About our monthly updates

Our monthly updates provide information and resources for early years practitioners to support communication, language and literacy developments.

April 2024

Our Come Talk with Me Top Tip for April is:

“Build on what your child has said. Repeat and then add a word or two – this will help to expand their vocabulary.”

Modelling language with children is one of the most useful ways to encourage children to talk and gradually link words to build sentences. If a child makes a mistake, with how a word is said or with word order for example, don’t correct them. Instead repeat back the word or sentence correctly, this way children will hear and learn from the good example you are giving.

March 2024

Our Come Talk with Me Top Tip for March is:

“Making eye contact when your child talks to you will help them to know they are being listened to and build their confidence”.

Most of the information we receive is initially processed through our vision. Although vision isn’t fully developed at birth, infants as young as two days old have been observed to show a preference for faces looking back at them. Eye contact is essential for social–emotional and language development.

In fact, studies have shown that eye contact leads to greater language skills by the age of two years.

World Book Day – 7 March 2024

Don’t forget World Book Day is coming up this month. Follow the link to the website for ideas to celebrate World Book Day plus resources for supporting reading for pleasure all year round.

Funded Elkan training for group settings

Get involved with the ELKLAN Communication Friendly Setting Research Project through The Early Years South West Stronger Practice Hub and benefit from participation in a fantastic EEF Programme. Express your interest on the Elklan website.

Communication Champion Programme

The Children and Young People (CYP) Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) service are developing a Communication Champion Programme for Early Years staff. We are really keen to have you on board and join us in learning more about Speech and Language in the Early Years, how you can support all children and those with identified needs. The workshops are run on weekday evenings by staff members from the CYP SLT service. Our workshops have a key theme, but all contain practical activities, discussion, sharing of ideas between settings and a chance for Questions & Answers with a speech and language therapist.

We really hope to see you soon at a workshop – the next is in Poole on 18 March 2024 so please do join us if you haven’t before. Please take a look at SkillGate to book your place!

February 2024

Our Come Talk with Me Top Tip for February is:

Show an interest and comment on what your child is doing. More comments than questions will help to build their vocabulary.

This is easy for us to forget during our busy nursery day so the hand rule of modelling 4 comments to every 1 question can help practitioners to stay focused and support vocabulary for all children.

For more information about modelling and other tips to support early language development, here is a handy guide from Elklan.

January 2024

Our Come Talk with Me Top Tip for January is to try and have a fun conversation with your child every day – this will help to build their language skills by building their confidence and self-esteem.

Here are some tips from Words for Life, Five Chats a Day to get you started.

Commtap

Access free online activity packs and supporting videos, through Commtap, funded by the Communication Consortium. These are aimed at supporting children with speech, language and communication needs. For more information read this article from Nasen.