Next week, I am going to be launching a very special new class at Heathfield Court Care Home, in Erith. This class will have the same fun and energy that comes with every Sounds Right Phonics class, but we will also be joined each week by the residents of Heathfield Court, making it our first regular intergenerational class.
Why attend an intergenerational class? There has been a lot of research revealing that these classes bring substantial benefits to the community. For the care home residents, the classes are a valuable opportunity to interact with others, and experience life beyond the care home. Loneliness amongst the elderly is a huge problem in this country, and the classes offer the residents a chance to make meaningful connections with others.They look forward to seeing the children and the parents. Other nursing homes in the UK that run similar intergenerational classes have also reported that daily interactions between the residents themselves have become more positive, as they get used to engaging more frequently with others.The benefits are also physical. Taking part in the classes with the children encourages the residents to become more active, and overcome some of their physical limitations. The energy and joy that the children bring into the home has lasting benefits for the residents, and can even be life-changing.
Children attending will get the numerous benefits of attending a Sounds Right Phonics class, including an introduction to phonics sounds, segmenting and blending, speech and language development, and fine and gross motor skills. But the intergenerational classes offer something more for children. They allow them to see the senior members of the community in a different light, and develop a stronger sense of empathy. They benefit from speaking with the residents, and telling them stories and listening to the residents’ stories in turn. Children who attend these classes often show advanced communication skills, and a sense of maturity. One of the key aims of Sounds Right Phonics classes is to boost the confidence of preschool children, and help them use language in order to communicate, inform and entertain. An intergenerational setting provides a wonderful opportunity to achieve these aims.
I am very proud to be launching these classes, and I am really looking forward to watching the different generations come together to have fun. As the welcome song tells the children, Sounds Right Phonics are all about getting together to play, and these classes will fully embody that message.
Classes at Heathfield Court begin on Wednesday 6th November, at 11.00 am. To book a space, go to: https://soundsrightphonicsclasses.co.uk/pages/dartford-1.
Why attend an intergenerational class? There has been a lot of research revealing that these classes bring substantial benefits to the community. For the care home residents, the classes are a valuable opportunity to interact with others, and experience life beyond the care home. Loneliness amongst the elderly is a huge problem in this country, and the classes offer the residents a chance to make meaningful connections with others.They look forward to seeing the children and the parents. Other nursing homes in the UK that run similar intergenerational classes have also reported that daily interactions between the residents themselves have become more positive, as they get used to engaging more frequently with others.The benefits are also physical. Taking part in the classes with the children encourages the residents to become more active, and overcome some of their physical limitations. The energy and joy that the children bring into the home has lasting benefits for the residents, and can even be life-changing.
Children attending will get the numerous benefits of attending a Sounds Right Phonics class, including an introduction to phonics sounds, segmenting and blending, speech and language development, and fine and gross motor skills. But the intergenerational classes offer something more for children. They allow them to see the senior members of the community in a different light, and develop a stronger sense of empathy. They benefit from speaking with the residents, and telling them stories and listening to the residents’ stories in turn. Children who attend these classes often show advanced communication skills, and a sense of maturity. One of the key aims of Sounds Right Phonics classes is to boost the confidence of preschool children, and help them use language in order to communicate, inform and entertain. An intergenerational setting provides a wonderful opportunity to achieve these aims.
I am very proud to be launching these classes, and I am really looking forward to watching the different generations come together to have fun. As the welcome song tells the children, Sounds Right Phonics are all about getting together to play, and these classes will fully embody that message.
Classes at Heathfield Court begin on Wednesday 6th November, at 11.00 am. To book a space, go to: https://soundsrightphonicsclasses.co.uk/pages/dartford-1.
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