Nursery World - Learning & Development: Communication & Language

Delay in language development can negatively impact emotional well-being and relationship-building. Jo Parkes discovers how one nursery school is helping children to overcome it

Whether you’re a baby, a young child or an adult, communicating effectively has the feel-good factor. Nancy Stewart, principal consultant at Early Learning Consultancy, observes that ‘warm, responsive, consistent relationships’ are essential for good language development. Being the ‘best communication partner’ is crucial, she says.

Identifying the role of positive emotional well-being in the process of language development is like chicken and egg: well-being both sets the context for pleasurable learning, and is the reward. Children will also have improved life chances.

Despite Communication & Language being one of the three Prime areas of learning in the EYFS, a recent survey of 1,100 head teachers by schools support service The Key suggested 30 per cent of children arriving in Reception are not ‘school ready’, with 78 per cent of respondents citing ‘language delay’ as the reason, second to ‘lack of social skills’.

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