Communication and language development

Use the checklist below of what to consider in the environment:

• How easily is it for the child to see you and other children when speaking and when listening?
• Do you have few visual distractions near areas where you are trying to focus on speaking and listening skills.
• What is the lighting like? Have you considered sunlight from windows and how it moves around the room? This will have an impact on how easy it is for children to see your face.
• Which is the noisiest and quietest areas of your setting or times of day that are noisier or quieter than others? What can you do about these?
• How easy is it for the child to get your attention?
• Does the child need to ask you for specific resources?
• Is the child able to tell you when something isn't working? For example, a piece missing from a jigsaw.
• What visual reminders do you have at the child's eye level about good speaking and listening skills?
• Is there constant noise in the setting that could be turned off? for example, TV, radio, music.

Do you:

• Say the child's name to get their attention.
• Make appropriate eye contact.
• Use a variety of tones of voice.
• Use natural gesture to support spoken spoken language.
• Keep language simple.
• Give one instruction at a time.
• Check understanding.
• Slow down.
• Re-phrase information - avoid complex language, for example, "The teddy wants to be washed by Jim?"
• Think about word order, say things in the order they need to happen.
• Comment on what is happening.
• Extend children's level of language, "Doggie, of yes big doggie."
• Repeat language.
• Wait for the child to process information and respond.
• Make sure that if parents have requested that the child uses a dummy, this is only available at sleep times and is removed once the child has woken up.