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Hamp Nursery and Infant School Hamp Nursery and Infant School

Hamp Nursery and Infants School

Where every child matters

Communication and Language

Our nursery focuses on the development of communication skills, including listening, speaking, and understanding language.  We prioritise fostering language development in young children, which is essential for their cognitive and social development.

 

Here are some key aspects of a communication and language within our nursery:

Rich Language Environment

  • Modeling language: Our nursery staff model language through daily interactions, using varied vocabulary and sentence structures to expose children to new words and concepts.
  • Reading aloud: Regularly reading books and stories introduces children to the structure and rhythm of language, expanding their vocabulary and understanding of narrative.
  • Singing songs and rhymes: Nursery songs and rhymes help children develop listening skills, phonemic awareness (recognising sounds in words), and rhythm.

Encouraging Communication

  • Active listening: Nursery staff listen attentively to children’s words, validating their attempts at communication, whether verbal or non-verbal, which encourages further attempts to communicate.
  • Open-ended questions: Asking questions like "What do you think will happen next?" or "Can you tell me about your drawing?" encourages children to think and express themselves more fully.
  • Turn-taking: Encouraging conversations where children wait for their turn to speak helps them understand the flow of dialogue and the importance of listening.

 Supporting Non-Verbal Communication

  • Gestures and expressions: Young children often communicate through gestures, facial expressions, and body language. Nursery staff respond to these forms of communication, helping children understand that these are valid ways of expressing themselves.
  • Sign language:  Basic sign language is used to support children with learning new vocabulary and express basic needs. 

Promoting Social Interaction

  • Group activities: Group activities are planned where children interact with peers, sharing toys, ideas, and experiences. These social exchanges are key to developing language skills.
  • Role play: Encouraging pretend play (e.g., playing house, acting out scenarios) allows children to practice language in different contexts and use new words.

Supporting Diverse Language Needs

  • Multilingual support: Where children speak multiple languages, supporting bilingual or multilingual language development is important. This can involve using books in different languages, encouraging children to share words or phrases from their home languages, and creating an inclusive atmosphere where all languages are valued.
  • Language delays or difficulties: For children with language delays or communication challenges, tailored strategies may be used, such as speech therapy sessions or specialised communication tools.

Creating a Language-Rich Environment

  • Print-rich environment: Our nursery incorporate labels, signs, and posters with words and images around the room. For example, labeling items like "table," "window," and "door" helps children associate written words with real-world objects. This visual reinforcement supports language recognition and reading readiness.
  • Interactive storytelling: Storytelling in a nursery is not just about reading books aloud; it’s about creating opportunities for children to actively participate. Our staff may use props, puppets, or toys to bring stories to life, prompting children to engage by repeating words, asking questions, or predicting what will happen next.

Phonics and Early Literacy Skills

  • Phonemic awareness: We incorporate activities that help children identify and manipulate the sounds in words (e.g., recognising rhyming words, alliteration, or the first sound in a word). These activities build the foundation for reading and spelling.
  • Letter recognition: While children at this stage may not yet be reading full sentences, activities like letter hunts, drawing letters in the air, or using sandpaper letters allow them to become familiar with the alphabet, which is a vital step toward early literacy.
  • Sound games: Games like "I Spy" or songs that emphasise initial sounds (e.g., "Sally sells seashells by the seashore") can be fun ways for children to start making connections between sounds and letters.

Encouraging Vocabulary Expansion

  • Descriptive language: Our staff often use rich, descriptive language when talking with children. For example, instead of saying, "Look at the flower," we might say, "Look at that beautiful, colorful flower with pink petals and a tall, green stem!" This helps children hear new words and their meanings in context.
  • Thematic vocabulary building: We create themes for different weeks or months (e.g., animals, weather, family). During these themes, the staff introduce related vocabulary and concepts, helping children make connections between words and ideas. 
  • Repetition: Repeating new words and phrases in different contexts helps reinforce vocabulary. 

Active Engagement and Participation

  • Child-led conversations: Providing space for children to lead conversations is key to boosting their confidence. Our staff may ask a child to describe their drawing, explain a story, or share something they did at home. Allowing children to express themselves freely helps them feel heard and valued.
  • Group discussions and sharing: While children in a nursery are still learning basic conversational skills, group discussions can be used to encourage turn-taking, listening, and responding. For example, during keyworker time, a teacher might ask each child to share something about their day, which gives them the opportunity to practice speaking in front of others.
  • Peer interactions: Encouraging children to interact with their peers also promotes language development. Through playing games together, solving simple problems as a group, and engaging in cooperative tasks, children practise communication skills in a social context.

Developing Listening and Attention Skills

  • Listening games: Activities like “Simon Says,” clapping games, or following simple instructions can help children develop their listening skills, which are vital for understanding language and responding appropriately.
  • Encouraging focused listening: Activities that require children to listen carefully, such as listening to the sounds of animals or identifying musical instruments, help fine-tune their ability to focus on and respond to auditory stimuli.