Some things to think about when talking/spending time together with younger children:
- Talk about what you’re doing as you carry out everyday tasks like making lunch/dinner, washing up etc.
- Point out all of the things you see around you when you’re out at the park, on the way to school, at the supermarket etc.
- Look at your child when you and they are talking – it shows that you are interested in what they have to say.
- If your child says something incorrectly instead of correcting, say it back in the correct way.
These are some things to think about when talking/spending time together with younger children:
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- Read lots of stories, rhymes and songs together!
- Make up your own stories together. Use funny voices for characters and act them out!
These are some things to think about when talking/spending time together with older children:
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- Play board/card games together.
- Watch Newsround together and talk about what you think/how you felt about one of the articles. We do this at school so your child will be used to and good at this and you can learn together!
These are some things to think about when talking/spending time together with older children:
- Talk about their day as you do things around the house together e.g. washing up, eating. This is more relaxing for your child and takes the pressure off them to speak as they’re also doing something else. If this is tricky to begin with remember two things: 1. Use the language they use and 2. Ask them to be more specific. Try asking questions such as:
- “What was the best question you asked today?”
- “What was the best/funniest/strangest/most exciting/worst thing that happened to you today?”
- “What are you looking forward to tomorrow?”
- Was there anything that you didn’t understand at school today?
- Ask your child to teach you something that they learned today because that’s the way they learn most effectively and they’ll remember 90% of what they’ve learned.
(Article 17: I have the right to get information in lots of ways, so long as it’s safe.)
