Speaking and Listening
At Maybury Primary School, children and adults from a diverse range of ethnicities learn together. This makes for unique population and is something to be celebrated. For the majority of our pupils, English is an additional language, (EAL).
The importance of early talk in children cannot be overstated. Spoken language is the foundation for all future learning. As such, it is vital that we give our children the best possible start in this skill.
Research has shown that young children learn most effectively if they are spoken to by adults who speak in their ‘mother tongue’. From birth, children are developing a range of communication skills and learn early language concepts. As parents, you have a key role in this development. By providing the opportunity to communicate in your language about anything and everything, you will be providing the best start for your child.
Do not worry that your child will not learn to speak English correctly. It is best that children learn first in their ‘mother tongue’. They pick up English later surprisingly quickly in most cases and have the added advantage of speaking more than one language well. So, keep talking!!
The I can website (link below) has some lovely activities that can help with speaking and listening at home.
