Communication and Language
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.
Our aim is to ensure our practice gives children the best communication and language opportunities and for children to work towards achieving the early learning goals for Communication and Language.
We aim to:
- View the development of language as a fundamental and vital element in the overall development of every child.
- Develop children’s confidence in themselves as speakers.
- Have adults at hand to extend the child’s language and to be a good listener.
- Provide space and time for listening and talking in all areas of the curriculum.
- Closely liaise with parents and to share information with them. We recognise that a great deal of children’s talk refers to home experiences.
- Recognise that children whose first language is not English should have confidence and pride in using their first language whilst having opportunities to use English when appropriate.
- Monitor and record children’s spoken language and to use this information for curriculum planning.
