Early language development

Sure Start, Extended Schools and Childcare Group’s Children’s Learning Team support a number of projects around Early Language development:-

Sure Start Speech and Language Measure

Promoting speech and language in 2 year olds is an integral part of all the projects above. ‘Birth to Three Matters' has a section entitled ‘A Skilful Communicator', the 'Talk To Your Baby' campaign shows how early communication promotes linguistic competence from birth. 'Listening to Children' is also central to this.

The Sure Start Speech and Language Measure was specifically designed in order to help Sure Start Local Programmes measure the changes in the language skills of 2 year olds in their catchment area, in order to help assess what effect Sure Start Local Programmes were having on children’s early language development. The information can also be used to see how far Local Programmes are progressing towards meeting the Sure Start, Extended Schools and Childcare Group’s targets and objectives around early learning.

Communicating Matters

This project has grown out of a recognition of the need to improve language and communication skills in young children aged from three to five. It recognises that by having the necessary oral language and communication skills children not only gain access to the curriculum but become active members of the community and eventually adult society. All those working with the youngest children need to have the appropriate knowledge and understanding of the development of language and communication to support children’s development.

The aim of the project is to improve practice and practitioner’s knowledge in early years settings through developing high quality training materials for practitioners and support network strategy. This is a 2-year project which aims to be non-prescriptive and fit in with the published Curriculum Guidance for Foundation Stage. Professor Nigel Hall’s team at Manchester Metropolitan University are in the process of producing high quality training materials aimed at Foundation Stage practitioners, which is currently available.

Listening to Children

There is a strong focus across Government on involving/consulting children led in DfES by the Participation Team. The Sure Start, Extended Schools and Childcare Group aims to support work in relation to children from birth to age 5, and feed into the wider departmental strategy. This supports recent research which shows that the observational skills of practitioners are key to improving the delivery and quality of childcare and early education. The work takes place against an increasing background of Government activity aimed at involving children, with many local and national statutory bodies beginning to consult children and young people about policy.

This is a new area in terms of training. We have entered into a single tender exercise with Coram Family, to build on and disseminate their new training package, ‘Listening to Young Children: A Participatory Approach’ initially by training local authority trainers. This will be completed by the end of July 2004.

We are also providing funding to NCB’s Early Childhood Unit to develop a series of five leaflets on listening to young children and babies which will raise awareness and support the Coram Project. These will be launched by Margaret Hodge on 28^th June 2004.

The overall aim of the work programme is to embed observational skills in all early education settings, strongly linked to Birth to Three Matters framework and the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage.

Talk to Your Baby

This is a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of early communication. It has an excellent website with many related articles and interesting facts. This included issues such as how TV affects children’s development.

Bookstart

The Bookstart programme consists of a pack presently distributed by health visitors to parents of 6-9 month old babies. The pack consists of a canvas bag, containing two high quality baby books, an invitation to join the local library, a nursery rhyme place mat and a ‘Babies Love Books’ booklet. The booklet is produced in 14 community languages. The aim is that every 6-9 month old baby in England will receive the pack.

Sure Start Local programmes are using the Bookstart programme to encourage the use of books from a very early age as a means of enhancing interaction between the parent and child.

Bookstart for 2004-5 will be jointly funded by three Sure Start teams Children’s Learning, Children’s Health and Wellbeing and the Communications Team.

Early Years Library Network

The EYLN’s work supports early learning in general. They aim to make libraries more family friendly and interactive, and to encourage librarians to develop imaginative ways of drawing in parents and children together. Examples of this would include, improving access to libraries for families-providing space for pushchairs, changing facilities etc, providing more activities such as ‘rhyme times’ and story telling sessions, encouraging librarians to work with puppets and developing imaginative ways of drawing parents and children into the library together.

Birth to Three Matters

One of the four aspects of the Framework is "A skilful Communicator", which focuses on promoting effective communication, confident and competent language use, listening and responding appropriately and understanding and being understood.

Foundation Stage

The Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage is a statutory document has been part of the National Curriculum since 2002. It is based on the concept of learning through play. Its aim is to develop key skills, knowledge and understanding, which is preparing young children for later learning. It has six areas of learning of which Communication, Language and Literacy is one.

Foundation Stage - QCA website