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Early Years Learning Research Project

The important influence of the home learning environment on young children has been firmly established by recent research, including the Oxford University evaluation of the Early Learning Parent Partnerships project co-ordinated by the Family and Parenting Institute and funded by DCSF.

Following on from that work, the Department of Children, Family and Schools has commissioned the Family and Parenting Institute, in partnership with the Campaign for Learning, to carry out a study to help identify which strategies are most effective in supporting parents to give their child the best start in early home learning. The study focuses on parents and providers with children aged 2, 3 and 4 taking up funded childcare places in January 2010.

Who can participate?

• Childcare providers
• Parents of children aged 2, 3 and 4 taking up funded childcare places in janurary 2010 living or working in one of the following local authorities:

Islington
Durham
Hertfordshire
Kingston-Upon-Thames
Manchester
Nottinghamshire
Sandwell
Sheffield
Solihull
Southwark

For Parents - In Brief:

• We are looking for parents of 2, 3 and 4 year olds taking up funded placements in January 2010 to participate in the project
• Participating parents will each receive a £20 high street voucher
• Participation includes one half hour telephone interview (to take place as soon as possible) followed up by another half hour telephone interview (to take place approximately 6 months after the first interview)
• Interviews will be scheduled at a time convenient to parents and at no cost to the parents
• During the interview, issues like: domestic routines, involvement, what type of things parents do with your children (i.e. learning activities – teaching nursery rhymes) will be discussed
• We will not identify any individual's views in any way when we write reports on the interviews. This means that our reports will contain nothing that could identify you.

For Parents - If you would like to take part:

• Further information on the project 
• Please complete the Consent Form 

The consent form can be returned via email to PI@familyandparenting.org  or via free post (no stamp required)to:

Childcare Providers - In Brief:

• We are looking to interview 2 staff members from childcare settings to participate in a once-off,half hour telephone interview
• Interviews will be scheduled at a time convenient to the staff members and at no cost to them.
• The managers of participating settings are requested to complete an anonymous online survey.
• During the interview staff members will talk about things like: their views on early home learning (i.e. how important do teachers think early home learning is with regards to how ready children are to start school) and things like whether they think there are barriers to engaging parents in improving home learning.
• We will not identify any individual's views in any way when we write reports on the interviews. This means that our reports will contain nothing that could identify you.

For Childcare Providers - who would like to take part:

(Childcare providers are for example: Children's centre managers/nursery staff members/child minders)

• Further information 
• Please complete the CONSENT FORM  
• Managers of childcare settings are invited to click here to complete the (use the password manager948) to complete the anonymous online survey

The consent form can be returned via email to PI@familyandparenting.org  or via free post (no stamp required)to:

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to find out
more about the project.
- Tel: 020 7424 3481 - Email: Early Years Learning  -

Thank you for taking the time to read this information!

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