Module 1: Inclusive Playgroups Step 1 of 12 8% In this module you will learn about … How to create welcoming, safe (inclusive) spaces for your parents and childrenYou will learn: what inclusion means at playgroups ways to support everyone involved to feel included and valued, and the benefits of diversity for playgroup organisers and playgroup families. Activities in this module include reading, reflective questions, multiple choice questions and a final multiple choice quiz. Once you have completed the quiz, entered your email and submitted your answers, you will receive a copy of the quiz, as will a designated staff member of Playgroup Tasmania. We estimate it will take you the following amount of time to complete this module and its activities on your own. You can save your progress and come back to it later. Just click the 'Save' button at the bottom of the page when you need to take a break. Module reading and activities: 45 minutes. Optional reading: 15 minutes. Final quiz: 5 minutes. Total time: 50-70 minutes. If you have any questions or would like a hard copy version of the site content, please contact Playgroup Tasmania. You will find tips on how to use this site in our FAQs. What is inclusion? Inclusion is a universal human right. Its aim is to embrace all people irrespective of race, gender, ability, religion, medical or other need. It is about giving equal access and opportunities and removing the barriers of discrimination and intolerance. Inclusion at playgroup recognises that all children and families benefit from play and that playgroups benefit from the different backgrounds and abilities of the children and families taking part. Why create inclusive spaces? Whatever their cultural, physical, religious and social differences, playgroup families all have one core thing in common: The care of young children. By their very nature, playgroups bring all kinds of people together including children and their parents and other caregivers from different genders, age groups, abilities, life experiences, cultures, and family and household set-ups. This diversity creates opportunities for a very wide range of possible playgroups, from playgroups that are designed according to the age of the child, culture, friendship groups, educational philosophy or people from a particular location. Reflective question Imagine you have just arrived at playgroup for the first time. You may remember this time in your life or draw on experiences of others you have seen through your connection with playgroups. You and the children in your care are greeted at the door and the program for the session is explained to you. You can see children playing with toys and working on arts and crafts. Several adults are gathered around a table talking and drinking cups of tea. The person who welcomed you tells you to go inside and introduce yourself.Reflect for a few moments and consider how you would feel walking into playgroup for the first time. What would you be worried about? What would you want to know to help make you relax?Next: Why and how you can include everyone. Welcoming and including everyone Whether yours is a community or organisational playgroup, it is crucial that you are clear about the types of families and children in your local area. This helps you focus on the types of welcome and activities your playgroup will provide. Who gets to decide what focus your playgroup will have? Community playgroups should decide among the families that take part. Organisational playgroups are likely guided by funding agreements so may have specific families they want to reach. Being clear about who your playgroup is aimed at: helps promote your playgroup effectively, and allows families to select playgroups that fits with their situation and interests. A mismatch between family expectations and playgroup expectations is the most common point of conflict between playgroups and families. Definitions Community playgroups are started and managed by the parents and carers who attend them. There are lots of proven benefits to community playgroups: They fill gaps in communities by providing social and peer support They connect parents and caregivers with each other They foster a sense of place, especially for families new to the community, and They develop the skills, knowledge and networks of those involved. Organisational playgroups are supported by a paid organiser and focused on supporting families with particular needs or vulnerabilities. They offer opportunities for parents to meet, make connections and share their experiences, as well as for children to play, learn and socialise. These playgroups often target families who may be: Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD), including migrant and humanitarian entrant families Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Young parent families Socially isolated Living on low incomes Experiencing mental health issues Living with a disability (either the parent/caregiver or child). Multiple choice question A welcoming and inclusive playgroup helps (select as many answers as apply): A) Keep the right people together B) Separate different people C) Recognise the abilities of all children and families D) Helps all people feel like they belong E) Works to make sure everyone is involved at playgroup Want to know which answers are correct? Yes No Answers C, D and E are correct.Regardless of the type of playgroup, making everyone feel welcome and included is an important part of ensuring that playgroups remain vibrant, relevant and sustainable. Next: Different kinds of families that come to playgroups and their different needs. Reflective question Why you think families go to playgroup? Maybe you said Families generally come to playgroup for the same core reasons: to meet and interact with others, and to give their children opportunities to play and socialise with other children. Focusing on what everyone at playgroup has in common, like our reasons for coming, helps create a respectful and inclusive space for play and social interaction. Inclusion is about welcoming everyone into the common space of playgroup while also having empathy and understanding for the differences playgroup families and children may have. Inclusion encourages empathy and understanding which benefits everyone. Inclusive practices are the things we do at playgroup to support children’s emotional and social development and encourage awareness of individual differences and appreciation of diversity within our communities. A little thought and planning around how you can bring inclusive practices to your playgroup helps all families feel welcome and included regardless of their differences or personal circumstances. Some of the common differences among playgroup families may include: Different cultures and language groups Children or adults with disabilities Children or adults with developmental differences LGBTQIA + families Reflective questions What are other differences you’ve seen among families in your community?What are some things that might make these families feel welcome or unwelcome at playgroup?Every community is different, and every playgroup reflects these differences. Next: How to make your playgroup welcoming for all families in your community. Welcoming new families to your playgroup Lots of families find starting any new group makes them feel nervous or overwhelmed. Starting playgroup is no different. So, it can make a huge different to a family if their first experiences at playgroup is a positive one. When families feel welcome and included, they are more likely to come back and to participate more fully in the playgroup. Some general things that can make a big difference to families joining your playgroup for the first time include: Be welcoming, warm and most importantly, respond when a family contacts you about joining your playgroup. Even an automatic message on your email or Facebook page will help people feel like you want to see them join in. Wherever possible, respond within a day or two and provide a link (to social media or a web site) for more information about your playgroup. Have a clear sign out the front to help new families find the playgroup easily. Warmly welcome all new families individually. Choose a ‘welcomer’ whose responsibility is to specifically welcome new families. This person could arrange name tags and give a guided tour and explain the routines. Greet both the adult and the child. Introduce the new family to other families. Offer each carer a coffee and take time to chat. Be friendly – families are more likely to return if they feel someone took an interest in them and their child. Ask about the child’s interests At the end of the session: Farewell new families with “see you next week!”. Follow up with a phone call or text message and ask how they found playgroup. Remain welcoming: Welcome them and their child by name in the following weeks. Involve them in activities and in rosters. Be watchful for those who may feel left out at playgroup. If a new family does not return, consider making a brief phone call or sending a text to check in with them. It may be all the encouragement they need to give it a second try. Meeting other families and sharing the fun and stress of parenting with them are some of the most important benefits of playgroups for parents and carers. Playgroups are a chance to share information, exchange ideas, contribute knowledge and skills and support each other. Families are more likely to offer and look for peer support when they feel welcome and included at playgroup. Your playgroup can encourage this in lots of ways including: asking for input and feedback from families asking for help with tasks that draw on the different knowledge, skills and experience of families communicating information about playgroup management issues, policies, procedures and decisions to families celebrating the ups, downs, ins and outs of parenting and families together. Next: Common differences among playgroup families. Welcoming families from different cultures and language groups Tasmania is made up of people from all over the world with different cultural backgrounds and languages. Playgroup Tasmania also acknowledges the palawa people and the special place they have as traditional owners of lutruwita. There are lots of ways in which playgroups can recognise and value the diversity of families across communities and the state including the following suggestions: Display a poster that says welcome or hello in different languages or displays different flags including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait flags. Check the spelling and pronunciation of people’s names so everyone can write and say them correctly. Make sure families from different cultures are represented in photos or drawings included on flyers and promotional material. Include activities that allow families to share information and other things such as, play and craft ideas, recipes, songs and stories from their culture or language. Ask families about different cultural practices and festivals. Include toys, books and other resources that reflect diverse cultures, languages and groups. Offer to assist families with emerging English skills to complete sign-in sheets. Many cultures do not have playgroups or anything similar, so make sure families know what is expected of them and their child. Some people will have very strong accents making it difficult to understand them. Don’t be afraid to ask them to speak slower or repeat themselves. This is always better than just pretending to understand. Sometimes we talk fast and use slang. Be mindful that we might need to slow down when families with emerging English attend our groups (remember simply speaking loudly doesn’t help!). Reflective question What are two ways your playgroup could be more welcoming to families from different cultures and language groups? These can be from the list above or ideas you have and want to try.Test your ideas out on other members of your playgroup and decide which ones you can try right away. Next: Welcoming children or adults with disabilities. Welcoming children or adults with disabilities People with disabilities have similar needs to everyone else in the community: To enjoy play and social interaction with others. But each person’s experience of having a disability and the way that impacts on them and their families will be different. Thinking about ways your playgroup can include and support families with a disability will help them feel respected and valued. Things you can do include: Talk privately with families about things that might make it easier for them to participate in and contribute to the playgroup including any special toys or equipment Think about access to the building and the layout of playgroup areas. Consider changes that may be required to make it easier for people with disabilities to participate in the play and social environments. You may need to contact the venue owner to ask about changes that are required to improve physical access. Be open to changing routines or processes to allow everyone, including people with disabilities to participate as fully as possible. Include toys, books and other resources that reflect physical differences. Include a variety of images of families, including those with disabilities, in your playgroup’s promotional materials. Don’t assume Do consider People with disability should be pitied and treated differently. Everyone deserves to be valued regardless of ability. People with disability who do everyday things, like getting married or having children, are extraordinary. People with disability can do many things including everyday tasks such as paying bills, going to work and raising families. People with disability are asexual. People with disability have relationships just like everyone else. Community people with disability are superheroes. They are high achievers, who happen to have a disability. People who don’t speak can’t communicate. There are ways to communicate that don’t use words FURTHER READING – Talking about disability with children Next: Welcoming children with developmental differences. Welcoming children with developmental differences There are five key areas of child development defined for pre-school children. These are: gross motor skills, for example crawling, jumping or running fine motor skills, such as writing and drawing speech and language cognitive and intellectual, such as counting or identifying shapes, and social and emotional skills, such as playing with other children. All children develop in these areas at different rates and in different ways and play is an important contributor to development in babies and pre-school children. Developmental delays and behavioural concerns may be linked to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or ASD like characteristics. When children display developmental differences, attending playgroup has many benefits: Social supports for the whole family; parents can share experiences and support each other, and children can develop new skills across the development areas It can connect families, parents and children to resources available in their community, and Playgroup Tasmania offers specialised playgroups and playgroup leader training to ensure families can benefit from play-based learning opportunities for children with developmental differences. If you identify developmental differences, it is important to communicate about this with the child’s family remembering that the playgroup leader’s role is to provide support to the family. Agreed processes for support need to be discussed with the family concerned and possibly with other playgroup volunteers and families to provide the best opportunity for these families and children to continue to have positive experiences at playgroup. Reflective question What developmental differences have you identified at playgroups? How did you identify these differences? Next: Things you can do to support children and adults with developmental differences at your playgroup. Small things make a big difference There are lots of small things we can do to have playgroups run as smoothly as possible for children with developmental differences. Some ways to do this are: Have a predictable routine for your playgroup sessions Keep any instructions short and simple. Simple language is easier for children to understand what is expected of them, and in what order. Structure your instructions using “First. Then.”. For example, say: “first wash hands, then eat snack” Announce to families and children when an activity is about to end If it is very difficult for a child to finish an activity, or finish their turn with something, use a timer to show when an activity is about to end. Keep the playgroup space organised and much the same every week. Label items / containers with words and pictures. Keep play areas well defined. This helps children know where and what they can play with. It is less overwhelming when different play areas are well defined and a little separate from each other. Make sure there is enough space in between areas and furniture for people to move, especially those using prams, wheelchairs, walkers. Reduce visual distractions around the room, if possible. Some people with sensory processing differences find a lot of visual information overwhelming and this can cause anxiety. You can do this by covering or removing extra posters and clutter. Reduce background noise if possible. A lot of noise can be overwhelming and cause anxiety for some people with sensory processing difficulties. Be aware of lighting. Avoid overly bright lights and flickering lights. Lights like this can be unsettling for some people with sensory processing difficulties. Post clear signage with visual aids to show where toilets are located. Post visual aids in the bathroom showing the steps involved in going to the toilet and washing hands. This can help children complete this task more independently. Remember: Children’s needs may be different on different days so nothing will work all the time. The best preparation is to have lots of things to try and always be looking for new ones. Providing a quiet area where a child who is feeling anxious or overwhelmed can spend time and have a break can help prevent upset and meltdowns. Some ideas for quiet areas at your playgroup: Set up a tent or tepee Identify a corner or space that tends to be less noisy during playgroup. Consider placing some fabric or a piece of furniture to partially close off the area. Include cushions or a blanket. Consider having some simple calming toys in the quiet area, such as stress balls, small puzzles, glitter wands or a vibrating toy. Reflective question What are three things you can do at playgroup to minimise feelings of overwhelm or anxiety in children? Answer Any actions that minimise noise, chaos or changing of routines may help. Most important is to communicate and check in with families and children before, during or after playgroup to check if their needs are being met. FURTHER READING – Free play ideas FURTHER READING – Visual supports Next: Welcoming LGBTIQA+ families and children. Welcoming LGBTQIA + families This training has been designed in partnership with Working It Out, Tasmania's sexuality, gender and intersex status support and education service. We hope that you can use this information at playgroup and in your everyday life to increase understanding and support for our diverse community. As a playgroup leader or volunteer you are connecting with all types of families. By working to make our spaces inclusive, all families will feel welcome and included and be able to enjoy the benefits of playgroup. There are small and simple steps we can all take to make our playgroups inclusive of all families. You may meet parents and caregivers at playgroup who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. You may also meet children who are trans. Gender identity is present very early in a child’s life. To make sure your playgroup is welcoming for everyone: Review the language you use in signage and when giving instructions. Is it inclusive of people of all types of families? For example, when celebrating occasions like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day be sure to consider ways to make sure all kinds of families are included. Or consider holding a ‘special person’ day that includes everyone. Think about how you can support families without mothers or fathers feel welcome on those days. Do you have books and posters that represent the diversity of families? Do you have gender neutral toys that encourage all children to play? Do you know where to find resources and connect people with support, if someone wants to find out more about supporting their child who is gender questioning? There is significant difference within LGBTQIA+ communities. Understanding LGBTQIA+ terminology and using language that is inclusive demonstrates respect and recognition for how people describe their own genders, bodies and relationships. Inclusive language also makes people feel welcome in organisations including schools, workplaces and services. It is worth noting that considerable debate around language and terminology can exist within and outside LGBTQIA+ communities. FURTHER READING – What do the letters LGBTQIA+ mean? Next: Module 1 Final Quiz. Inclusion module Final quiz This quiz has 10 questions. The questions are a mix of true or false and multiple choice questions. We estimate it will take you around 15 minutes to finish it but there is no time limit. You can complete the quiz as many times as you like. When you successfully complete the quiz, you will have finished the Ready to Play Inclusive Playgroups Module. 1) What does ‘inclusion’ look like at playgroup? A) Families at playgroup reflect the types of people and children you see in your local community. B) Families from diverse cultural, linguistic and social backgrounds playing and socialising. C) Families learning about people who aren’t exactly like them. Select All2) Inclusion is a universal human right. What does this mean? A) All people are equal irrespective of race, gender, disability, medical or other need. B) Some people are considered better than others. C) We do not need to think about people who aren’t the same as us. Select All3) What is the difference between a community playgroup and an organisational playgroup? A) Community playgroups are run by paid staff. Organisational playgroups are run by volunteers. B) Community playgroups are not organised. C) Organisational playgroups may focus on specific family groups. D) Organisational playgroups cost money to attend. Select All4) Your playgroup can make families from different linguistic and cultural groups feel welcome by: A) Saying hello and chatting for a few minutes to learn about them and their children. B) Displaying flags from different cultural groups. C) Including activities that allow families to share stories or activities from their culture or language. D) Displaying pictures and having books that represent people from different backgrounds. Select All5) Families come to playgroup to: A) Access free childcare. B) Give children opportunities to play and socialise with other children. C) Compare themselves to other parents. D) Meet and interact with other families. Select All6) Children or adults with disabilities are people like anyone else. Which of the following statements are true when describing people with disabilities in our communities? A) People with disabilities are superheroes. B) People with disabilities are people like everyone else. C) People with disabilities have relationships like anyone else. D) People who don’t speak, can’t communicate at all. Select All7) Which of the following statements is/are true? A) Reducing noise and visual stimulation can be helpful to children with developmental differences. B) Having a quiet space set up at playgroup can support children to lower their anxiety and avoid being overwhelmed. C) Toys that make lots of noise are the best ones to use at playgroup. D) It’s important to put toys back in a different place after each playgroup session. Select All8) Inclusive toys and books are … A) Specifically made for boys or for girls. B) Gender neutral. C) Made by specialist toy brands. Select All9) Families who are coming to playgroup for the first time may feel … A) Nervous and shy. B) Worried that they are not doing parenting ‘right’. C) Excited to meet other adults and children. D) Curious about how other families parent. Select All10) Is the following statement true or false?"Welcoming all different families to playgroup benefits everyone". Yes No By clicking ‘Next’ you will be able submit your quiz answers to Playgroup Tasmania and email a copy of the quiz to yourself. You can check how you did using the answer sheet. Congratulations! Thank you for taking the time to learn more about making your playgroup inclusive for everyone. If you want to find out more about any of the subjects covered in this module, please visit the Resources page or contact Playgroup Tasmania.Please provide your email and we'll send you a copy of your work on the module.(Required)
