Ideas and materials for helping parents to communicate with their children
Baby’s First Word
“Baby’s First Word is a Talk To Your Baby initiative to encourage parents to communicate with their baby by asking them to listen out for, and share, their child’s first word. Talk To Your Baby is asking libraries, nurseries and other early years settings to take part in Baby’s First Word, by setting up display areas featuring first words and the stories behind them.”
Everything you need to get involved in Baby’s First Word, including a step-by-step guide, poster and hand-out for parents, is available from the Literacy Trust website.
Talk To Your Baby has also produced a series of quick tips for parents and practitioners to help children develop good talking and listening skills. Each sheet is available in ten languages.
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/talktoyourbaby to find out more about these Literacy Trust materials.
New Language and Play guide available from the Basic Skills Agency
Language and Play, has ideas for parents, grandparents and carers to use to talk with their children, in every day situations.
Language and Play comes in two parts – a Group Leader`s Guide (A1751) and Home Time sheets (A1750) , based around six taught sessions including: the importance of talk, everyday routines, out and about, sharing books and enjoying rhymes.
Both the Group Leader`s Guide and Home Time sheets are available separately or can be purchased together at a special price (A1776 priced £15).
Training is available for staff working to improve the language and communication needs of childeren and young people. Click here to find out more about the work of the charity I CAN website.
I CAN’s professional development programme enables you to make a difference for the children you work with by:
* Promoting speech and language development;
* Identifying speech, language and communication needs (SLCN)
* Meeting children’s SLCN in educational settings
