Things to do that can help my child / young person with their understanding, talking and communication

Reduce screen time

Screens can often distract both babies and adults from every day interactions and communication. Try to reduce your and your baby's screen time to increase opportunities for playing and interacting together. This simple video from Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust outlines key messages using screens.

Learning to Talk

Short videos demonstrating strategies and ideas for easy, fun games for you to do with your baby.  The information is broken down according to the child's age and the suggestions can be used flexibly, in any language, in a way that suits you and your child.

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

EasyPeasy App

Get EasyPeasy parenting tips and activities, personalised for you and your 0-5 year old, from the app's playful community of parents and experts.

The EasyPeasy App philosophy is evidence-based and simple. Early child development is fuelled by real-world interactions between you and your child. The EasyPeasy app is designed to help you create the playful, positive connections that will help your child grow and thrive, with everyday materials that you’ll already have access to at home.

Cost: Free

Be face to face at the baby's level

Being face to face with babies helps them to listen, concentrate and understand the message you are sharing. It also helps you to see where the baby's focus is and what they are trying to communicate. This simple video produced by Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust shows why this is important.

Cost: Free

Talk together in daily routines

This leaflet provides information about how you can use everyday activities and routines to talk about what your baby can see and what is happening. Babies learn from activities that happen over and over again.  This gives you a chance to use lots of repetition of words.  Linking these to daily routines will help to make links between the words you say and what they mean.

Cost: Free

Sing songs and rhymes

Singing songs and rhymes together really help your baby's communication skills to grow. Nottinghamshire Language for Life have produced videos for parents and carers that you can see by clicking the playlist on this page. Visit the 'words' page to learn the words to these songs and rhymes

Cost: Free

Share books with babies

Sharing books is a great way to help your baby's talking. Making books part of your daily routine really helps to develop shared focus and communication skills.  Nottinghamshire Language for Life have produced this information leaflet about book sharing as well as many other top tips leaflets to help understand how to support speech, language and communication.

Cost: Free

Dummies fact sheet

Using a dummy long term can have an effect on your baby developing communication and speech sounds. Get Hackney Talking have provided tips on how to cut down on dummy use over time as well as lots of other useful information to help you know what you can do to support your baby's communication development.

Cost: Free

Switch off and talk

Babies learn from watching the adults around them, switching off devices supports their communication development.  This webpage and leaflet provides you with information about why this is important.

Baby Buddy App

Baby Buddy is a free app to support you from bump to baby including information about typical communication development.  It automatically sends you personalised, relevant and timely bite-sized updates in "Today's Information"; answers questions; helps with goal setting, signposts support; tracks progress and more.

Cost: Free

Speech and Language UK How to support your child

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

Cost: Free

Follow the baby's lead

Giving our baby 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 baby is interested in shows them that you value what they are doing and helps them to make links with the words 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 baby 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

Labelling and Commenting

Using real word labels and commenting on what your baby is interested in helps them to learn new words.  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. 

Cost: Free

Copy, repeat, imitate

Copying your baby's sounds and actions shows them you're interested in what they are saying and doing, encourages them to do more and shows them how conversations and communication works. Here NHS Lothian share ideas of what you can do to help your baby's early communication skills.

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

NLT Small Talk

Small Talk helps parents turn the activities they are already doing with their baby every day into new opportunities to build communication skills. It includes a website featuring simple videos, tips and information to help chat, play and read with their baby. The activities include ideas around meal times and other daily routines.

Cost: Free

National Literacy Trust Tips for talking leaflets

The National Literacy Trust provides a wide range of parent-friendly downloadable leaflets outlining tips for talking, why talking to your baby matters and the benefits for their development. The ideas include information for talking in daily routines such as during nappy changing, information for dads and activities to support communication when out and about. 

Cost: Free

Small Talk

Small Talk helps parents turn the activities they are already doing with their baby every day into new opportunities to build communication skills. It includes a website featuring simple videos, tips and information to help chat, play and read with their baby. The activities include ideas around meal times and other daily routines.

Cost: Free

Watch, wait, listen and respond

Watching, waiting, listening and responding is a powerful way that we can help babies develop early communication skills.  Waiting for babies 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 babies opportunities to play the communication game.  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

Clickety Books

Clickety Books are fun books and resources to share with your baby.  They have been developed by speech and language therapists to support communication development of all children as well as those who need a little extra help.  They include Early Sound Play resources that are built around stories. Puppets are also available to help with the interactive book-sharing experience! 

Cost: £2.50 upwards

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 baby on their way to being bilingual or multilingual.

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

The Baby Club

BBC's The Baby Club, is a website featuring songs, rhymes, stories and activities that will give you ideas for playing, singing and sharing with your baby.

Cost: Free

Family Nurse Partnership

Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) is a home visiting programme for first-time young mums and families. It will help you to have a healthy pregnancy; improve your child's health and development and plan your futures.

Cost: Free