ABSTRACT
This chapter considers why close working between early years practitioners and the parents and careers of young learners is vital for the identification of children’s learning needs and to ensure a quick response to any area of particular difficulty. It explores how learning can be extended in the home, as well as how the dialogue between practitioners and parents and careers should be taken into account during assessment and how all assessments should be shared with home. The chapter focuses on both the 'Positive relationships' themes of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the document Building Partnerships between Parents and Practitioners published by Aistear in the Republic of Ireland. This document forms a part of the curriculum framework from birth to six in the Republic of Ireland. In 1975 the English government at the time set up an independent committee to explore the teaching of language in an increasingly multicultural and multilingual educational environment.
