Did you know that the best way to encourage speech and language development for tamariki is to do a lot of talking with them?
Talking to young tamariki strengthens their speech, language and social learning and builds a strong base for learning to read.
All Central Kids kindergartens have a strong focus on speech, language and literacy. Kaiako actively use strategies that encourage tamariki to expand their vocabulary. Storytime, dramatic play and waiata are fun activities that also support speech development for tamariki.
As parents or caregivers, there are lots of things you can do to support language development for your tamariki at home.
Tips about talking together with tamariki
It's important to talk to tamariki every day. Talk about what you're doing and what they are interested in.
- Talk in your home language(s). Young tamariki are amazing language learners and can learn more than one language at a time. Your home language is important, so use it often.
- Sound and word play. Playing with sounds and words is a stepping stone for learning to read and write. Have fun together with rhymes and rhythms through waiata, stories, poems, nursery rhymes, as well as made up songs, rhymes and jokes.
- Reading and telling stories. All types of books and stories support tamariki to enjoy and experience language, while developing their imagination, thinking and understanding of the world. Read books and tell stories often, while allowing tamariki to enjoy them in their own way.
- Back and forth conversations. Conversations with back and forth interactions are important for brain development, this is when you talk, your tamaiti talks, and you talk again. You can help keep the conversation going by looking for and commenting on what tamariki are doing or noticing.
- Descriptive language. Talking together about everyday things helps tamariki understand the world, learn new words and how to use them. Talk about and describe what is happening around you and describe what you are doing.
These tips have been summarised from Talking Together Te Kōrerorero, a Ministry of Education resource.
You can visit the Ministry of Education's Tāhūrangi website for more Talking Together videos and resources (available in Māori and a range of Pasifika languages).
