Nursery World - Speech marks

Early years practitioners need to understand the development of language and how to support children in the complex process of learning to speak Learning to talk is a vital developmental task for the pre-schooler. By the time children are approaching school entry, they need to be fluent communicators. They should be able to take part in conversations, follow stories, appreciate jokes and be able to use language to express their thoughts, emotions and experiences.

Learning to talk is a vital developmental task for the pre-schooler. By the time children are approaching school entry, they need to be fluent communicators. They should be able to take part in conversations, follow stories, appreciate jokes and be able to use language to express their thoughts, emotions and experiences.

The ability to communicate is the basis of social and emotional wellbeing. It is also the key to all future education. Children who start school with poor language skills are likely to have a long struggle ahead. No amount of input on literacy targets will help a child who has not yet acquired the ability to understand and use spoken language.

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