagues piloted core boards at the end of the last academic year. The impact on the children was remarkable. Some children who had previously found communication challenging began using the boards confidently to share their thoughts, wants and ideas. For some children, it felt as though they had found their voice for the very first time.
Rather than replacing speech, core boards help to build communication by providing children with another way to express themselves. They can support children with speech, language and communication needs, children learning English as an additional language, and many other children who benefit from visual support.
Over the coming months, core boards will become part of everyday life at Ilminster. You may see them being used during play, snack time, story sessions, outdoor learning, group activities and conversations throughout the nursery day.
We are proud to continue developing inclusive practices that ensure every child belongs, every child is heard and every child can communicate in the way that works best for them.
