Children learn to talk through interaction including involvement in many thousands of conversations with adults and other children. These conversations provide the framework for exploring relationships, understanding the world, and learning – in its widest sense. This book explores how children learn to communicate using language, how they use language to learn and the role of adults in the process. It examines how adults can support children to learn by involving them in positive interactions, meaningful conversation and by helping them play, explore and talk with each other.
The book includes:
- examples of children and adults talking and learning together
- case studies of successful approaches that support language and learning in early years settings
- points for reflection and practical tasks
Informed by the author’s own experience working with young children, families and practitioners, and from his involvement in the England-wide Every Child a Talker (ECa T) project, it links key research findings with successful practice to inspire practitioners to develop skills when talking with children, influence how adults plan for talk in settings and gain insight into how language develops in the home.
Innehållsförteckning
Introduction: Talking successfully with children
How and why do children learn to talk?
Babies and adults communicating and learning together
Towards first words
Talking with two-year olds
Different experiences of talking at home
Quality talk in settings
Talking effectively with groups of children
Pedagogy and practice that influences talk
Communicating complex ideas
Om författaren
Michael Jones has worked as a speech and language therapist, as a teacher in primary and special schools and as an advisory teacher for children with speech and language difficulties. He led the Every Child a Talker (ECa T) project in three areas of the UK. Michael currently provides training internationally and publishes widely on the subject of early language development.