NEW BOOK Supporting Early Language Development; Spirals for Babies and Toddlers

Early years practitioners, childminders parents and carers, do you need effective ideas for giving your babies and toddlers support to become confident talkers? It clearly isn’t a straightforward task as over 1.2 million in the UK have real difficulties and delays in their ability to talk, listen, and socialise

In this book we present strategies, practical advice and fun activities based in psychology that have a proven track record for guiding practitioners and families in the key ways to promote children’s language development Essentially this book shows when and how to introduce powerful but simple activities and games to support the progress of babies and toddlers in vital language and communication skills, This input will stand them in good stead by preparing them for life and these skills are particularly needed when they enter school.

The guidance in the first part of the book forms a training component that links well to early years staff development. We go on to describe in detail games and activities to develop key language and communication skills for babies and toddlers. This section will give you ideas as to how to go about developing an effective support system for each child’s language in your home or setting. Once young children are keyed into learning language with you through these and similar activities they really will be in an upward spiral of learning.

As an Educational Psychologist, Marion’s specialist interest is in research about language development. The ideas in the book incorporates up to date research in brain based learning and psychology. Jackie is an experienced Speech and language Therapist who h advises on the sequence of language development. We bring to mind key areas throughout the book in ways that hope will be easy to remember in your busy day.

We show how you can provide activities in language minutes that will help the child to learn the names of important things they see and use every day and we show you how to reinforce their understanding of early concepts and action words and extend the child’s language in line with their development’’
The book provides;

• 40 plus tried and tested sessions to help develop children’s early speech, language and communication
• Clear guidelines for adults as to the key ways to promote each child’s language and communication skills
• Detailed guidance on how to play key games, and empower children’s learning
• Ideas for progression
• Suggestions for involving parents as key partners
• Photocopiable record sheets

This Baby Spirals book will work in tandem with the reccomendations recommendations for the changes in the EYFS

• Providing clear guidance based on developmental and brain based psychology on the necessary knowledge and activities to support the language and communication skills of babies and toddlers.
• Clear guidance on involving parents as partners in supporting the language development odf their child. The activities are set out simply and resources are minimal.
• Providing guidance on what and how to record a child’s progress so that it will be clear what the next steps for the child need to be as they enter school. Specially designed language record sheets are included.
• Providing guidance that can be used in staff development in this key but complex area.

How will the reader benefit from reading this book?

As above and also Spirals has a proven track record since 2002 in giving effective support to the practitioners and parents who support children for whom language development is not straightforward.
The thought most often expressed at training is how effective, how easy and how much fun it encourages and what an astonishing effect it can have on children’s language.

Spirals for Babies and Toddlers
Together with Jackie and with David Leah, we developed the Baby Spirals book as so many practitioners had asked me if we could produce a younger version of the popular Spirals scheme to help the babies and toddlers they worked with. We are very pleased that Jean Gross has agreed to write the foreword for us.
The authorship if this book is special, I believe, as there is an EP and a Speech and language therapist actively collaborating to ensure that both the developmental psychology and the sequence of language development suggested are drawn from years of expertise working with children of the age range the book covers. Then there is David, an experienced FE consultant who advised on the best way to present guidance in a way that would be accessible tutors on child care courses

Also the Spirals is an established system that is consistently well spoken of.. This book continues the themes and approaches for the younger child.