Spelling out the Let's Talk message at Cedars Nursery, Beacon Heath, are, back from left, Seth Connabear, Henry Sercombe, Amy McMullen, Mackenzie Steadman. Front, from left, Kacey Voaden, Sam McMullen, Lauren Edwards and Luca Lemay Palmer-Tye MATT MINSHULL EE180908_MM06_01
How to engage in the art of brilliant conversation Monday, September 22, 2008, 09:40
A LACK of chat in some Exeter homes is having a serious impact on children's development, statistics show.
More than half of children in one area of Exeter have been identified as having below average language skills when they start nursery and school.
Their underdeveloped communication skills are putting them at a serious disadvantage and they are falling behind while their peers, who have been surrounded by lots of interaction, progress at the expected rate.
It isn't a problem unique to Exeter. A recent national review of services for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs, conducted by MP John Bercow, found approximately 50 per cent of children and young people in some disadvantaged areas have speech and language skills that are significantly lower that those of other children of the same age.
Today a potentially life- changing campaign called Let's Talk is being launched in Exeter to turn things around and let people know why having conversations with children of all ages is important and how easy it is to do. The campaign has been instigated by Action For Children, which runs Sure Start Children's Centres in Whipton and Beacon Heath, an area where The Foundation Stage Profile for speaking and listening — which sums up each child's development and learning needs at the end of the reception year in primary school — was recently found to be the lowest in Devon.
Christine Cottle, children's centre manager in the area, said: "One of the first things we did to tackle the problem was to develop the Ready for School project, which identified over 50 per cent of children entering nurseries in our area had below average language skills and these were not just the children with special needs.
"They often start school with delayed language skills which puts them at a huge disadvantage because they rarely catch up and remain behind throughout their school years.
"We have always felt language development is incredibly important and even when we first started Sure Start in Exeter seven years ago one of the first things we did was to employ the expertise of speech and language therapists to work preventatively with families.
"Talking to them and others, we think there are a variety of reasons why language development is becoming such a problem.
"For example, forward facing buggies prevent having conversations with your baby, central heating means that children and parents are dispersed all over the house, there is pressure on time and families rarely eat together any more.
"Rooms are smaller so there is often not space for a table and front rooms are where families watch television.
Mums often think they are doing their children a huge favour by putting them in front of the television, thinking they will absorb language by listening to it, but learning language does not work that way. Babies and children need the stimulation of two-way conversations with the important people in their lives and the opportunity to practice what they are learning."
Another important message being highlighted in the campaign is the quality of the conversations people have with children.
Christine said: "In Robert Winston's Child of Our Time series he showed that over three quarters of all communication between parents and children was parents telling children what to do or not to do. The actual amount of time spent in meaningful conversation is ridiculously low, something like 17 per cent per day.
"Most of the time we talk to our children we are telling them what to do or not to do rather than giving them opportunities to have a conversation with us.
"This community campaign is about letting everybody know how important simply having conversations with children really is."
The Let's Talk campaign, backed by the Princesshay development, will run for a year and is aimed at children under five year olds. It is not just targeting parents but everyone who has regular contact with children; family members, friends and schools.
To get the message across, Let's Talk posters will be appearing at bus stops and in a wide variety of public places. Merchandise will also be available to enable parents to take the message home with reminders such as key rings, bibs, bowls and drinking cups.
Leaflets aimed at babies, toddlers and pre-school children will be handed out to parents giving ideas of how to encourage more talking.
Christine said: "We have come up with six very simple messages involving different situations.
"Having a conversation with a baby or small child is probably one of the best gifts you could give them in life and it costs nothing."
For more information about having good conversations with your child, telephone 01392 464754 or visit www.letstalk.me.uk.
A LACK of chat in some Exeter homes is having a serious impact on children's development, statistics show.
More than half of children in one area of Exeter have been identified as having below average language skills when they start nursery and school.
Their underdeveloped communication skills are putting them at a serious disadvantage and they are falling behind while their peers, who have been surrounded by lots of interaction, progress at the expected rate.
It isn't a problem unique to Exeter. A recent national review of services for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs, conducted by MP John Bercow, found approximately 50 per cent of children and young people in some disadvantaged areas have speech and language skills that are significantly lower that those of other children of the same age.
Today a potentially life- changing campaign called Let's Talk is being launched in Exeter to turn things around and let people know why having conversations with children of all ages is important and how easy it is to do. The campaign has been instigated by Action For Children, which runs Sure Start Children's Centres in Whipton and Beacon Heath, an area where The Foundation Stage Profile for speaking and listening — which sums up each child's development and learning needs at the end of the reception year in primary school — was recently found to be the lowest in Devon.
Christine Cottle, children's centre manager in the area, said: "One of the first things we did to tackle the problem was to develop the Ready for School project, which identified over 50 per cent of children entering nurseries in our area had below average language skills and these were not just the children with special needs.
"They often start school with delayed language skills which puts them at a huge disadvantage because they rarely catch up and remain behind throughout their school years.
"We have always felt language development is incredibly important and even when we first started Sure Start in Exeter seven years ago one of the first things we did was to employ the expertise of speech and language therapists to work preventatively with families.
"Talking to them and others, we think there are a variety of reasons why language development is becoming such a problem.
"For example, forward facing buggies prevent having conversations with your baby, central heating means that children and parents are dispersed all over the house, there is pressure on time and families rarely eat together any more.
"Rooms are smaller so there is often not space for a table and front rooms are where families watch television.
Mums often think they are doing their children a huge favour by putting them in front of the television, thinking they will absorb language by listening to it, but learning language does not work that way. Babies and children need the stimulation of two-way conversations with the important people in their lives and the opportunity to practice what they are learning."
Another important message being highlighted in the campaign is the quality of the conversations people have with children.
Christine said: "In Robert Winston's Child of Our Time series he showed that over three quarters of all communication between parents and children was parents telling children what to do or not to do. The actual amount of time spent in meaningful conversation is ridiculously low, something like 17 per cent per day.
"Most of the time we talk to our children we are telling them what to do or not to do rather than giving them opportunities to have a conversation with us.
"This community campaign is about letting everybody know how important simply having conversations with children really is."
The Let's Talk campaign, backed by the Princesshay development, will run for a year and is aimed at children under five year olds. It is not just targeting parents but everyone who has regular contact with children; family members, friends and schools.
To get the message across, Let's Talk posters will be appearing at bus stops and in a wide variety of public places. Merchandise will also be available to enable parents to take the message home with reminders such as key rings, bibs, bowls and drinking cups.
Leaflets aimed at babies, toddlers and pre-school children will be handed out to parents giving ideas of how to encourage more talking.
Christine said: "We have come up with six very simple messages involving different situations.
"Having a conversation with a baby or small child is probably one of the best gifts you could give them in life and it costs nothing."
For more information about having good conversations with your child, telephone 01392 464754 or visit www.letstalk.me.uk.
