years will help them develop vital communication skills. Judith Stevens explores the opportunities and benefits across the age groups.
Communication and Language (speaking and listening) underpin all future learning. It is vital that very young children have frequent daily opportunities for sustained conversations with caring, interested adults - and, alongside 'hands-on play' interactions, rhymes, books and stories can provide great starting points for talk.
Babies communicate in a wide variety of ways - wiggling their toes, making eye contact, moving in deliberate ways, gurgling, making sounds with their voices, squealing and babbling to communicate with trusted adults. As they grow, children develop language rapidly during their second year of life. They have a strong impulse to communicate, trying out new sounds and words. They learn best through experiences that engage all their senses in a safe and nurturing environment.
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