Ensuring quality interactions for effective language development in the Early Years
Written By: Eleanor Milligan
6 min read
Eleanor Milligan, Lecturer in Education, University of East Anglia, UK
The importance of language skills
It is well evidenced that children’s language development in the Early Years leads to better outcomes for children. Law et al. (2017) showed that communicative development in the Early Years affected not only later language learning but also academic success. We also know that the benefits go far beyond this: good language development in the Early Years not only leads to better outcomes for children in schools, but also impacts on mental health, later employability and lifelong chances (Law et al., 2009).
The importance and impact, therefore, of all interactions, including those within Early Years settings as well as in the home learning environment, cannot be underestimated. Critically, however, it is not just the quantity of language that a child hears but, as Weisleder and Fernald (2013) clarify, it is the quality of those interactions that counts.
This identification o
Join us or sign in now to view the rest of this page
You're viewing this site as a guest, which only allows you to view a limited amount of content.
To view this page and get access to all our resources, join the Chartered College of Teaching (it's free for trainee teachers and half price for NQTs) or log in if you're already a member.
References
- Bloom L and Beckwith R (1989) Talking with feeling: Integrating affective and linguistic expression in early language development. Cognition and Emotion 3(4): 313–342.
- Dockrell JE, Bakopoulou I, Law J et al. (2013) Communication Supporting Classroom Observation Tool. The Communication Trust and ICAN. Available at: https://ican.org.uk/i-cans-talking-point/professionals/tct-resources/more-resources/classroom-supporting-tool (accessed 1 March 2022).
- Dockrell JE, Bakopoulou I, Law J et al (2015) Capturing communication supporting classrooms: The development of a tool and feasibility study. Child Language Teaching and Therapy 31(3): 271–286.
- Early Years Coalition (2021) Birth to Five matters: Non-statutory guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Available at: www.birthtofivematters.org.uk (accessed 1 March 2022).
- Grenier J (2020) Working with the revised Early Years Foundation Stage: Principles into practice. Development Matters. Available at: www.development-matters.org.uk (accessed 1 March 2022).
- Harms T, Clifford RM and Cryer D (2015) Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale, 3rd ed. New York: Teachers College Press.
- Howard SJ, Siraj I, Melhuish EC et al. (2018) Measuring interactional quality in pre-school settings: Introduction and validation of the Sustained Shared Thinking and Emotional Wellbeing (SSTEW) scale. Early Child Development and Care 190(7): 1017–1030.
- I CAN (nd) I CAN’s talking point. Available at: https://ican.org.uk/i-cans-talking-point (accessed 1 March 2022).
- Laevers F (1994) The innovative project Experiential Education and the definition of quality in education. In: Defining and Assessing Quality in Early Childhood Education. Studia Paedagogica. Leuven: Leuven University Press, pp. 159–172.
- Law J, Charlton J, Dockrell J et al. (2017) Early language development: Needs, provision and intervention for preschool children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Education Endowment Foundation. Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/evidence-reviews/early-language (accessed 1 March 2022).
- Law J, Rush R, Schoon I et al. (2009) Modelling developmental language difficulties from school entry into adulthood: Literacy, mental health, and employment outcomes. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research 52(6): 1401–1416.
- Law J, Tulip J and Stringer H (2019) Teachers observing classroom communication: An application of the Communicating Supporting Classroom Observation Tool for children aged 4–7 years. Child Language Teaching and Therapy 35(3): 203–220.
- Melhuish E and Gardiner J (2021) Study of Early Education and Development (SEED): Impact study on early education use and child outcomes up to age seven years. Department for Education. Available at: https://seed.natcen.ac.uk/findings.aspx (accessed 1 March 2022).
- Siraj I, Kingston D and Melhuish EC (2015) Assessing Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care: Sustained Shared Thinking and Emotional Well-Being (SSTEW) Scale for 2–5 Year-Olds Provision. London: IOE Press.
- Siraj-Blatchford I, Sylva K, Muttock S et al. (2002) Researching effective pedagogy in the Early Years. Department for Education and Skills. Available at: https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/4650/1/RR356.pdf (accessed 1 March 2022).
- Wall S, Litjens I and Taguma M (2015) Early childhood education and care pedagogy review: England. DfE and OECD. Available at: www.oecd.org/education/school/early-childhood-education-and-care-pedagogy-review-england.pdf (accessed 1 March 2022).
- Weisleder A and Fernald A (2013) Talking to children matters: Early language experience strengthens processing and builds vocabulary. Psychological Science 24(11): 2143–2152.
Subscribe
Please login to comment
0 Comments
Oldest
