(Promoting Language DevelopmentToddler Talk)

(Our thoughts on what you can do to build toddler’s language development within your setting)

www.thechildmindingcafe.co.uk

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Donna Foster © The Childminding Café, 2016

1. Introduction to this eBook

Welcome, this is an additional eBook that we are publishing on the 7 areas of learning & development. Over the series we have looked at each of the seven areas in turn.

According to research, in some areas of the UK, at least half of the children who are due to transition to school don't have the communication skills required to learn, make friends and succeed.

We know that toddlers need support to learn to talk. If they are provided with a stimulating environment for them to learn with trusted adult's they are more likely to succeed.

We know that progress in communication is vital in supporting children’s educational, social and emotional development. Developing a sound foundation of language and communication skills is key during their early years.

Behaviour can be affected later in school and in life dependant on their skills learnt. Play has a huge effect when children learn; we recognise talking does not always come naturally to children.

For children whose home language is not English, it would be useful for someone who naturally speaks the same language to give the child support if possible. If this is not possible it is recommended that you speak in English and encourage parents to talk in the language they would naturally use at home. This way children will have a good basis for learning English when they are ready to do so.

1. How can we promote language development with toddlers within our setting?

1. Talk to them regularly throughout the day, every day

· Listen to themselves

· Show an interest in what they are saying – this is how they learn about communication and how they communicate themselves

· Give them time and space to process sounds and to learn what they mean

· Link to objects, actions and feelings – this is how they learn the names of things and how they can start using words themselves

In time these words build into sentences, mini conversations – meaning they can get the best from their learning environments.

1. Learning to talk relies on developing skills in these key areas:

Attention and Listening – Listening to sounds and words

It is vital that children are able to pay attention and listen by the time they transition to pre-school. Children need to develop an awareness of the everyday sounds around them before sounds in words can be fully understood.

Understanding the meaning of words relies on being able to recognise voice, speech sounds and early words.

Understanding what is said

In order for children to understand what is being said it is essential for children to make sense of the world around them. Having the ability to follow simple instructions will help toddlers know what is happening around them at home and within early years settings, as well as playing and learning. Most children should be able to follow instructions consisting of two important words by the age of 18 months.

Building bigger sentences

One of the biggest steps a toddler will make is being able to put words together, improving their ability to communicate. This helps children to be meore effectively understood and to successfully communicate their needs and wants.

Talking Socially

Key people in a child's environment and any events that happen around them help them learn their own language. Adults who understand how to develop children's communication and set up interactions between children will have a positive outcome when they help them learn how to take turns to speak, listen and make eye contact with others.

3. A sample table for childminders to useSkillWeek 1Outside

Week 2Me and my friendsWeek 3Body Parts

Attention and listening

* Listen and identify environmental sounds

* Stepping stones

* One to three games

* Action games

* Listening to stories

* Listening for a person

* Stop and go games

* Action Ryhmes

* Simon says

* Dance top music and stop when music stops

Understanding what is said

* Water Play

* Sand Play

* Theme books with outside world

* Tea parties

* Shopping games

* Fishing Games

* Colouring a body to instruction

* Following Instructions and actions

* Teddy/Doll Play

Learning and using new words

* Playing outside on equipment

* Teddy Bears Picnic

* Blowing bubbles

* Friend's Names

* Playing Shop

*Playing with telephone

* Doll/Teddy Play

* Labelling body parts through drawing, and looking at pictures

* Emphasising verbs and linking with body parts

Building Sentences

* Playing outside on equipment

* Painting pictures of themselves and think about features

* Describing friends and their own actions

* Combining friends names and their actions

Talking Socially

* Ball rolling

* Bubbles

Taking turns to play on outside equipment

* Building towers

* Puppets

* Jigsaws of people

* Bubbles

SkillWeek 4Animals

Week 5FoodWeek 6Clothes

Attention and listening

* Listen and identify animal noises

* Animal nursery ryhmes

* Making animal noises

* Food station games

* Listening to noises in the kitchen

* Pat a cake Pat a cake

* Changing places by clothing item and colour

* Dressing up games

Understanding what is said

* Colouring animals to instructions

* Books with the theme of animals

* Who has ? -children holding different animals

* Making cakes and biscuits

* Playdough

* Doll/teddy – following instructions

* Books with a food theme

* Colouring clothes to instruction

* Dressing up games

* Dressing Teddy/Doll to instructions

Books to talk about clothes on people

Learning and using new words

* Soring animals

* Naming animals

* Labelling actions eating and drinking

* Shopping game

Making requests for food items

* Sorting clothes

* Identifying colours of clothes

* Naming clothes

Building Sentences

* Painting/colouring

* Looking at books and pictures, identify animal and action.

* Talk about colours of animals

* Combining size and food

* Combining name and actions

* Combining Colour and food

* Combining colour and clothing items

* Combining object and colour

Talking Socially

* Finding your friend – children can wear animal masks

Taking turns to play on outside equipment

* Taking turns to mix cake

* Giving out food at meal times

* Takng turns to make requests

* Find your friend – children with the same name

* Posting boxes – taking turns to post pictures of clothes

4. Activities to build toddler's language development

Activities 1 & 2 - Attention and Listening – Listening to sounds and words

1. Jack-in-the-box

· One, two, three, jump

Activities 3 & 4 – Understanding what is said –

1. Let's go shopping

· Fishing games

Activities 5 & 6 – Learning and using new words -

1. Playing with cars & car mat

· Things that go together

Activities 7 & 8 - Building sentences -

1. Painting

· What's in the bag

Activities 9 & 10 – Talking Socially – eye contact

1. Noisy play

· Taking turns

A 1: Jack-in-the-boxWhat you need:

1. A large sturdy box or washing basket – ensure your toddler will not tip out when they get into the basket/box

· Two or three items that make a noise – such as; musical toys, alarm clock, saucepan lids, empty plastic bottles filled with rice/beans.

How to play the game:

1. Let the toddler climb into the box or basket

· Choose a sound/s that the child has to listen out for

· When the toddler hears the sounds, they have to jump up like a jack-in-the-box

· Encourage the child to wait for the sound before they jump up

· It may help if you show the child how to do this beforehand

· Start with loud sounds and move on to less noisy sounds – this encourages toddlers to develop their listening skills

A2: One, two, three, jumpWhat you need:

1. Place down sheets of paper to be Puddles

· Or play at the bottom step of the stairs

· Use a ball to throw

· Or use a tower of bricks to knock down

How to play the game:

1. Encourage the toddler to wait for the action word – e.g. “one, two, three.. JUMP!”

· Jump into hoops, puddles, or jump off steps

· Try “One, two, three... UP!” and lift the toddler up

· Throw a ball up, using “One, two, three... DOWN!” for knocking towers down or going down a slide

You can play these games indoors or outdoors and with other toys inside.

A3: Let's go shoppingWhat you need:

1. Items to go into the shop

· A bag to put the items in

· Some real or pretend money to make it more fun e.g: Monopoly money

How to play the game:

1. Place items out in the “shop” - you can use a sofa or a table

· Discuss about the items as you put them out

· Encourage the toddler to collect items as you ask for themeselves

· Praise the toddler when they find the right item

· Repeat the words e.g; “Yes, here is the toothpaste”

· Make it fun – you can use real food items such as fruit

· Start off with one item, then ask for two

· Encourage the child to collect the items in the order you ask for them. - This will help the toddler to develop their memory for words which is vital for following longer instructions

A4: Fishing GameWhat you need:

1. A washing up bowl or sink

· Fish for items

· Put different things in the bowl

· A net or you can use a sieve if not available

How to play the game:

· Ask the toddler to “fish” for various things e.g. “ can you get the ball

· If the child is ready this game can help to learn colours

· Put bricks into the water and ask for “ the blue brick”

· Try giving the toddler two items to collect in the order you have asked

· This game can be played in the bath or in a paddling pool

· You can use bath time toys such as ducks and boats

This game will help your toddler develop an understanding of the name of things

A5: Playing with cars & car matWhat you need:

1. Toy cars

· A car mat or a large piece of paper to draw a road onto

How to play the game:

1. Drive the cars around the roads on your mat or paper

· As you go past places, discuss about what is happening

· Make noises that go with the car. “ Beep beep” “Brmmm, brummm

· When the toddler uses the sounds or words in their play, repeat them back to encourage more language

· Always respond in a positive manner when the toddler attempts to communicate

· Accept their words and repeat them back in an adult way e.g. “Yes it's a car”

· Give the toddler plenty of time to respond

Remember: the toddler is developing a new skill and they need your support in order to do this

A6: Things that go togetherHow to play:

1. Encourage the child to put all the cars in one box and all other toys in the correct boxes – This supports word learning

· When playing with the tea set – ask the toddler to find the items that you can eat.

· Help them put items together that they need to eat with e.g. knife and fork

· Play a game with the toddler so that they can learn where items belong – ensure they put them in the tight place/room e.g. Bedroom – toys, Saucepan – Kitchen

· Discuss with the toddler about the items as you put them back e.g. Toothbrush is for “Brushing your teeth”

It is important for the toddler to learn how items can be grouped. This encourages both word learning and language development.

A7: PaintingWhat you need:

1. Paint / Brushes

· Paper

· Aprons

How to play the game:

1. Talk to the toddler about what they are doing and thinking

· Talk to them about why they wear an apron

· Discuss what items they are using e.g. Paintbrushes – how they feel?

· Talk about the colours they choose

· What sort of patterns are they making e.g. Big circles, blue lines

A8: What’s in the Bag?

What you need:

1. A bag

· Different familiar objects to go into the bag

How to play the game:

1. Take turns to pull something out of the bag

· Ask what’s in the bag

· Name the items and describe them e.g: it is a toy

· Acknowledge what the toddler is saying, if it is difficult to understand repeat the word back to them “ yes it’s a toy”

With a more talkative toddler you can encourage them to guess what is in the bag and describe what they see.

A9: Noisy Play?

What you need to play:

1. Any item or toy such as saucepans, plastic plates, spoons, cardboard boxes and musical instruments

How to play the game:

· Only play this game if children are not sensitive to loud noise

· Hold the item that is going to make the noise

· Make lots of noise then stop

· Wait for the child to make eye contact before you repeat the sound

· When you get eye contact, make the noise

· When they stop looking at you, repeat the noise

You can play this game a different way:

1. Try playing this as Peek-a-boo

· Or a tickling game

· Hide behind furniture

· A10: Taking turns

How to play the game:

· Encourage conversations with one person speaking

· Encourage another person to listen

· Alternate the toddlers speaking and listening

· Blowing bubbles – take turns to blow or pop the bubbles ( encourage eye contact with you before you blow the bubbles for them to pop)

· Building – Take turns to build the bricks into a tower. Use words to encourage turn taking such as: “My turn” “Your Turn”

· See how big the tower can build before it falls down

· Rolling – take turns to roll the items along the floor to each other.

· Use a toy car or a ball

Any game can involve taking turns which can help toddlers develop important skills.

1. Make the most of your time with toddlers together

1. Have quiet time – Turn off your TV and radios or music.

· Shut the doors to block any background noises

· Children need a quiet environment to focus on the sounds they hear

· Be face to face – Always be at the same level as the toddler

· Sit or crouch down opposite them as they play

· Or bring them up to your level by sitting them on your lap

· The child can see your expressions

· You can follow their responses and reactions to games

· Don’t rush – Always have plenty of time to play the games

· Toddlers tend to take longer than adults to process what they hear

· Give them plenty of time to respond to you

· Be patient – Toddlers lose interest in activities

· Don’t try to get their attention if they lose interest

· Repeat the activity another time when they are focused

· Be prepared for anything – To help maintain attention on activities always follow the child’s lead and adapt some of the activities to fit in with what is already being done.

· If a toddler has a soother / dummy – Try to encourage the use at sleep times, these may discourage a child’s attention to the activity and reduce language development

· Be Happy, have fun – Everyone can make these activities enjoyable and can be special times to have good communication

Resources available for members to support language and communication development within your setting

At the Childminding café you can find lots of useful ideas and resources to support children within your setting including:

http://www.thechildmindingcafe.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/A-practical-guide-to-Communication-language.pdf

http://www.thechildmindingcafe.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Introduction-to-the-Characteristics-of-Effective-learning1.pdf

http://www.thechildmindingcafe.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Introduction-to-the-Characteristics-of-Effective-learning1.pdf

http://www.thechildmindingcafe.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Achieving-my-potential.doc

http://www.thechildmindingcafe.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Ready-for-Pre-school-Record.docx

http://www.thechildmindingcafe.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/My-EYFS-Learning-Journey.doc

http://www.thechildmindingcafe.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/7-Areas-of-Learning-Development1.pdf

http://www.thechildmindingcafe.co.uk/cafe-resources/2014-revised-eyfs/17-early-learning-goals/

Where to find out more information

If you have access to a computer at work or at home, there are some excellent websites with lots of information for you to research and understand much more about children’s language and communication. A list is available below for you to read at your own convenience.

www.talkingpoint.org.uk

www.ican.org.uk

www.talkyourbaby.co.uk

www.stokespeakout.org

www.afasic.org.uk

www.wordsforlife.org.uk

Thank you for reading this eBook

You can download this publication from:

www.thechildmindingcafe.co.uk

Donna Foster © The Childminding Café

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First published September 2016.

You can download this publication from:

www.thechildmindingcafe.co.uk