The development of children’s spoken language underpins all seven areas of learning and development. Children’s back-and-forth interactions from an early age form the foundations for language and cognitive development. The number and quality of the conversations they have with adults and peers throughout the day in a language-rich environment is crucial. By commenting on what children are interested in or doing, and echoing back what they say with new vocabulary added, practitioners will build children's language effectively. Reading frequently to children, and engaging them actively in stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems, and then providing them with extensive opportunities to use and embed new words in a range of contexts, will give children the opportunity to thrive. Through conversation, story-telling and role play, where children share their ideas with support and modelling from their teacher, and sensitive questioning that invites them to elaborate, children become comfortable using a rich range of  vocabulary and language structures.

Activities at Home

• Chat, talk, speak to, whisper, sing with your child

• Sing and tell nursery rhymes (see our nursery rhymes page under 'At School')

• Talk with your child at every opportunity

• Play games with your child-listening walk, memory game, listening game

• Sing action songs and rhymes