PROMOTION
How is technology supporting early years educators with literacy?
Famly’s Julia Rose explains how their new feature, Sidekick, is revolutionising the way educators complete written work
I write for a living, so you might wonder why I’m here talking about utilising technology to support literacy in the early years. With artificial intelligence becoming more and more capable of producing written content, shouldn’t I be worried that Famly will just replace me with a computer program before I can so much as type out my CV? Well, no.
Famly’s early childhood platform can’t replace early years educators in settings, and I don’t think the robots are coming for my job any time soon, either. However, it’s important to stay curious about how technology can make our work better and more efficient.
As with tools like Grammarly and Google Docs’ spell check, early years educators using Famly can now use our new feature, Sidekick, to help aid their writing. And, with 16.4% of adults in the UK scoring at the lowest level of proficiency in literacy, it’s safe to say it’s really common to need some extra help with reading, writing, and spelling.
Introducing Sidekick
Essentially, Sidekick is a writing assistant for early years educators.
Sidekick can be used across the Famly platform in observations, messages, Newsfeed posts, and assessments to check spelling and grammar or even change the tone of your text. You can make text more professional, more polite, more observant, or more conversational – think of it as built-in support for when you’re just not sure something looks or sounds right.
And that really matters in the early years sector. With the battle to be seen as the qualified educators we are, professionalism is key. Even if you’re the Shakespeare of your setting, Sidekick is a safety net to catch those little mistakes we all make before you share a post or observation. And, if you’re short on time (aren’t we always, in the early years?) you can even add short notes in draft form and ask Sidekick to turn it into a fully-fledged post for you. A ten-minute job becomes a two-second one. Using Sidekick means educators can get their written work completed efficiently and accurately, so they can get back to actually teaching.
“Sidekick has been a game changer as it has given staff the confidence to post to parents in more detail. I have two dyslexic staff and they are overwhelmed with the new feature. It has given them the chance to celebrate their professionalism without the worry of spelling and grammar mistakes.”
Famly customer Jennie McMahon, Manager, Limes Court Nursery School
A confidence-boosting time saver
While there is certainly no shame in asking for help and support, many adults feel that way when struggling with literacy; having to rely on a peer or manager to correct written work can feel stressful or embarrassing for early years educators. With Sidekick, educators can review and correct their writing independently and in-the-moment, meaning they don’t have to wait for someone else to check their work – saving much needed time for other tasks and effectively reducing workload.
After all, isn’t relieving stress and celebrating the professionalism of the early years workforce something that we can all get behind?
Alliance members get 50% off Famly software!
The Early Years Alliance is proud to work in partnership with leading early years software provider Famly to give our members an exclusive 50% off for the first six months of Famly’s Premium or Professionals packages.
Famly is an all-in-one software that significantly reduces workloads and improves daily routines in early years settings.
With Famly, you can send instant messages, pictures and updates to parents, manage staff, create and send invoices, compile and update learning journals, manage finances and admin, and much more!
Find out more and sign up for a free demo using the link in the Members’ Area:
portal.eyalliance.org.uk