How can we create a Language and Communication Supportive Environment in Early Learning and Childcare settings?: Language and communication supportive environment: what does good look like?

Research tells us that babies and young children benefit from both quantity and quality of interactions. Such interactions should happen regularly throughout the day embedded within all types of experience in the ELC setting including daily routines, indoor and outdoor play and transitions. 

1. Adults are responsive: Adults support language and communication development from infancy and throughout the early years, by consistently responding whenever a baby or young child initiates to communicate their emotions, needs or interests in any way, intentionally or unintentionally.
2. Adults get down to the child’s level: Being at the child’s eye level supports a shared focus of attention and helps the baby or child to clearly see words being formed and facial expressions used by the adult.  The adult can be face to face or alongside, depending on the situation and on the child’s preferences.
   Eye contact is not comfortable or helpful for all children.  Very young babies can’t see very far, so it is usually good to get close and be face-to-face for short periods.  Toddlers and young children should have the option to make eye contact only if or when they choose to do so.
3. Adults adapt their language: Children are more able to join in with back-and-forth conversations when adults use fewer words and fewer questions and include more gestures. Speak a little more slowly than usual and pause regularly to give the child time to process and respond.
4. Adults model and label:  Adults can support language by labelling (naming) objects, actions, or feelings; commenting on what the child seems interested in.  By commenting the adult increases the range of contextually relevant words and sentences that the child hears.
5.  Adults have conversations with babies and children: By joining in with children’s experiences and having conversations, adults can model relevant vocabulary and language. The National Chatting Together key messages for early communication support early conversations with babies and very young children who may not be talking yet.  Adults are encouraged to be at the baby or child’s level, to use a sing song voice and to listen, watch and respond; paying attention to facial expressions, sounds and wiggles and responding by copying sounds and gestures and by commenting on what is happening.
6. Adults balance questions with comments: Making more comments and asking fewer questions can help to keep a conversation going, especially for younger children and those with more limited language skills.  Open-ended questions that match a child’s developmental stage, can help to extend their thinking and create opportunities for extended responses.
7.  Adults expand and recast:  Adults can expand on what the child has said, by repeating their comment then adding words or details to make a fuller sentence.  Grammatical errors and mispronunciations are a normal part of learning.  A recast happens when an adult repeats the word or phrase correctly, but without telling the child they got it wrong. 
8. Adults use gesture, signing and other visuals: Visual supports including gestures, key word signing (such as Makaton), pictures (photos or symbols) and real objects can help children to focus their attention and learn the meaning of new words.

Babies and children should have the opportunity to participate a range of child-initiated, adult initiated and adult-directed experiences appropriate to their developmental stage and in response to any identified language and communication concerns or needs.

Research evidence tells us that a combination of adult-led, adult-initiated and child-led experiences can boost language learning.

1. Song, rhythm and rhyme: Songs and nursery rhymes are naturally rhythmic and often feature repetition of words and phrases, emphasis on key words and a slower than usual rate of speech.  Babies and young children tend to respond positively to songs and rhymes, with good evidence of benefits for language development.
2. Child-led play involving adults: Children’s play that involves adults is associated with improved outcomes for language and social development and other aspects of learning. Shared play creates opportunities for the adult to participate responsively, following the child’s lead and using strategies such as labelling, modelling, expansion or recasting.
3.  Sharing books and stories: Early and frequent shared reading and opportunities for conversations about books has been found to support children’s language development.  For bilingual learners this might include having access to books and resources in their home language.
4.  Small groups: Carefully chosen adult-led small group experiences such as baking, storytelling and gardening encourage talk and create opportunities for children to express themselves and develop their language and communication skills.
5. Encounters with vocabulary: Adults can help children to learn unfamiliar words when they talk about word meanings and make connections with children’s experiences, repeat new words and use varied and interesting vocabulary.
6. Considered use of screen-based technology: The World Health Organisation[1] recommends that children under 2 avoid screen-based technology and advocates for limits and care regarding screen use by older children. Emerging evidence suggests that some types and durations of screen use by young children are detrimental to development.
   Adult screen use can create a barrier to responsive adult-child interactions. Older can learn from some interactive books and games, especially when an adult responsively and playfully joins in.
7.  Involvement of Parents: Parental engagement in their children’s learning is positively associated with children’s social-emotional development and their longer-term academic outcomes.  Opportunities such as stay-and-play can provide opportunities for ELC staff to connect with parents, helping them to notice what they are already doing to support their child’s language and communication development.

1. Noise management: While some environmental noise associated with play is clearly unavoidable, there is evidence to suggest that continuous background music or sound from screen-based technology can be detrimental to the speech and language development of infants and toddlers.  Music should be played intentionally only at set times and for specific purposes.
2. Books and stories: There is ample evidence that books and stories support language learning for all children, including bilingual learners. Children should have ready access to books across different areas within the setting.
3. Labelling of resources and areas: Visual labelling of resources and areas using photographs, pictures or symbols, with accompanying text, may help children to identify where resources belong, build their independence, support early print awareness and scaffold word learning especially when adults draw attention to labels and say words aloud.
4. Quiet spaces: Quiet and calm spaces in ELC settings support emotional regulation and wellbeing for many children.  Quiet spaces may also create opportunities for children to think and talk with peers and with adults.