Top talking tips for parents

Top Talking Tips for parents - Early Years

https://www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/earlyyears/

This is fantastic information for parents to support their children's communication skills within the early years.

Scroll down to the pink working with parents tab and click on Top Talking Tips for parents

In this section you will also find the link for 'Through the eyes of a child'. 

Through the eyes of a child:

The Communication trust have produced 4 films to help parents encourage their children's communication development.

Narrated by comedian Kathy Burke, the films are full of useful advice on how parents can encourage their child to talk and interact with them.

There are 4 films, divided into age group, for parents who have children up to the age of 3.

Summer Talk

This is a fantastic booklet that you can download and print for free for ideas this Summer to use with your children while developing their communication skills from the Communication Trust.  Click on the link below.

https://www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/media/20506/summer_talk_-_2012_version.pdf

Small Talk booklet and Listen up booklet

Small Talk: 

This booklet provides information about what helps children aged 0-5 learn to talk and listen, whether they are on the right track and what to do if the parents have concerns about their child. 

Listen Up:

For pre-school children between the ages of 0 and 5, Listen Up 0-5, includes a card game with fun activities and advice on how parents can use the resource. 

You can download them for free through the Communication trust.  Follow the ink below.

https://www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/resources/resources/resources-for-parents/small-talk.aspx

Brown Bear, Brown Bear story box

I love making and using story boxes.  They are really simple to make and a great opportunity to get everyone involved in putting one together.  This one is based on one of my favourite stories, Brown Bear, Brown Bear.  

Shoe boxes are the perfect size for this make.  I popped on over to the Sparklebox size to see what characters they might have that I could use and found all the ones used for this make including the printout for the top of the box as shown below.

My lovely friend helped to complete this one.  She added some blue, white and yellow paper to make the sky scene.  Again Sparklebox was used for the small world play scenery along the inside of the box.  A small amount of artificial grass was placed at the bottom of the box. 

A printout of a brown bear mask was laminated and a lollipop stick added to encourage role play.

The following characters which were found on Sparklebox from the story were printed out and laminated and made into a matching game which has been added to the box.  A home made dice has also been made using pictures of the characters to encourage children to not only match the animals but to tell the story in their own way using the matching characters.

Some knitted characters have also been added to give the box another dimension and encourage role play, imaginative and creative play as well as developing early language skills through play.

Story boxes can be made for any favourite story book that your child loves.

Top ten activities for developing and improving your child's speech and language skills

There are many simple activities that you can do with your child to develop their speech and language skills.

1. Be a good model – speak clearly and slowly and face your child when speaking. If your child says a word or sentence incorrectly, rather than correct them or ask them to repeat it, just say the word / sentence back to them correctly to show you have understood. This way your child always hears the correct version. This is how children learn language.

2. Remember your language level – don’t use words or sentences that your child will not understand. Speak to them using language they can understand, and explain any new words.

3. Make time to sit down with your child – even if it is just for a few minutes a day (although the more one-to-one time the better), spend some quiet time with your child, away from distractions. Look at a book together and talk about the pictures.

4. Turn off the TV and take out the dummy – children do not learn language and social skills by watching TV, and new evidence shows that too much TV watching prior to starting school can affect listening and attention skills, which will impact on their learning once they start school.

5. Observe and comment – when you are playing with your child, take a step back, do not feel that you have to fill the silences, just comment on the things your child is doing so they can here (and learn) the new vocabulary.

6. Let your child lead – let your child lead the play, let them be the boss of play. This can build self-confidence and does not put pressure on them to talk and respond to the adult all the time.

7. Books, books, books – books can be used in many ways to develop language and early literacy skills. Evidence shows that children that have more exposure to books prior to schooling often find it develop early literacy skills earlier.

8. Sing songs and nursery rhymes – songs and rhymes contain rhythm and rhyme, skills that help with speech and literacy development.

9. Feed language in, don’t force it out – comment and expand on your child’s words and sentences, rather than asking them to repeat words. If your child says “car”, respond with “big car” or “yellow car” or “fast car”. This is how children learn words, by hearing new vocabulary and linking it to the items or events they are focussing on.

10. Make every opportunity a language learning activity – if it’s a trip to the shops, or bath-time, you can make every activity a language learning activity. Point to things, name them, sing a nursery rhyme, or ask a question. You don’t have to set aside a specific time of day to learn language, every activity is a language learning activity.

(Taken from http://www.icommunicatetherapy.com/child-speech-language/child-speech-language-development/activities-strategies-help-develop-speech-language-skills/)

Words for Life - Communicating with your baby

Words for Life - Communicating with your baby

Words for Life - Technology and under 5s

Words for Life - Technology and under 5s

Interesting  article about the use of technology with under 5's.  What are your thoughts?

Butterfly squishy bag

I love messy play activities when working with my families.  However not all children like the feel of some of the messy play activities on offer. Lots of sensory activities and ideas are used but I am always looking for more.

I have just come across this amazing site: Building blocks and acorns.  Wow! It's amazing.  This butterfly squishy bag is a great quiet time activity.  I think I am going to have to make a few of these. Use the link below to find the page...

http://buildingblocksandacorns.com/2014/05/01/guest-post-butterfly-squishy-bag-from-life-over-cs/

Printable sea creatures for play dough

I love using home made play dough and showing the families I work with how easy and cheap it is to make.  (You can find out how in a previous post...look up play dough in my search)

I was searching for some new ideas to use with it, when I came across these fabulous printable sea creatures from the nurture store  You can download the pdf document and print the creatures.  If you then laminate them or cover them in sellotape to make them stronger, they will last a lot longer and can be wiped down in between.

This is a fantastic site with lots of great information and ideas.  Follow this link:

http://nurturestore.co.uk/printable-sea-creatures-ocean-play-dough

i. child - dedicated to your child's development and education

http://www.ichild.co.uk

Printable Activities and Education Resources for young children and kids.
You will find lots here to keep your children busy and entertained, including hundreds of free printable activities, worksheets and resources.

Pop on over and have a look guys. Really great ideas from babies up to 11 years covers communication and literacy, personal, social and emotional development and much more.

Farmyard craft ideas...

Well as I have recently made the sensory farm play mat, I thought I would share some farmyard craft ideas which I use with the children I work with.

Paper plates - one of the best resources ever.  So many things you can do and make with them.  So here are some of the great ideas I have come across to use......

http://www.clickacraft.com/crafts-material/paper-plate/paper-plate-cow

http://www.livingonalatte.com/2012/07/paper-plate-farm-animals.html

http://www.allkidsnetwork.com/crafts/farm/

http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/miscellaneous/mpiggybank.html

Or what about these really cute farm animal finger puppets?  I made some similar to sing Old MacDonald and I went to visit a farm one day.  The children also made some so they had their own set to use to sing with too.

http://seevanessacraft.com/2012/10/tot-school-tuesday-farm-animal-finger-puppets/

Pop over to these fab sites...you wont be sorry!

Sarah x

Dinosaur play dough mats from sparklebox

These play dough mats from Sparkle box are a great addition for any dinosaur topic.  The children love these.

They can also cover counting skills, length, shape, sensory as well as language development.  Pop over to the sparkle box site to see the complete range and to print them off.

http://www.sparklebox.co.uk/2611-2615/sb2613.html#.UfkjKVZwazc

 

 

 

 

 

Home made play dough is the best dough ever to use and my following post will show you just how easy it is to make without using a pan or a microwave!

 

Sarah x

Primary Teaching Chest...

Brilliant resources on this site.  Love it all, especially the role play resources.  Take a look!  You wont be disappointed : )

http://primarytreasurechest.com

Words for Life - A parent’s guide to television

Words for Life - A parent’s guide to television


Information from the National Literacy Trust

Words for Life - Why reading is good for talking

Words for Life - Why reading is good for talking

Sharing books with babies and young children is a fun way to share talk. You and your child will enjoy the experience, which means there is a strong chance it will become a regular activity.



Information from the National Literacy Trust

Words for Life - Top tips for reading stories aloud

Words for Life - Top tips for reading stories aloud

Here are a few ideas that you could use to liven up story time.



Information from the National Literacy trust : )

Words for Life - One World recipes

Words for Life - One World recipes

Planning to cook a recipe with your children is a great way to help with their reading and writing skills. Choose a recipe together and get them to write a shopping list, ticking the items off when you have found them. Weighing out ingredients and following instructions are all good ways to boost literacy skills – and ending up with a tasty meal!

 

From the National Literacy Trust

Words for Life - One World activities

Words for Life - One World activities

These fun activities for children should encourage the development of key communication, reading and writing skills whilst learning about the world and other cultures.

 

From the National Literacy Trust

Afasic Cymru glossary sheets

Afasic Cymru Glossary Sheets

The glossary sheets are aimed at professionals but may also be of interest to parents and are free to download for everyone. These individual sheets explain terms used to describe children with speech and language impairments.

You will find them on the Afasic Cymru website as well as lots of other really informative information.

http://www.afasiccymru.org.uk/glossary.htm

Words for Life - Free online eBook - Pirate Adventure

Words for Life - Free online eBook - Pirate Adventure

Follow the link for a great FREE online ebook PIRATE ADVENTURE.

From the National Literacy Trust.

Sarah x