Emotional Literacy Support
At Hungerford Nursery School, we are committed to supporting children's emotional development as well as their academic development. Being emotionally literate, helps children to be able to focus better on their learning. Emotional Literacy is the ability to understand and cope with our own feelings and emotions and those of others, developing high self-esteem and supporting positive interactions with others.
From time to time, some children need more support than others. We offer additional support through our ELSA. ELSA stands for Emotional Literacy Support Assistant.
Our ELSA is Jess Millam who is based in Starfish class.
What is an ELSA?
ELSAs are Emotional Literacy Support Assistants. They are a specialist teaching assistant with a wealth of experience of working with children. ELSAs are trained and regularly supervised by Educational Psychologists.
How does an ELSA work in a nursery school?
In Early Years Settings, ELSA support focusses on foundational emotional development through play based, short and highly visual activities.
Their work often includes:
- Helping children understand emotions (happy, sad, angry, worried)
- Supporting children who struggle with separation from parents
- Building confidence and self esteem
- Teaching sharing, turn taking and friendship skills
- Helping children manage frustrations
- Providing a calm space for children who feel overwhelmed
How is support delivered?
Children are usually referred for ELSA by their class teacher or SENCo. For more information about the referral process, please see the attachment below.
ELSA support is usually:
- Short one to one sessions with a child
- Small group activities (stories, games, role play)
- Play based emotional learning
Activities might include:
- Emotion cards or puppets
- Stories and storytelling
- Drawing or play to express emotions
Sessions are tailored to children's needs and stage of development and are usually held weekly for between 6-8 weeks.