Setting children up for success


By Oxford University Press


To give children the best start in life, we need to nurture their language skills. From baby babble to flowing sentences, children develop language the more they interact with adults – and they learn quickly! Language skills become harder to develop as little ones grow older, so it is best to nurture them when they are young.


Communication and language is an EYFS prime area, which means that it is one of the essential building blocks for all other learning. Language skills help children learn new things, connect with others and make sense of the world. They can also predict a child's future, from their standard of health to their employment prospects. Research by The National Literacy Trust, in association with OUP, showed that children with poor vocabulary at age five are more than twice as likely to be unemployed by age 34.


So, how can we set little ones up for success with strong language and communication skills?


By creating playful environments rich with language and plenty of opportunities for learning through fun. Adults can do this by having lots of conversations, playing make- believe games, singing songs or rhymes and – most importantly – reading!


Reap the rewards of reading


Around 58% of children aged three to four are read to every day, which drops to 44% by ages five to seven, as the notion that 'reading is for schools' takes hold. Reading at home and for pleasure is vital for helping children become lifelong readers, and there are so many benefits to be had.


Reading provides an incredible opportunity to bond with children. Spending quality one-on-one time together and diving into an imaginary world gives them a sense of intimacy and well-being. It can help little ones develop a strong attention span and create a sense of security as part of a daily routine.


Sharing just one book a day can make an enormous difference. Studies show that children who are read to every day will hear about 290,000 more words by age five than those who don't regularly read with a parent or carer. This is because the language in books is different to the language of everyday life. Books expose children to more descriptive words and formal grammar than they might hear in day-to-day conversation. They can also transport us to worlds we will never experience in real life, from the deep sea to the land of the dinosaurs!


Reading together can also be used as a helpful way to approach societal issues within stories that children can relate to. This was highlighted in OUP's recent research into the power of reading, with two- thirds of the parents surveyed using reading as an opportunity to discuss difficult or sensitive topics with their children, while 66% look for books with meaningful messages at their heart. From emotions to allyship, books can help equip children with all the language they need as they grow up.


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For more ideas and inspiration visit ypo.co.uk/littlelearners


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