Matty is at home with his mum looking at photos in an album. He draws his mum into conversation by referring back to the family events that were happening when the pictures were taken. He comments on a car that features in a photo and asks mum, 'Didn't we have a black car?'
Mum helps him remember the family cars he has known, and refers to them by colour. They talk about what happened when the old car was taken away and the new one arrived.
The conversation switches easily from the past to the present as Matty makes links with the car he can see outside the window, and poses questions (and possible answers) about where daddy will park the car when he returns home from work.
GOOD PRACTICE
1. Personal experiences are fundamental to conversations with children of this age.
Matty draws his mum into the conversation by pointing to the photos and commenting on what he remembers. Mum is soon looking at the photos with him and this joint attention leads to an extensive conversation about cars and trucks - a topic in which Matty is clearly very interested.
They are able to draw on their shared experience as mum helps him to remember the sequence of family cars he has known.
The strong relationships that grow between children and their key carers outside of the home are just as important for building shared memories. Think about how you record and document happy times in your settings, in ways which are readily accessible to the children and can be shared with their families. How do you encourage parents to share stories from home about events and experiences, so that you can respond knowledgeably when children want to talk about them with you?
2. Digital technology has made photography easy and economical for practitioners and children alike.
Not only does it allow us to give children free rein in composing their own photographic memories, but also gives us the wonderful privilege of seeing things from their point of view. Displaying photos on an interactive whiteboard at the end of a session can be a great way to promote conversation and reflection on the activities of the day, and enables parents to join in with the experience. But don't forget that the whole point of a photograph is the lasting memory it provides, so make time to regularly print off photos and collect them in albums, scrapbooks and children's own storybooks.
Make sure they are readily available to the children and are valued just as much as any other book in the setting. They are likely to wear out with use, so think of ways to make them sturdy or make duplicate copies.
Plastic-covered display books can be very useful and adaptable. Large hanging 'photo pocket' display galleries are perfect for protecting precious photos. They can be hung up or left on a table or the floor to allow children to physically pore over them.
3. Making time for conversations has to be one of the most fundamental aspects of our work with young children.
The skills of speaking and listening are learnt best through ordinary, everyday chatting with familiar adults, who use a broad vocabulary in informal ways - not through structured talk sessions.
Make the most of opportunities to respond to a child's interests, the questions they ask or their personal reflections and memories. Ask open-ended questions that show you are interested and allow them to tell you more. Be sensitive to the child who wants your full attention while they speak, but also remember that some children, in certain situations, may find it easier to talk while you are both physically occupied with other things, for example, hand washing, painting, or tidying up.
Don't forget that personal care routines and mealtimes provide wonderful opportunities for intimate conversations.
4. New words and ideas are best introduced in meaningful responses, triggered by children's interest.
Matty's mum sensitively corrects his perceptions, for example, 'No, we had a black car after that one' and 'it was a silver one, not a white one'. His facial expression shows the intensity of his thinking as he makes sense of Mum's reply.
She gives him more information by reminding him of the way in which the old car had been taken away, which spurs Matty on to talk about his memory of the event.
Once again, Mum sensitively introduces the accurate terminology - 'pick-up truck' and 'transporter' in response to Matty's generic use of the term 'dumper' truck. Mum's instinctive sense of his developmental stage and readiness for new information allows her to pitch the conversation so that it both extends and consolidates his understanding and use of new words.
A key carer who knows a child well is able to do exactly the same. Think about the instinctive ways you respond to children's conversation. How do you tune into their thought processes and gauge the level of response that is required? How do you know when you have pitched it right - and what are the signs that tell you when you are wide of the mark?
5. But even when we know our children really well, we can't always understand what they are saying, particularly in the early stages of speech.
This happens with Matty and his mum as he tries to tell her something about the car outside and she can't quite get what he is on about. This isn't a problem for a child of Matty's age, however, as he learns that sometimes he needs to repeat things or explain them differently to make himself understood. He is in charge of the conversation and has the security of knowing that his mum is actively listening to him.
6. Active listening can sometimes be hard for adults. We need to develop listening skills just as much as the children.
It is important to be patient and wait expectantly for a response, rather than jumping in too soon. It isn't always necessary to move a conversation along with new thoughts or ideas. Sometimes we need to relax and allow the child the opportunity to take the lead.
Repeating a child's comment can be a useful way of clarifying and validating their choice of words. They are encouraged to keep talking because you are showing interest in what they have to say.
Rephrasing is another useful strategy. Using their words in a slightly different way provides children with new models for saying the same thing, and alternative ways of sharing ideas and opinions.
When children make speech errors, correctly restating what they have said in a natural, conversational way provides positive feedback.
The warmth and tone of your voice will reassure them that it is safe to make mistakes. Confident, skilful talkers know that it is okay to take risks with language, and that is an important message we can share with our children every time we join them in conversation.
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
- Marian R Whitehead Developing Language and Literacy with Young Children (Sage Publications)
- 'Supporting Early Literacy' Film notes by Jennie Lindon (Siren Films)
FURTHER INFORMATION
The stills are taken from Siren Films 'Supporting Early Literacy'. For more information, visit Siren Films at www.sirenfilms.co.uk or call 0191 232 7900
Links to the EYFS guidance
- UC 1.1 Child Development
- PR 2.3 Supporting Learning
- EE 3.3 Supporting Every Child
- L&D 4.4 Communication, Language and Literacy
