All Modules B6-Development Matters in the early years | Page 18

3 Communication and Language: Understanding
A Unique Child:

Birth - 11
months

Positive Relationships:

observing what a child is learning

what adults could do

what adults could provide

• Look at the baby and say their name. Make eye contact
and wait for them to react.
• Interpret and give meaning to the things young babies
show interest in, e.g. when babies point to an object tell
them what it is.
• Talk to babies about what you are doing and what is
happening, so they will link words with actions, e.g.
preparing lunch.
• Use actions to support your words, e.g. waving when you
say ‘bye bye’.
• Speak clearly. Babies respond well to a higher pitched,
sing-song voice.
• Use and repeat single words, so the baby can gradually
link the word to its meaning.

• Let babies see and hear the sequence of actions you
go through as you carry out familiar routines.
• Provide resources that stimulate babies’ interests such
as a shiny bell, a book or a mirror.
• Display lists of words from different home languages,
and invite parents and other adults to contribute.
Include languages such as Romany and Creole, since
seeing their languages reflected in the setting will
encourage all parents to feel involved and valued.
• When you use nursery rhymes, help children
understand the words by using actions as well.

• Be aware that young children’s understanding is much
greater than their ability to express their thoughts and
ideas.
• Recognize young children’s competence and appreciate
their efforts when they show their understanding of new
words and phrases.

• Plan play activities and provide resources which
encourage young children to engage in symbolic
play, e.g. putting a ‘baby’ to bed and talking to it
appropriately.
• Use pictures, books, real objects, and signs alongside
your words.

• Use talk to describe what children are doing by providing
a running commentary, e.g. ‘Oh, I can see what you are
doing. You have to put the milk in the cup first.’
• Provide opportunities for children to talk with other
children and adults about what they see, hear, think and
feel.

• Include things which excite young children’s curiosity,
such as hats, bubbles, shells, story books, seeds and
snails.
• Provide activities, such as cooking, where talk is used
to anticipate or initiate what children will be doing,
e.g. “We need some eggs. Let’s see if we can find
some in here.”

27. Stops and looks when hears own name.
28. Starts to understand contextual clues, e.g. familiar
gestures, words and sounds.
29. Pays attention to actions and disengage after the action
is common
30. Reacts with movement to conversations, sound and
gestures

31. Developing the ability to follow others’ body
language, including pointing and gesture.
32. Responds to the different things said when in a
familiar context with a special person (e.g. ‘Where’s
Mummy?’,
33. ‘Where’s your nose?’).
34. Understanding of single words in context is developing, e.g.
8-20 months 35. ‘cup’, ‘milk’, ‘daddy’.
36. Uses simple statements and questions linked to gestures
37. Use intonation, rhythm and phrasing to make themselves
clear to others
38. Follows simple directions like cleaning up
39. Demonstrates understanding of spoken language by
responding with actions
40. Uses an increased number of words
41. Names pictures in a book
42. Selects familiar objects by name and will go and find
objects when asked, or identify objects from a group.
43. • Understands simple sentences (e.g. ‘Throw the ball.’)
44. Uses two words sentences
45. Experiments with language inventing new words
16-26 months 46. Attends to and tries to get part in conversations
47. Imitates conversations and language rhythm
48. Pretends play talking to toys
49. Identifies action words by pointing to the right
picture, e.g., “Who’s jumping?”
50. Understands more complex sentences, e.g. ‘Put your
toys away and then we’ll read a book.’
51. Understands ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’ in simple questions
52. (e.g. Who’s that/can? What’s that? Where is.?).
53. • Developing understanding of simple concepts (e.g.
22-36 months
big/little).
54. Enjoys listening to books read
55. More active participation in conversation, using more
lexicon and keeping the conversation going

Enabling Environments:

Communication and Language: Understanding

Playing and Exploring, Active Learning, and Creating and Thinking Critically support children’s learning across all areas