Talking with children of all ages supports the development of language.
Regular conversations with young children:
- help them develop vocabulary, grammar, and communication skills
- stimulate their thinking abilities and problem-solving skills. It encourages them to ask questions, explore new concepts, and make connections between ideas
- help children learn the art of conversation, turn-taking, active listening, and empathy. It prepares them to interact with others
- lay the foundation for future academic success
- provide an opportunity for parents to share their cultural values, beliefs, and experiences with their children. It helps children develop an understanding and respect for diversity, promoting cultural awareness and a broader world view
- allows them to develop problem-solving and decision-making skills, when focussed on everyday situations and challenges
- play a crucial role in developing early literacy skills, such as phonemic awareness, letter recognition, and comprehension. It sets the stage for future reading and writing success
Resources to support talking with young children
- Keep Talking - handy guide to talking with young children
- Words for Life - a guide and activities for talking with children
- Speech and Language UK - information and advice on children's speech and language development
- Haringey's speech and language therapy service
- Hungry Little Minds - a guide to speech development
- Start for Life - a guide to talking with babies and speech development
- Speaking Dadly - a video clip on the importance of talk with children
- Tips for Talking - tips for talking to your child
- How to Help Children Speak English with Confidence - information for helping children to speak English
More resources
See below a list of links to more resources that will help you support your children in developing their communication and language skills:
- Haringey libraries
- Haringey Children's Centres
- Haringey Local Offer - Haringey's service for families with children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
- BBC - Tiny Happy People - Child development information
- Zero to Three - information and advice for parents of young children and babies
- Parenting Counts - parenting advice