Speech, Language and Communication in the Early Years

The first 3 years of life are recognised as the most intensive period for acquiring speech and language skills (NDNA).

On this page you will find useful advice and guidance for developing speech, language and communication during the early years of a child's development.

The three prime areas, Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED), Communication and Language (CL), and Physical Development (PD), describe universal core aspects of early child development. They are time-sensitive because of biological factors that enable rapid brain connections in the first three years of life.

Developmental steps missed at this early crucial stage are much harder to address later on, so it is crucial that children’s interactions and experiences in the first few years' support development in these fundamental areas. (Birth To 5 Matters).

Useful links

EYFS Statutory Framework - Sets out the educational programmes which detail what providers must do across the seven areas of development.
Development matters and Birth to 5 matters - Set out non-statutory guidance for practitioners which can be used to inform practice, assess and support children.
Parents guide to the EYFS framework - Sets out the educational programmes which detail what providers must do across the seven areas of development.
Speech and Language Therapy Toolkit - Offers lots of ideas and advice that can help practitioners and parents support children’s speech, language and communication skills.
Resource library for families - Offers ideas to support families when they are worried about their child’s development.
Words for Life - All of the content on Words for Life has been designed to provide parents, children and young people with activities and support to improve their language, literacy and communication skills from home.
Best start in life part 2: the 3 prime areas of learning - GOV.UK
Children's language development and parenting advice - Offers a wealth of information for parents and practitioners.
First call - Lincolnshire Children's Therapy Services
Solent NHS Trust Children Therapy Service EYDC

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Research shows that good interactions between adults and children make a big difference to how well communication and language skills develop. Children benefit from being with responsive and enthusiastic adults who show interest in talking with them.

Useful links

By evaluating and reflecting on your practice on a regular basis will enable you to make adjustments which will meet your current cohorts needs.

Useful links

Engaging children with stories, songs, and rhymes plays a significant role in their speech, language, and communication development. These activities help children develop vocabulary, understand language patterns, and improve their listening skills. They also contribute to social skills and overall well-being.

In summary, both strong attachments and engaging activities like stories and songs are vital for a child’s holistic development.

Useful links

Supporting the home learning environment, using 50 Things To Do, Ready to START school guide for parents and the START practitioner guide below can help identify and overcome barriers to home learning that parents may face.

Practitioners should acknowledge what parents already do and support them in widening children’s lived experiences. A child and family centred approach to practice means that practitioners know their cohort and can differentiate their support to meet individual family’s needs.

The key person must seek to engage and support parents and/or carers in guiding their child’s development at home (EYFS Statutory Framework, 2023).

Sharing information with parents provides opportunities for the home learning environment to mirror learning opportunities in the setting, strengthen parent and child attachments and parent partnerships.

Supporting children’s home learning environment improves children’s outcomes and prepares them for the next stage of their journey. Combining the activities with the messages from our START programme will help children develop the skills they need as they move into statutory education.

Useful links

Home Learning continues outside of term times and/or holidays and 50 Things To Do provides parents with ideas of things to do, places to go and events taking place; enabling learning opportunities to continue when children are not accessing your setting. Follow up on what children do at home to create a holistic picture of their experiences and development, enabling practitioner to expand on what children already know and what they need to know next.

Ready to START school - A practitioner guide1.92MB–pdf

Size: 1.92MBFile format: pdf

Peterborough has a diverse population which is reflected in our Early Years settings and schools. 50 Things To Do currently offers translations into over 100 different languages which could support practitioners and childminders with breaking down language barriers and building trusting relationships.

Useful links

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. (DfE 2023).

Enabling Environment on the surface Audit Tool March 2023 (opens in Microsoft Sharepoint) - offers an opportunity for practitioners to reflect on their environment.

Please email earlyyearsandchildcare@peterborough.gov.uk if you would like a more in-depth reflective toolkit.