Key Focus: Communication and Language

In October and November many of our activities are inspired by books written by Julia Donaldson. Young children (and their teachers) really enjoy these stories, their rhyming structure help children join in during reading sessions and remember the storylines.

We are aiming to build these skills:

• Children are able to follow a story without pictures of props, answering ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about stories, events and their own experiences.
• Children use spoken language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences. Children might pretend to be Stickman, or order the pictures and tell the story from The Gruffalo, or imagine some new adventures for Superworm.
• Children introduce a storyline into their own play. Children may borrow ideas from their favourite books and act them out in roleplay or small world play. They need to be able to tell a story, then eventually they will learn to write stories.
• Children can talk effectively in different situations and with different listeners. They speak in full sentences, using past, present and future tenses accurately, and standard grammar confidently. Again, mastering these speaking skills at a young age will really help them with grammar activities further up the school.

You can really support your child’s developing language by talking lots with them, answering questions, enjoying sharing books together, pretending to be different people or characters, holding pretend conversations and ‘phone calls.

For more ideas see:

www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2012/03/Development-Matters-FINAL-PRINT-AMENDED.pdf

We use Development Matters in our planning and assessing, and there are useful ideas for what adults can do and provide to help children’s learning.

www.talkingpoint.org.uk lots of information and ideas for developing children’s communication

www.m.youtube.com/watch?v=OF-AMPiXeQU a video showing teachers working with young children, and experts explaining tips for developing communication skills

We are looking forward to seeing you at our next Reading Café on Tuesday 29th November. All our children are invited to dress as a character from a Julia Donaldson book as the whole day will be celebration of the topic. Parents and carers are welcome to get dressed up too and join in from 2.45pm.