How to know what to expect and when with my child / young person's understanding, talking and communication

Tiny Happy People

Tiny Happy People BBC website provides a wide range of information, ideas and activities for parents to use in daily routines to help develop their young child's communication skills. The website is for parents of children aged up to 5 years, parents can choose information that is relevant to the age of their child. It includes information about what to expect and when as well as activities and games to play to help speech, language and communication. It includes information, ideas and activities for parents of young children with SEND.

Cost: Free

Progress Checker

Speech and Language UK's progress checker provides short questions you can answer to see how your child is getting on with their speech, language and communication development.

Cost: Free

Expansions - repeat and add

One way to help your young child make longer sentences is to repeat and add a word or 2.  Here NHS Tayside's Rhyming Robin and Chatty Charlie share information about how to do this as well as many other top tips for putting words together. 

Cost: Free

Parent information, advice and resources - Worcestershire

The Worcestershire Speech and Language Therapy service website provides a comprehensive range of resources, advice and You Tube videos to help parents to support their child / young person at home. 

Visit the website to find:

• Information about speech, language and communication
• Free resources you can download and use at home
• Links to our You Tube channel where you will find demonstrations of activities you can do at home
• Further information about the local team, where we work and what services we provide 

Cost: Free

Slowing down

Find out how to slow down your talking and understand more about how this can help your child.

Cost: Free

Afasic My Child Isn't Talking and I'm Worried

Children develop and learn to talk at different rates – some more slowly or quickly than others. However, there are key milestones to look out for and it can help you to know how talking develops, what happens and when. Here Afasic provides information on identifying who can help; first steps to getting help and support; gathering information and keeping a record and questions to ask professionals.

Cost: Free

Speech and Language UK Ages and Stages

Young children develop speech and language at different rates. Understanding what is typical can help you identify speech and language support needs.  You can also find out how to help your child learn to talk and develop their communication skills.

Cost: Free

Enquiry Line

The Speech and Language UK Enquiry Service gives you a chance to discuss questions or concerns about your child’s speech, language and communication development with one of Speech and Language UK’s speech and language therapists.  The therapists can give helpful information about children’s talking and communication development as well as tips on improving these skills. They can also offer advice on ages and stages and what can be done to help your child get the right support.

Cost: Free

Afasic Parent Helpline

If you are worried about your child / young person's speech, language and communication, contact Afasic by telephone or email to speak to someone who can help. 

Cost: Free

Speech and Language UK How to support your child

This information about how to support your young child forms part of Speech and Language UKs guide to the typical stages of speech and language development.  Young children develop language at different rates and understanding what is typical and what you can do to support your young child can help you give them the best start on their journey to developing communication and language skills. 

Cost: Free

Follow the child's lead

Giving your child a chance to play with and explore the objects and toys around them gives you the perfect opportunity to follow their lead, see what they are interested in and talk about it.  Talking about what your child is interested in shows them that you value what they are doing and helps them to make links with the words and sentences you say.  

Cost: Free

TCT Universally Speaking 0-5

Universally Speaking is a booklet with information about typical communication skills, including attention and listening and understanding; interactions and speech.  Use the booklet to find out whether your young child is on the right track, what helps them learn to talk and listen and what to do if you have concerns about any of their communication abilities.

Cost: Free

PEEP

Peep Communication and Language strand - evidence-based parenting programme for parents and children together to attend together. There is a focus on bonding, attachment and the quality of the home learning environment as well as a focus on communication and language. You have the opportunity to gain 3 credits towards NOCN Learning Together at home.

Peep Early Literacy Strand - evidence-based parenting programme for parents and children to attend together. There is a focus on bonding, attachment and the quality of the home learning environment as well as a focus on literacy. You have the opportunity to gain 3 credits towards NOCN Learning Together at home.

Cost: Free

Labelling and Commenting

Using real word labels and commenting on what your young child is interested in helps them to learn new words and understand how sentences work.  Here NHS Tayside's Rhyming Robin and Chatty and Charlie share information about how to do this as well as many other top tips for learning words and developing language. 

Cost: Free

Greater Manchester 10 Tips for Talking

The Greater Manchester (GM) 10 Tips for Talking are ten key messages to support the development of language and communication skills for babies and young children and can be used by everyone. Each tip is designed to give families and anyone working with children some small suggestions that can make a big difference and help give children the best start. Each message is based on sound research and is delivered by children.

Cost: Free

Talking With Your Children

Activities for parents to help nursery children’s speaking and listening Skills.  This booklet has been put together to help parents and carers to support their nursery aged children and contains examples of activities to do to support their speaking and listening. 

Cost: Free

Small Talk

Small Talk helps parents turn daily activities with their young child into new opportunities to build their language skills. It includes a website featuring simple videos, tips and information to help chat, play and read with their young child every day. The activities include ideas around meal times and other daily routines such as going shopping.

Cost: Free

Leeds Speech and Language Therapy Toolkit

Leeds Community Healthcare's Speech and Language Therapy Toolkit contains advice, activities and general resources to help you with your child's development of speech, language and communication skills.

Cost: Free

Watch, wait, listen and respond

Watching, waiting, listening and responding is a powerful way that we can help children develop early communication skills.  Waiting for children to take their turn or share what they are interested in can be difficult when we are busy getting on with life.  However it is key to giving them opportunities to develop communication and language skills.  This leaflet and video from the Speech and Language Therapy Service in Greater Glasgow and Clyde outlines why and how to wait and respond.  It forms part of a wider series of useful information for parents, carers and professionals.

Cost: Free

Stoke Speaks Out - Out and About activity packs

Being out and about is a great opportunity for language learning! Download these free printable activity packs for ideas to support your child's speech and language and occupy their busy little minds while you're out and about.

Cost: Free

What to expect, when?

Guidance to your child’s learning and development in the early years foundation stage.

Cost: Free

Learning more than one language

Many children grow up learning more than one language. This information leaflet from NHS Forth Valley provides you with useful information and top tips about what you can do to help your young child on their way to being bilingual or multilingual.

Cost: Free

Speech Link Parent Portal

The Speech Link Parent Portal offers you advice, information and activities for developing your children’s understanding, talking and listening.  It includes information about speech, language and communication, how these skills develop, activities and top tips videos.

Cost: Free

Speech and Language Chatter Matters

This series of videos for parents and carers outlines how speech, language and communication skills develop; what families can do to support their baby; how these skills develop over time; children with speech and language needs and how to access information and support.

Cost: Free

National Literacy Trust Bilingual quick tips

The National Literacy Trust has produced a series of bilingual quick tips for parents and practitioners to help children develop good talking and listening skills. There are lots of different languages.  Copies can be downloaded and shared with families.

- Say hello to your new baby
- Dummies and talking
- Talk to your baby and child in your own language
- Making the most of television
- Talking with your baby
- Sharing songs and rhymes
- Playing with your baby

Cost: Free

Stoke Speaks Out - Sound Development Checklist

An overview of the typical sounds children should be able to use in words at different ages. 

Cost: Free