At Ilminster Avenue Nursery School, the team believes that every child deserves to be understood, valued and given the opportunity to communicate in their own way. This year, the nursery is excited to introduce the use of core boards across the setting.
Core boards are a form of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), which use words and symbols to support communication. They 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, the staff team received specialist training from Sirona’s Early Years Speech and Language Therapy Team, helping them understand how core boards can be used throughout the day to support communication for all children.
Ilminster Avenue was inspired to take this step after one of the team piloted core boards at the end of 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 giving children 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 Avenue. They may be seen in use during play, snack time, story sessions, outdoor learning, group activities and conversations throughout the nursery day. Ilminster Avenue is 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.