Speech, language, and communication are critical areas of development for children. They play a vital role throughout our lives, helping us to understand what is going on around us, communicate our basic needs and feelings, hold conversations, think and learn, develop relationships, solve problems, and more. They also support many other aspects of development, including cognitive, social, and literacy development.

Both parents and early years workers play a significant role in helping to improve children’s language development and outcomes. To aid you in doing this, in this article we will cover the stages of normal language development, why it is so important, how to recognise potential speech problems, and what you can do to support young children’s language.

The contents of this article are as follows:

• What Does Normal Language Development in Early Childhood Look Like?
• Why is Speech and Language Development Important?
• How Do I Recognise Speech Disorders in Children?
• Strategies to Support Language Development

Any Questions during this time please email:

sdownes@batchley.worcs.sch.uk

Information relating to Speech and Language Development

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

Tips

Speech sounds

• Model speech to the children by repeating words back to them correctly.

Understanding:

• Give children time to process what you have asked and respond.
• Use simple language and break instructions down into smaller steps.
• Encourage children to answer questions, such as who, what, where, when and why? When reading their books. Encourage them to tell you the story in their own words.

Expression

• Talk about all your experiences in detail, teaching new vocabulary all the time.
• Discuss vocabulary in books, making sure the children understand the meaning of tricky words. 

Social Communication

• Play lots of games with your child to encourage social skills, such as taking turns and winning and losing.
• Use a visual timetable and visual aids to provide structure and routines.

Resources

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

https://speechandlanguage.info/parents

https://www.hacw.nhs.uk/childrens-speech-and-language-resources/