How Share works

Share uses a practical, 'hands-on' approach to involving parents in their children's learning. It is offered to early years settings, infant, junior, primary, secondary schools and other community settings. Share can only be delivered by a trained Share facilitator.

Involving the parents

To support their children's learning, parents and carers will work with their children at home using a range of exciting Share materials. The materials are structured to complement the classroom teaching of Foundation Stage, KS1, KS2 and KS3 English and Maths and are linked to the Literacy and Numeracy Frameworks. The emphasis is on the shared learning experience rather than on specific tasks, such as spelling.

Central to the programme is the introduction of an accreditation system developed through the Open College Network. This means that parents can gain accreditation for the work they put into supporting their child's learning. For example, they may be accredited for designing a game to play on a theme set in one of the Share books, or for the completion of a certain number of units. Other projects have found that a structured programme with clear commitments is more manageable than a broad open-ended approach.

The role of the facilitator

Facilitators play a vital role in supporting families participating in Share. You will be trained in using the materials and introducing them to parents. The support you offer parents could take the form of running initial meetings, structured group sessions or a self-supporting parents group.

Visit the Share facilitators' area to find out how to become a Share facilitator