Language and Literacy

 Language and Literacy

  • Read stories and look at picture books together.  Talk about the illustrations and encourage your child to predict what might happen next.  Talk about their favourite character or part of the story. Join in with parts they know. 
  • Say Nursery Rhymes together so that before long your child will be able to say them for him or herself and supply the rhyming word: ‘Hickory Dickory Dock, the mouse ran up the …’  ‘Humpty Dumpty sat on the…  ‘
  • Look at labels and signs as you shop or go for a walk e.g. talk about the sounds at the beginning of words e.g. ‘m’ for Mummy.
  • Play ‘I spy’ type games; use the sound of the letters not the name (‘a’ as in apple, not ‘a’ as in ape).  Collect things on a tray starting with a certain sound e.g.
  • Encourage your child to ask for help when needed and to ask and answer questions.  If somebody asks your child a question, give him or her time to think and try not to provide the answer yourself.
  • Listen to story tapes together.
  • Encourage an interest in books and any form of text: comics, postcards, labels, posters. Visit the library if this is an option available to you.
  • Help your child practise expressing who they are, their name, age and something about their family, what they like and dislike; this will help them make new friends when they start school.
  • Make observations and show curiosity; talk about things that you see along a journey or walk, encourage your child to predict and ask questions - ‘I wonder where that big red bus is going?’
  • Plan ‘time to talk’ for just a few minutes each day without the distractions such as the TV.

My child is bilingual, how can I work with the school in preparation for September?

Speaking more than one language is a positive and beneficial skill which should be celebrated and valued both at school and at home. Bilingualism can have many positive benefits for children, and the first language has a continuing and significant role in developing a child's identity, in supporting their learning and in the acquisition of additional languages. 

At Kilnwood Vale Primary School we will always celebrate the child's home language and culture.

During our home visits, we will use this opportunity to learn more about your child's language skills both in their home language as well as in English.  If appropriate, we may work together to make a 'language poster' with the parents' help, adding phrases that we may want to know.

Top Tips for Parents:

  • Speak to your child in the language that you feel most comfortable with - it is the quality of the interaction that is important, it does not matter which language you use.
  • Support your child in a rich language experience: introduce your child to stories, songs, rhymes and poems in your home language and talk to them about things you see and do.

Activities to Promote Language in the Home

  • Play - This is the main way children learn at this age, so get involved with them!!
  • Dolls house / Playmobil – Is helpful for you to describe what your child is doing with the toys, for example “Oh! The boy’s taking the bucket to the sandpit”.
  • Imaginative play/pretend play – dressing up and using one object as another are good for encouraging more flexible thinking, for example, using a banana as a telephone.
  • Turn-taking games with simple rules of all types are good for developing a number of skills for example, snakes and ladders, snap.
  • Begin to teach your child the days of the week by associating one activity with each day, e.g. Monday is swimming day (the activity will need to be exclusive to that day). You can make a visual chart showing the day and a picture of the activity. Use language such as yesterday, today and tomorrow when talking about the days of the week. This helps them develop an understanding of order.
  • Make sure you have a ‘talking time’ with your child as well as making time for reading. This should be a time when they have your exclusive attention, i.e. you are not cooking or ironing as well. Allow your child to choose an activity, e.g. drawing a picture and let them lead the conversation. It is important that they know you are listening attentively.
  • Read stories in books to your child as well as listening to them read. Ask simple questions about what they think is going to happen next before turning a page or before getting to the ending. Talk about why people did things in the story and why events took place.
  • Help your child to make up their own stories and make their own books – they can dictate simple sentences, so you do the writing and they draw the pictures.
  • If your child has watched a DVD or TV programme ask them to retell the story to you. Again, talk to them about why things happened.
  • Help them learn songs and rhymes – find out if they are learning any at school you could reinforce at home.
  • Let your child watch you do things such as cooking and talk to them about what you are doing and why, e.g. you blow on something hot to make it cooler, and if you eat it when it’s hot it will burn your mouth.
  • Model correct sentences for your child. If they make a mistake it is more important that they hear the correct way to say something than repeat it, e.g. if they say “We goed to library and I get book” you can respond “So you went to the library and got a book out”.