Aims

• to assist Early Years teachers, parents and playgroup leaders in appreciating and promoting children’s personal, social and emotional development

• to provide information about and support for using the Sarah and the Whammi video drama

• to strengthen home–school relationships and reinforce learning at home

Objectives

• demonstrate practical ways of using the video series in the classroom and at home

• appreciate the complementary thinking of the producer and authors of the drama, and the authors of the accompanying Teacher’s Guide and Story Book

Aims

• to help adults reflect on and review their values, attitudes and behaviour towards children

• to encourage the development of adults’ empathy with children

• to enable parents to communicate through stories

Objectives

• gaining insights into children’s emotions

• dealing more effectively with children’s feelings

The Sarah and the Whammi series demonstrates how easy it is for children to move from reality to a fantasy world and to learn from this experience. Children are born knowing how to put every thought and feeling into story form. We need to listen to their stories and pay attention to the drama enacted in their everyday lives. Then we can use this knowledge to encourage them to continue to use this process as a coping strategy for life. We can also create stories for them that enable them to solve their own problems.

The 4Learning television drama series – part fantasy, part reality – focuses on the personal, social and emotional development of a six-year-old girl, in the home, at school and on the street. It addresses issues of universal concern for parents, teachers and Early Years carers – family relationships, personal and group identity, self-esteem, conflict resolution, cooperation, respect for others and diverse cultural traditions – with particular emphasis on empathy. The child’s search for identity and belonging offers a powerful resource for both learning and teaching.