Talking Together A Parents Guide to Speaking, Listening and Learning with your Child. Primary Behaviour Support Service / AHH

Transcription

1 Talking Together A Parents Guide to Speaking, Listening and Learning with your Child. Primary Behaviour Support Service / AHH

2 The Information in this leaflet gives suggestions about how to communicate with your child. Children who are talked to, listened to and hear rhymes and songs from the earliest age are confident and secure, have learned many skills and are well prepared for school and learning. They have been given the best start in life. The time you spend talking and playing with your child will have huge benefits. It shows the child that they are important to you and builds their confidence.

3 For More Information: Local Libraries Join your local library for free! Talk to your child about their book. Resources from the basic skills agency: Stories, Songs and Rhymes a beautifully illustrated book with CD, containing new and familiar stories, songs and rhymes to enjoy together at home, in the car or at bedtime. Talk and Listen Together. This fun pack contains games and activities that fit into everyday life and help your child develop their speaking and literacy skills. Contact: The Basic Skills Agency, Commonwealth House, 1-19 Oxford Street, London, WC1A 1NU. Talking Tips Have fun with rhymes and songs, especially those with actions. Talk to your child when you are playing together. Talk about things as they happen e.g. when you re both unpacking the shopping. Always respond in some way when your child says something. Increase vocabulary by giving choices e.g. do you want orange or lemon? If your child says something incorrectly, say it back the right way e.g. goggy bited it respond with Yes, the dog bit it didn't he? Encourage your child to communicate in anyway not just through words. Try to have a special time each day to play with toys and picture books.

4 Talking Tips cont... Give your child time to ask questions, however many and however hard they are to answer! If you respond to their questions they will know they have your attention and will be less likely to demand it. Dress up, use silly voices, have fun together. Sing along to songs and rhymes and join in with the jingles and theme tunes on television. Hotter, Colder Nominated person hides an object, everyone else looks for it with the nominated person saying hot, when they are near the object and cold when they are far away from the object. Yes and No! You aren t allowed to say yes or no. One person asks questions, the other responds without saying yes or no. Jokes Buy a joke book and have a joke of the day!

5 Speaking and Listening Games for Older Children Simon Says Follow the instructions of the leader but only when Simon Says is put before the instruction. Chinese Whispers One person whispers a sentence to the person to the right. The whisper is passed around the circle until it reaches the person who made the Sentence up. The child says the sentence aloud and the originator says the first sentence aloud to see how they compare. Sound Charades The child thinks of something and imitates the sound it makes e.g. an animal or a car. Everyone has to guess what it is. Listening Tips Listen carefully and give your child time to finish talking. Encourage your child to listen to different sounds such as cars, animals, the telephone. Take turns to speak. Demonstrate active listening e.g. eye contact, asking questions, quick recapping. Respond non-verbally e.g. by nodding or maintaining eye contact. Pay attention to what your child is saying. Set aside a special time when you can ask your child about their day. Ask questions so that your child knows that you have been listening. Make relevant comments and responses to what your child says. Try to communicate with as little distraction as possible reduce background noise and visual distractions.

6 Speaking and Listening Activities Early Years: By the age of 5, most of children s spoken language has been learnt through talking, playing and singing songs and rhymes. Action Songs and Tickling Rhymes Head, shoulders, knees and toes Head, shoulders, knees and toes And eyes and ears and mouth and nose, Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes. Counting Songs Five little ducks went swimming one day Over the pond and far away. Mummy duck said quack, quack, quack, quack but only four little ducks came back. One banana, two banana, three banana four, Five banana, six banana, seven bananas more, Eight bananas, nine bananas, ten yellow bananas! Ring o ring a roses A pocket full of posies Atishoo!, Atishoo! We all fall down!