Where does communication really begin? – A common question asked within the Early Years setting.

Communication between a Mother, Father and siblings begins before a baby is even born! Your baby begins to know you, your family home and your closest of relatives before they even arrive in person. The sounds of your home begin to form a comforting connection that your baby will need to help them understand their new world. The voices of Mummy and Daddy that baby has grown to learn over the first nine months will play a critical part in settling your baby into their family.

These relationships blossom and become increasingly more fruitful as your child grows and learns how to communicate with you.

As babies begin on this learning journey, they start listening to all of the sounds around them. They will listen to the whir of the vacuum cleaner, the whoosh of the tap as water flows into the sink, the sounds of their own heart beating in their ears and even the rattle of the keys in the door as Mummy or Daddy comes back home.

Your voice must become a key player in your child’s Communication Team.

Learning to talk about the incidentals is certainly a new skill for many new Mummies and Daddies. Take it slow and never worry about sounding foolish. Baby needs to hear “Mummy is changing your nappy now,” “Daddy is lifting you up for a cuddle,” “that is your sister Jessie, she is so happy to have you safe at home.” These simple sentences will begin to substantiate your child’s developing vocabulary bank. This kind of learning is natural, meaningful and strengthens the beautiful bond developing between your child and yourself.

You may notice that your child will pick up your accent, your mannerisms or even phrases that you often say. That’s because children are linguistical sponges and they absorb everything that they are exposed to. Being around children at these precious learning stages, Parents and educators have a strong influence on their developing language and social skills. The way that we interact with those around us shapes our children’s interactions with their environment. That being said, as parents and educators we must select our words and phrases carefully. The words we choose to use will soon be used by our children so let them be positively phrased, affirmative and clear.

Let us be role models and Leaders of Language for our littlest of learners.

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Laura Partanen 
Nursery Manager
JINS Al Safa