Are intrigued by novelty and events and actions around them.
How babies listen to, concentrate on or gaze intently at things that catch their interest
Interpret and give meaning to the things young babies show interest in
Provide resources that stimulate babies' interests such as a shiny bell, a book or a mirror.
8-20 Months
Understand simple meanings conveyed in speech.
Respond to the different things said to them when in a familiar context with a special person.
The ways in which babies show you they have understood.
Talk to babies about what you are doing, so they will link words with actions, for example, preparing lunch.
Enjoying a snack - In a childminder's home, the childminder supports a baby and toddler at snack time by talking and listening to them. [transcript]
You can watch the video via modem or slow / fast / superfast broadband connections. If you are behind a network firewall, why not click here to view a flash file of the video. You do need to have the flash plugin.
Create an environment which invites responses from babies and adults, for example, touching, smiling, smelling, feeling, listening, exploring, describing and sharing.
16-26 Months
Are able to respond to simple requests and grasp meaning from context.
The ways in which young children respond to adults and other children and the circumstances in which this takes place.
Be aware that young children's understanding is much greater than their ability to express their thoughts and ideas.
Plan play activities and provide resources which encourage young children to engage in symbolic play, for example, putting a 'baby' to bed and talking to it appropriately.
22-36 Months
Use action, sometimes with limited talk, that is largely concerned with the 'here and now'.
Use language as a powerful means of widening contacts, sharing feelings, experiences and thoughts.
Situations where children use actions and some talk to support and think about what they are doing.
How children show what they understand, by what they do and say, for example, actions, questions, new words and the rhythms and intonations they use.
Use talk to describe what children are doing by providing a running commentary: "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.
Encourage children to learn one another's names and to pronounce them correctly. Ensure all staff can pronounce the names of children, parents and other staff members.
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, for example, "We need some eggs. Let's see if we can find some in here".
Plan to encourage correct use of language by telling repetitive stories, and playing games which involve repetition of words or phrases.
30-50 Months
Talk activities through, reflecting on and modifying what they are doing.
Use talk to give new meanings to objects and actions, treating them as symbols for other things.
Use talk to connect ideas, explain what is happening and anticipate what might happen next.
Use talk, actions and objects to recall and relive past experiences.
How children use talk to think through and revise what they are doing. For example, following a farm visit, Fiona talks as she rearranges toy farm animals, "Put baby sheep here... oh no... no mummy... that sheep has lost its mum".
How children use talk to connect ideas and explain things.
Prompt children's thinking and discussion through involvement in their play.
Talk to children about what they have been doing and help them to reflect upon and explain events, for example, "You told me this model was going to be a tractor. What's this lever for?".
Set up shared experiences that children can reflect upon, for example, visits, cooking, or stories that can be re-enacted.
Help children to predict and order events coherently, by providing props and materials that encourage children to re-enact, using talk and action.
40-60+ Months
Begin to use talk instead of action to rehearse, reorder and reflect on past experience, linking significant events from own experience and from stories, paying attention to how events lead into one another.
Begin to make patterns in their experience through linking cause and effect, sequencing, ordering and grouping.
Begin to use talk to pretend imaginary situations.
Use language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences.
Use talk to organise, sequence and clarify thinking, ideas, feelings and events.
How children use talk to reflect upon, clarify, sequence and think about present and past experiences, ideas and feelings.
How children link one thing to another to explain and anticipate things. For example, "We won't play out today because it's too windy... you might get blown away".
Ways in which children use language in their pretend and imaginary play.
For children speaking languages other than English, note which language is dominant, as well as their use of gesture and intonation to convey meaning.
Ask children to think in advance about how they will accomplish a task. Talk through and sequence the stages together.
Use stories from books to focus children's attention on predictions and explanations, for example, "Why did the boat tip over?".
Help children to identify patterns, for example, what generally happens to 'good' and 'wicked' characters at the end of stories; to draw conclusions, "The sky has gone dark. It must be going to rain"; to explain effect, "It sank because it was too heavy"; to predict, "It might not grow in there if it is too dark" and to speculate, "What if the bridge falls down?".
Take an interest in what and how children think and not just what they know.
Set up displays that remind children of what they have experienced, using objects, artefacts, photographs and books.
Provide for, initiate and join in imaginative play and role-play, encouraging children to talk about what is happening and to act out the scenarios in character.
