Social situations and routines such as meal times provide ideal opportunities for developing language skills Just as familiarity with the structure of a nursery environment can aid children's language development (see page 19), so the routines and social situations that happen every day in early years settings provide ideal opportunities for developing language. The natural repetition that occurs in group situations and in daily routines helps children to match the words they hear to what is happening around them. The ongoing repetition reinforces this understanding.
Just as familiarity with the structure of a nursery environment can aid children's language development (see page 19), so the routines and social situations that happen every day in early years settings provide ideal opportunities for developing language. The natural repetition that occurs in group situations and in daily routines helps children to match the words they hear to what is happening around them. The ongoing repetition reinforces this understanding.
Familiarity with nursery routines helps children to become more aware of:
* routine
* expectations
* time
* sequence of events.
Use the following suggestions to make the most of language development opportunities at meal times, story time and music sessions.
Drink times and meal times
* Encourage children to help set the table. Talk about what they need to fetch and where to put the different items.
* Talk about the food before it is put on the table. For example, 'What can you smell?' 'Do you think we're having noodles or rice today?' * Whenever possible, give children a choice, showing them the food as you offer it. Encourage them to name or point to the food.
* Mealtimes are a good opportunity to help children learn sequences of events. For example, 'First we set the table. Then we fetch the food. Then we sit down together.'
* Encourage the children to offer and pass food and drink to each other to reinforce social skills.
* Remember that drink and meal times are social situations, so model appropriate social and communication skills to encourage children to talk to each other, and comment on what is happening. Don't talk too much yourself, though - silences can create opportunities for children to initiate conversations.
Storytime
* Be aware of the different levels of attention and understanding in a group of children. It may be better to split them into smaller groups.
* Be aware that some children may have difficulty in sitting still and listening. Try getting these children to sit near the front and towards the middle of the group.
* If children are having difficulty understanding long sentences, describe the pictures in the book in your own words, using simple short sentences. You don't have to be bound by the printed text. Be flexible!
* Use real objects to help explain the story, and so provide 'hands-on' experiences and to hold the children's interest. Put the props in a bag or box and ask individual children to find them at the right moment. You could also act out a story with a puppet or a teddy, or make storyboards. Use musical instruments and soundmakers to emphasise dramatic moments.
* Let the children take an active part by encouraging them to repeat key phrases or noises. Asking questions such as, 'What did the giant say?' and 'What happened next?'
* When the story is finished, go over the important points and any new words. Help the children to relate the story to experiences of their own.
Music
Music sessions provide wonderful opportunities for children to practise words and actions without feeling under pressure to speak. The less able ones can copy the others - and make it fun for everyone.
* Use songs that involve actions and repeated phrases, so that children can join in easily.
* Encourage turn-taking and eye contact during songs such as 'Row, row, row the boat', where children face each other in pairs.
* See if the children can remember the words of a song. Sing one line yourself and then pause to see if they can sing the next line. Or stop before a key word to see if they can fill it in for you.
* Sing 'Hello' and 'Goodbye' to provide markers to introduce nursery time and home time, and to raise children's awareness of each other - and hence their social skills. Include other adults in the routines so they can then show children what is expected of them.
* Use meaningful songs to reinforce vocabulary. For example, 'If you're happy and you know it clap your hands', 'Heads, shoulders, knees and toes' and 'This is the way we brush our hair'. For some children, songs such as these are more helpful than those with no obvious meaning, for instance, 'Sing a song of sixpence, a pocketful of rye'.
