talking, says Judith Stevens.
What sort of resources are likely to promote talk in children? Essentially, it will be things that interest them. This will vary over time, but often include, of course, familiar things: themselves, their friends and families, homes, food, animals and, very often, popular culture, including the latest movie or toy.
One of the most common mistakes that nurseries make in buying resources to support communication and language is to muddle 'speaking and listening' with 'phonics, reading and writing'.
Once practitioners are clear that children need to have lots to talk about before they will write, lots they want to listen to before they will read, and lots of time to distinguish between 'big sounds' before they can identify individual phonemes, then the 'resources' needed to promote talk become more obvious. It is also vital that practitioners model both speaking and listening.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
