Turn taker

Good conversations involves equal turns. Use toys and
table top games that encourage turn taking and develop attention and listening (e.g. lottos, puzzles or snap).

Offer the correct example

Interpret what your child is saying, repeat back what it should be. Child – ‘me want mato’ You – ‘Oh…. You want a tomato’. Child – ‘him falled down stair’ You – ‘yes he fell down the stair’.

Provide and build

Remember expand and develop what your child says: Child: ‘wand car’ You: ‘ you want your blue police car’. Child: ’sad lost ball’ You: ’he is sad because he has lost his ball’.

Think about language levels

Use simple or reduced language – this is ok for younger children. Gain full attention, emphasise key words. Chunk the instruction and ask them to repeat back.

Environment to learn language

Switch the telly off and make some special time. Encourage some of the skills that your child will need for school – good sitting, listening and looking.

Now be a follower and a leader

It’s good to follow your child’s lead during play. But...encourage your child to also follow the adult too.

Think about different words

Develop your child’s word bank. Label the action and
describing words (e.g. action = skipping, texture = furry) and remember the position words in/on/under and in front/behind.

Introduce fun with sounds

Use the concepts same/different and first/next/last
Have fun with Nursery Rhymes and rhyming words. Clap out words into parts (e.g.ba/na/na). Play ‘ I spy’, Find words that start or end with specific sounds. Read books together and point out some of the sounds.

Promote conversations

Create lots of talking opportunities. Talk together about your day and their time at nursery. Encourage them to tell you about an activity (e.g. making a sandwich) or how things happen. Get them to help you with a list (i.e. shopping or packing)

See what works

Go with what works, build on and develop your child’s skills. Have fun and give lots of praise.

90% of children

All common vowel sounds 

3 years

[p] pan, sheep
[b] ball, crab
[t] teddy, letter
[d] dog, bed
[m] mouse, mummy
[n] nose, banana
[w] wellies

3 years

[k] cat, key, rocket
[g] go, dog
[f] feet, knife
[h] house
[y] yes
[s] soap, dress
[ng] king

5 years 

[sh] shoe, fish
[ch] chin, ketchup
[j] joke, bridge
[z] zoo, bees
[v] van, leaves
[l] lion, bell

6 years

[r] rain, bear
[th] thin, bath
[th] feather
[s ] measure

7 years