Language and Communication Workshop

Language and Communication Parent Workshop

Introduction Language and Communication is an essential area of development. It underpins everything the children do - Maths, Reading, writing, creative, social skills.

It will help with life -long learning and relationships.

We use all opportunities to increase the children’s vocabulary, new experiences for language development and conversation.

Statistics Children who struggle to talk and understand words are: • • • • •

Six times more likely to fail English tests at age 11.

Eleven times less likely to pass Maths.

Twice as likely to have a mental health problem.

Twice as likely to be unemployed as an adult.

If children have early language skills, this will support children’s emotional regulation.

Environment

• Language rich environment – cosy corners, reading corners, role play, creative areas.

• We use all areas of the classroom to enhance language opportunities – bricks with pictures of children and staff, photos of children’s families in a box – promotes conversation.

• Using topics to extend children’s language and welcome outside visitors linked to the topic.

• Range of speaking and listening activities for the children – adult led and child led.

Relationships

• Active listening – look at the child, eye contact - make sure you respond to what they say.

• Engage in high quality interactions with the children – SHREC approach • (Share attention, Respond, Expand, Conversations).

• Show attention to what they are interested in.

Help at School

Wellcomm screening and support with The Big Book of Ideas and 3 – 4 year-olds will have Early Talk Boost intervention, if needed. Referral to speech and Language if more support needed.

Help at Home

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Nursery rhymes and sing songs Read books Play and chat – encourage two-way dialogue and follow their lead Nature walks and talk Get down to their level – face to face interactions Pause and give thinking time

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Narrate your day and what you are doing Looking in the mirror to help with shape of mouth – “fff” Modelling language Match plus 1 – If child says ‘car’, adult says ‘blue car’. If child says ‘blue car’, adult says ‘fast blue car’ (Increase vocabulary) Serve and return (child talks and you respond to what they say and engage with what they are talking about) - helps to build and strengthen neural connections in the child's brain. This refers to babies and young children pre language skills.

Eye contact Repeat new words frequently Offer choices to encourage them to say words rather than pointing - ‘apple or pear’