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Talking about the professional people who help me

As children engage with the outside world – in play groups, or nursery or into P1 at school, they will notice that adults outwith family and friendship groups also help them learn, facilitate their play or provide care. If a child has additional support needs or health conditions, then they will perhaps experience a lot of contact with professionals. Through play and talk and reading together children can learn who these helping professionals are.

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Who helps me at nursery/school?

Before your child starts at nursery or school you will be able to visit and find out who’s who. You can talk to your child before they start, or when they make initial visits, and certainly when they attend about who is who and what they do – the office staff, kitchen/canteen staff, early years practitioners and nursery teachers. A part of talking about their day is to ask who they talked to or played with, who helped them. They will talk about adults they like, ask them why so?

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Emergency services.

Lots of children have a fascination with the ‘blue light’ services, there are lots of books to read together, you can talk about what you see when you are out and about. You can find out if your child’s nursery or school is planning to have firefighters, police, coast guard or ambulance crew to visit, or have children visit them. If they haven’t had such a visit, why not suggest it?

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Books.

You might like to read these books together. Your library or nursery might have them, or you can ask a library if they will order a book for you.

Clive and his friends explore the many things a nurse does in a day.

Clive and his friends explore the many things a teacher does in a day.

Topsy and Tim find themselves learning the importance of safety when their class is visited by two police officers. The book addresses safe places for children to play, and warning signs to look for that may indicate a dangerous situation.

The twins learn about the work of an ambulance crew – the story helps children understand if family or friends need immediate help from this emergency service.

Tim has fallen out of a tree and bumped his head. He is nervous about going to hospital, but he soon finds out how nice the Doctors and Nurses are, and there are lots of other children on the ward to play with too.

The fire alarm sounds. The firefighter responds. He jumps in the fire truck and races to a daring rescue.