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Let’s Count is free and more accessible
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Freya Lucas
Jul 02, 2024
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The Smith Family’s popular Let’s Count program has recently undergone a review to ensure the program is meeting not only the needs of the children it benefits, but also the educators delivering the program.
Let’s Count is an evidence based, professional learning program for educators and other early years professionals - designed to encourage children to Notice, Explore, and Talk About Maths in Everyday Life.The program encourages educators to partner with families to build their children’s math literacy through what they already know and experiences in everyday life.
In the past the Let’s Count program has been available as two days of face-to-face workshops split by an interval of 4-6 weeks to allow the participants to put the program into practice within their settings.
Despite the program being offered free of charge, and being well received by participants, educators have found it difficult to take two days away from their busy services.
Feedback we received from services further highlighted the pressures of needing to find cover staffing for their teams to attend professional development.
As part of the Let’s Count review The Smith Family investigated alternative delivery formats including a hybrid version where participants attend just the one face to face workshop to begin with, before an interval of 4-6 weeks to allow them to put their learnings into practice, and conclude the program by attending a 3 hour online interactive session.
This format, whilst still being robust in the delivery of the program pedagogy and materials, improves the proposition for services because it only requires them to release staff for one day, with the opportunity to attend the online interactive session at the centre or even in their own time.
Initial results of this format have been positive and will also afford The Smith Family greater scope to extend the program into the community.
Would you like to learn more about Let’s Count and how it can improve outcomes for the children in your service? To register your interest please email letscountprogram@thesmithfamily.com.au
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