Raring2go! Guildford

Raring2go! EDUCATION 20 1 TALK AND LISTEN • Spend time talking together. They are constantly learning new words and will be exploring ways to build sentences and put words together • Encourage eye contact and back-and-forth conversation. • Encourage them to talk about the toys they are playing with. Provide a running commentary during play to model the language or talk about everything you see when out walking together. Listen to all the sounds of the world around you. Can you hear an aeroplane or a bird? • Chat together about what you need to buy from the shop and encourage them to help you find items. 2 READ, READ, READ Enjoy stories together - your child will hear lots of words that they might not be as likely to come across in everyday conversation. They will also develop their listening skills and develop their understanding of how stories/ books work. Encourage your child to talk about the pictures, or to make predictions about what will happen next. 3 SING SONGS AND RHYMES Rhythm and rhyme are so important for early language development Have lots of fun singing songs and nursery rhymes together. Sing counting songs, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5… Once I caught a fish alive. Building Strong Foundations in the Early Years - How can I help my child? 4 USING AND POINTING OUT NUMBERS ON THE GO Include some simple counting out throughout your daily routines. Count how many plates you put out for dinner. Count the chairs around the table then count the people who sit in the chairs. This helps your child really understand the concept of a number value in real life. Point out the numbers you see when you are out and about and encourage your child to do the same. Look for bus numbers, prices and house numbers. When shopping, ask your child to select the number of apples or bananas you need – they’re helping you out, and learning at the same time. 5. DRESS UP Dressing up and role play are great opportunities for talking and listening and for imaginative play. Dressing up can help your child to practise getting themselves dressed - zips, armholes and buttons. Written by Emily Jefford, Deputy Head, Head of Pre-Prep, St Catherine’s Prep School and Julie Crago - Deputy Manager at Puddleducks Pre-School (Salisbury) www.stcatherines.info