Even before they speak, babies benefit from your voice, expressions, and words. Talk throughout the day, engaging when feeding, changing, playing, or tidying up.

Try this:

Copy baby sounds and take turns “chatting”

Talk about what you're both doing: “You’re splashing the water!”

Share mealtimes and bedtime as calm moments to connect and talk

Follow their lead — what they’re interested in is where communication blooms

To support rich conversation, we need to know what’s meaningful to children right now. Building strong relationships with nursery, and sharing news from home helps us talk about experiences that matter, and are relevant.

Try this:

Use props or books linked to a recent trip (e.g. zoo animals after a zoo visit)

Don’t quiz — comment! Turn “What did you see?” into “Wow, I bet the elephant was big!”

Share updates with families to reflect experiences across home and setting

Language and emotions are deeply linked. Giving children the words to express how they feel reduces frustration and supports wellbeing.

Try this:

Name emotions babies show: “You’re smiling — you’re happy!”

Use songs, stories and games to explore feelings

Validate and talk about all emotions — “It’s okay to feel cross”

Most communication is non-verbal! Babies and children need us to be physically present, down at their level, making eye contact and noticing what they notice.

Try this:

Sit or kneel so your face is at their eye level

Talk about what they’re looking at or doing

Say their name before speaking to help them tune in

Limit dummies during talking times to support mouth movement

Using a lively voice, gestures, and facial expressions helps children understand and enjoy language.

Try this:

Wave while saying “bye-bye” or stretch arms with “up”

Use funny sounds and animal noises when reading

Don’t be afraid to be silly — it captures attention and encourages imitation

Bring in role-play, puppets, and pretend play to expand language use

Children need time to respond. Whether they’re babbling or forming sentences, they benefit from knowing their voice matters.

Try this:

Pause after speaking — wait up to 10 seconds

Nod, smile and keep eye contact as they respond

Repeat unclear words back correctly rather than correcting:
“Dee-dar!” → “Yes! A guitar!”

Make cosy spaces like story dens where children feel relaxed to listen and talk

Use the right level of language for the child’s stage and stretch it gently.

Try this:

Give choices: “Do you want apple or banana?”

Repeat key words in different contexts

Extend sentences: “Car” → “Yes, red car goes fast!”

Use describing words (big, cold), action words (run, stir), and names of things

Create simple word maps: What is it? What does it feel like? Where do you find it?

Children learn best when they see, touch, hear, and do.

Try this:

Play “ready, steady… pop!” with bubbles

Use treasure boxes filled with everyday items

Guess mystery items by touch or smell

Play listening games and go on sound walks

Act out positional words: “Look, it’s under the chair!”

Visual supports make language more accessible and help children make connections.

Try this:

Use family photo books for storytelling and labelling

Add signs and labels to play areas and personal items

Use props, pictures, and Makaton signs to back up spoken words

Celebrate all languages and include multilingual print and visuals

Books are a powerful tool for language development at every stage.

Try this:

For babies: black-and-white books, lift-the-flap, touch and feel

For early talkers: simple rhymes and repeated phrases

For talkative children: stories with plot, dialogue, and emotional language

Pause while reading: “I can see a... (pause)”

Repeat favourites! Familiar stories build stronger vocabulary than variety alone