Special Communication and Language Bulletin

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Early years bulletin

5 October 2021

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As we begin the new academic year, let's focus on Communication and Language development. As one of the prime areas of learning and a priority within the revised EYFS, how can we provide the very best in teaching and learning opportunities for our early years children in Portsmouth?

Below you will find links and updates to several websites that help promote the importance of developing children's communication and language skills. These websites have been created for parents, so please do share with your families and find the most effective ways to engage them in supporting their children in the home learning and wider environment.

We then have a reminder of the Early Years Setting and Schools strand of the Portsmouth Commitment to Early Language. Take a look and familiarise your practitioners with the key commitments to supporting language development. And keep your eyes on our commitment as we will be sending out more information and exemplification materials to share best practice over the course of this year.

If you would like to be involved further or to share your best communication and language practice, email eyinclusion@portsmouthcc.gov.uk


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Best Start Portsmouth

Our colleagues in the Speech and Language Team have begun to train 10 targeted settings in Portsmouth using the Best Start programme. They will be providing a universal roll out of this training in the spring term, so that we can all access their expertise and learn about the most effective ways to support low level language needs to enable our children to stay on track in this area.


Top Tips for Talking

We also hope to refresh our Top Tips for Talking and get these out to settings so that you can share these every day, practical strategies with parents.


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We have several training workshops coming up this term to help you focus on Communication and Language:

  • Masterclass in Theories of Language Development -  9 November 2021
  • Linking Language to Literacy in the Early Years - 2 December 2021

Head to our website to find out more and make your booking to attend.


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Update to the Hungry Little Minds Website

DfE have recently added new activities, videos and resources to the Hungry Little Minds website to give parents and carers fresh ideas for supporting their child’s early language development.

The activities are simple to do and don’t require many resources. Most importantly, they are rooted in evidence about ‘what works’ for supporting children aged 0-5 to develop their speech, language and communication skills.

Some changes have also been made to the look and feel of the website to make it even easier for parents to navigate the page and find what they need.


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If you haven’t already seen the BBC's Tiny Happy People, take a look at their website. The website contains a range of information related to communication and language development aimed at parents. Currently topics include daily routines, how to make nappy changes less stressful and how using rhyming words helps children to learn.


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Early Years Providers and Schools will:

Make every interaction count - Seek opportunities to listen and respond to children, exploring their interests and extending vocabulary and communication skills.

Create enabling environments - Promote engaging and stimulating language rich environments.

Celebrate diversity - Recognise that all languages should be valued, respected and actively encouraged to develop.

Support all levels of development - Support all practitioners to take a graduated approach to language development, using a range of tools and resources to promote and build strong language skills for all children.

Be that role model of good language - Ensure that key staff are trained in a way which provides them with a high level of understanding around the acquisition and development of early language and encourage practitioners to see themselves as role models of language.


And finally, do look out for our new series of Communication, Language and Literacy bulletins that will come out regularly, with updates, tips, resource and experience ideas and audits to help you evaluate your provision and practice.

If you have any requests for specific communication and language training or questions on this theme, do email us at eyworkforce@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Any questions about the content of this email? Get in touch