In early years, we know that talk is fundamental to learning on so many levels. As education researcher James Britton once said: “Reading and writing float on a sea of talk.”
But how do we ensure that we are supporting this area of development?
Each year, it seems more children are arriving at school with difficulties related to communication and language: language delays, articulation problems, social communication difficulties and English as an additional language, to name just a few.
The Covid pandemic has definitely contributed. We have already struggled to support the “lockdown toddlers” in their first years of school, and now my current class is made up of children who were lockdown babies - and were no less affected, in my view.
Consider how important interactions and facial expressions are for babies as they first learn to talk. These children were born into a mask-wearing society. They also spent much of their early life seeing communication happening through screens.
To add to the problem, health visitors were delayed in carrying out developmental checks and speech and language therapists are now struggling with an ever-growing backlog of referrals.
So, while there are many more children entering school needing support with language, we have limited means to help them. That can feel overwhelming.
Early language: what can be done?
I think one of the most important first steps is to raise the issue at senior leadership level.
During termly pupil progress meetings, I regularly hear questions about children who are at risk of not meeting expectations in reading and writing, but what is often missing from the discussion is the reason behind this.
Too narrow a focus on reading and writing can mean that we overlook language. As I always point out: “If they cannot talk, they cannot write.”
Equally, subjects like maths rely heavily on children having a secure understanding of vocabulary. And when it comes to reading, oral language should be a focus, alongside phonics, or we will end up with children who can decode well, but can’t put a proper sentence together in their speech.
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Senior leaders may need reminding that communication is a prime area of learning in the early years foundation stage, which must be prioritised if we want children to progress in other areas of the curriculum.
To do this, we need adequate resources and to plan for support. Some key questions to consider might be:
- Do we have skilled adults in EYFS and key stage 1 who can scaffold learning with language?
- Do we have interventions in place for children and the appropriate number of adults to deliver them?
- What are the training needs - do we need to upskill more staff in the use of Makaton and the Nuffield Early Language Intervention, for instance?
On top of this, early years teams need to put communication at the heart of their planning and provision.
The Hampshire Early Years Advisory Team recently gave us some brilliant practical ideas to develop language, and the good news is that small changes can make a big difference.
Small changes for better talk
Here are some small steps, which I think are really achievable:
1. Plan for talk
It sounds so obvious, but we often fall back on planning activities primarily around reading and writing, so ask yourself if you are planning enough specifically for talk.
Add a box to your planning sheet that is focussed on oral communication, and plan to include things like curiosity boxes (a clear box containing items for children to explore and talk about), mash-up photos (a picture in which two objects are combined in an unusual way) and interesting artefacts to prompt discussion.
2. Provide talk provocations
As well as planning dedicated talk activities, it’s also important to resource your room for informal talk.
Fill the classroom with objects that offer plenty of stimulus for discussion. Offer lots of real photos, puppets, story books and objects with different textures and smells.
Add an interesting picture to a menu holder and leave this on the snack table. We find that this is a really effective and easy way of promoting talk. We hear so many conversations between the children as they eat.
3. Review your timetable and environment
Children need a good chunk of time engaged in child-initiated learning to engage in talk on many levels, especially outdoors, so make sure your timetable facilitates this. If it doesn’t, it’s worth thinking about some changes.
Your classroom environment also needs to be conducive to opportunities for talk. Do you have enough communication-friendly spaces in your layout? Are there cosy places for children to gather and talk? Can you create these by adding soft lighting and fabrics?
4. Invite children to share things from home
Having the chance to share personal experiences and objects that matter to them can provide children with a lot of motivation to talk.
We have a “chatterbag” session each week. Children fill a bag with interesting souvenirs or objects to talk about with the class. It helps to involve parents in helping them to do this.
They can, alternatively, choose to share photos electronically. These photos can feed into planning for talk across different areas of the curriculum - everything from geography and science to RE.
Helen Pinnington is the early years foundation lead at St Thomas More’s Catholic Primary School in Bedhampton, Hampshire
