Take pleasure in making and listening to a wide variety of sounds.
Create personal words as they begin to develop language.
Looks at the person speaking.
Watches and follows adult movements.
Follows with gaze when an adult directs attention to near objects by looking and pointing, for example, when an adult points to a dog and says "Look at the dog" and the child looks at the dog.
Waits for speaker to finish before taking their turn.
Follows with eyes when others point to distant objects.
Attends to an object when you draw their attention to it, by looking and pointing (joint attention).
Looks at an object and then back to you, or points, to direct your attention to it.
Concentrates intently on an object or activity of own choosing for short periods.
Watches and listens to others, copying some behaviour in own play.
Attends to pictures for a short time, labelling and making a comment, either with adult guidance or independently.
Recognises and responds to own name, for example, by turning or looking up in response to their name being called.
Recognises some family names such as Mummy, Daddy or names of siblings.
Stops what they are doing in response to "No".
Shows understanding of familiar objects by actions, for example, pretends to drink from an empty cup or uses a brush on their hair.
Responds to simple familiar language in context, for example, runs to the door when an adult holds their keys and says "It's time to go". At this stage, the child is mainly responding to the tone of voice and situational cues in a particular well–known routine.
Understands names of some common objects, for example, picks up or points to a toy when it is named.
Responds to keywords in play so that when you ask "Where's the ball?" they look to find the ball.
Points to named items in picture books.
Shows understanding of at least 15 words, for example, looks at a named person and points to or finds an object when asked to (such as, "Where are your shoes?").
Uses voice or gesture to: – attract attention (for example, holding up objects, waving arms); – ask for things (for example, reaching, opening and shutting hands); – refuse (for example, pushing objects away, shaking head).
Uses voice, gestures or actions to join in with a familiar rhyme or game.
Uses gesture or voice to direct attention to objects and people, as well as self.
Makes it clear through gesture or voice when they want something to happen again, for example, to play a game again or more to eat.
Copies gestures as part of games and familiar routines, such as clapping hands, waving 'bye', blowing kisses, open hands for 'where is it' or 'all gone'.
Begins to point to objects, self and others close by, using index finger.
Initiates give and take games by offering objects.
Looks towards place where you are looking.
Communicates for a range of different purposes including to greet, to request, to protest, to label objects and people.
Waves 'bye-bye' through imitation, copying when other people wave and later waving 'bye–bye' when asked.
Simple conversations take place between adult and child, mainly focusing on the here and now.
Points to objects in the environment to direct adult attention and share interest and may vocalise while pointing.
Points towards objects that are out of reach to request them.
Asks for favourite games using words or gestures, for example, playing peek-a-boo, saying "Boo" or hiding face in hands.
Plays vocal games with you, copying noises you make.
Uses approximately five words without prompting.
Speaks to name favourite items such as "bubbles", "ball" or "cat".
Speaks to make requests such as "drink" or "more".
Waves 'bye-bye' spontaneously.
The sounds babies enjoy making and listening to.
The signs or words babies use, noting any words in home languages, to communicate what they want, like or dislike.
Babies' developing vocabulary in their mother tongue, as well as English, noting which words are in English and which are in the home language. Note in which circumstances the different languages are used.
Where babies look when you speak to them about objects and people nearby and when you point at the things and people you are talking about.
Examples of babies learning to play their part in a conversation. Do they stop vocalising when you are talking and wait for their 'turn'?
How babies watch and listen to other people who are talking.
How babies react when their name is called.
The different ways babies let you know that they understand what you say to them.
The ways in which babies respond when you look at a picture book together and you talk about the items on the page.
How babies use voice, gesture and words to attract attention, ask for things and refuse things.
Occasions when babies begin to point.
How babies participate in simple routines such as waving 'bye bye'.
Try to 'tune in' to the different messages young babies are attempting to convey.
Find out from parents greetings used in English and in languages other than English; encourage staff, parents and children to become familiar with them.
Recognise and value the importance of all languages spoken and written by parents, staff and children.
Watch children and think about how they tell you what they want, for example by cuddling in when they want more cuddles, wriggling their fingers when they want to be picked up and crying to show they are uncomfortable or wet.
Respond to children's attempts to communicate so they know they have succeeded.
Put into words what you think children are trying to tell you.
Play games such as peek-a-boo and recite rhymes such as 'Pat-a-cake' and 'Round and Round the Garden', using associated actions and gestures.
Play give-and-take games where toys and objects are exchanged.
Share books to promote shared attention - books help you to know you are focused on the same things as you talk about them.
Tell children the names of the things and people they see in books and all around them.
Recast what children are trying to communicate by taking their incomplete utterances and giving them back the language they need. When a child pushes something away you might say "You don't like that, do you?".
Copy the first attempts at words that children make so that they can see and hear the full version. When a child says "mo" you might say "More? You want more?".
Talking at the table - In a childminder's home, the childminder supports a small group of children, including a baby's non-verbal communication, at a shared snack time. [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.
Communicate with parents to exchange and update information about babies' personal words.
Display lists of words from different home languages, and invite parents and other adults to contribute. Include languages such as Romany and Creole, since seeing their languages reflected in the setting will encourage all parents to feel involved and valued.
Language for Thinking
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.
Linking Sounds and Letters
Enjoy babbling and increasingly experiment with using sounds and words to represent objects around them.
Turns immediately to familiar voices across a room.
Responds to music by swaying, bouncing and so on.
Locates the direction sounds come from by looking appropriately in the direction of the sound.
Recognises the voices of key people in their life.
Associates meaning with some environmental sounds, for example, hears a telephone and immediately looks at it.
Enjoys singing or rhyme games.
Anticipates actions, tickles and so on from sounds and tunes of songs and rhymes, for example, giggles at the end of 'Round and Round the Garden' waiting for the tickle to come.
Bounces rhythmically when being sung to or when listening to music.
Begins to imitate the voices of others, especially the vowels and 'ups and downs' of speech (intonation).
Begins to imitate sounds and may copy you if you copy the child's sounds first.
Voice starts to have the tone and rhythm (patterns and stresses of familiar phrases) of the language spoken at home.
Imitates and joins in babble of others.
Babbles, using consonants and vowels such as 'baba', 'gaga'.
Tries lots of ways of making consonants in babble: - most common 'b', 'p', 'd', 't', 'g', 'k' are called stops; - 'm', 'n', 'ng' are called nasals.
Produces and copies mouth movements for speech sounds, for example, putting lips together for 'm' and rounding lips for 'oo'.
Begins to use varied double syllable sounds, for example, "Dadi", "Babu" or uses a variety of syllables in continued babbling, such as "Badago" (variegated babble).
Copies and uses voice spontaneously as part of games or familiar routines, for example, "Bye-bye" or "All gone".
Copies symbolic noises and parts of words (for example, "Chooo") and later produces them spontaneously (for example, "Aaah!" when cuddling toy).
Uses a range of vowels from the language heard at home, such as 'i' as in bit, 'a' as in bat, 'e' as in bet and 'u' as in but.
Imitates familiar consonants and vowel sounds associated with frequently-used toys and or pictures (for example "Baa-baa" for a sheep, "Moo-moo" for a cow).
Babbles freely when alone or playing.
Uses a wide range of consonants and vowels in babble or jargon.
Own vocalisations sound more like speech and are recognised as 'words': you may say "That's his word for... ".
Vocalises as attempts to copy words and later tries to imitate familiar spoken words.
The wide variety of sounds and words a baby produces.
The ways in which babies show they are learning to locate the direction from which sounds and voices are coming.
How babies respond when they hear a familiar voice or when their name is called.
Examples of how babies respond to singing and rhymes.
How babies imitate the sounds and intonation patterns of speech they hear around them.
The range of speech sounds used by babies as they begin to babble.
Share the fun of discovery and value babies' attempts at words, for example, by picking up a doll in response to "baba".
Watch and interpret children's behaviour and praise word-like sounds.
Play peek-a-boo and action games to support babies' attention, sometimes over long periods of time. They also help to develop anticipation and offer children many opportunities to imitate and join in, which they will now do increasingly.
Imitate the noises babies make, such as laughter and other vocalisations.
Use bubbles to encourage repetition of the 'pop, pop, pop' sound you make as the bubble bursts.
Don't correct children's attempts at words, but simply repeat what they are trying to say correctly.
Respond to children's attempts at words by commenting on them, for example, when a child says "dogon", you say "Yes, the dog's gone home. He might come back later".
Find out from parents the words that children use for things which are important to them, such as "dodie" for dummy, remembering to extend this question to home languages. Explain that strong foundations in a home language support the development of English.
Reading
Respond to words and interactive rhymes, such as 'Clap Hands'.
How babies' responses develop as they learn to anticipate and join in with finger and word play.
Tell, as well as read, stories, looking at and interacting with young babies.
Let children handle books and draw their attention to pictures.
Discover from parents the copying games that their babies enjoy, and use these as the basis for your play.
Writing
Begin to make marks.
Babies' interest in marks, for example, the marks they make when they rub a rusk round the tray of a feeding chair.
Talk to babies about the patterns and marks they make.
Encourage babies to make marks in paint or with thick crayons.
Handwriting
Begin to bring together hand and eye movements to fix on and make contact with objects.
The movements and sounds babies make as they explore materials such as musical instruments, paint, dough, glue and the space around them.
Describe the movements young babies make as they move round and round, or ride a push-along toy in a straight line.
Plan a range of activities that encourage large and fine motor skills, such as throwing and kicking balls, riding push-along toys, feeding the guinea pigs.
Acknowledgements
Disclaimer
00012-2007CDO-EN