Information and sources of advice for parents and families

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The resources here will help you reach the outcome: "I know what general information to give parents and families about their baby's speech, language and communication and where they can find out more"

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Hungry Little Minds

Short videos demonstrating strategies and ideas for easy, fun games for you to use in your day to day interactions with babies.  This information can be shared with parents and carers so that they can also be used at home.  The information is broken down according to the child's age and the suggestions can be used flexibly, in any language, by both parents and practitioners.  

 

 

 

Cost: Free

Hungry Little Minds
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Tiny Happy People

Tiny Happy People BBC website provides a wide range of information, ideas and activities for you to use and signpost parents to use in daily routines to help develop babies 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 babies with SEND.

 

Cost: Free

Tiny Happy People
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Reduce screen time

Screens can often distract both babies and adults from every day interactions and communication. This video from Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust provides key messages for you to share with parents about reducing their and their baby's screen time to increase opportunities for playing and interacting together. 

Reduce screen time
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Switch off and talk

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

Cost: Free

Switch off and talk
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Tiny Happy People activities

Tiny Happy People BBC website provides a wide range of information, ideas and activities for you to share with parents to use in daily routines to help develop their baby's communication skills. It includes activities and games to play to help speech, language and communication. 

 

Tiny Happy People activities
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NHS Services and support for parents

NHS website with details for how to find a GP, Health Visitor and child health clinics in your area

Cost: Free

NHS Services and support for parents
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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

Parent information, advice and resources - Worcestershire
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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

Be face to face at the baby's level
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TCT Universally Speaking 0-5

Universally Speaking is a series of booklets for parents or anyone who works with children and includes a booklet for babies and children aged 0-5.  It gives typical communication skills, including attention and listening and understanding; interactions and speech.  Use the booklets to find out whether a 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.  You can also share this with the families of children you support.

 

Cost: Free

TCT Universally Speaking 0-5
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Follow the baby's lead

Giving babies 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 babies are interested in shows them that you value what they are doing and helps them to make links with the words you say.  Use this strategy with babies you work with and share this information with their families.

Cost: Free

Follow the baby's lead
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Progress Checker

Speech and Language UK's progress checker provides parents with short questions they can answer to see their baby is getting on with their communication development.

Cost: Free

Progress Checker
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Dummies fact sheet

Using a dummy long term can have an effect on a 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 parents know what they can do to support their baby's communication development.

Cost: Free

Dummies fact sheet
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Children's Centres

Children's Centres give help and advice on child and family health and parenting.  Use this link to find a Children's Centre close to you. 

Cost: Free

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Talk together in daily routines

This leaflet provides information for you to use and to share with parents and carers about how to use everyday activities and routines to talk about what babies can see and what is happening. Babies learn from experiences and activities that happen over and over again.  This gives adults a chance to use the same words and sentences many times.  Linking these to daily routines will help babies to make links between the words and what they mean.

Cost: Free

Talk together in daily routines
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Speech and Language UK Ages and Stages

This is a guide to the typical stages of speech and language development in babies.  Children develop language at different rates. However, understanding what is typical can help you identify speech and language problems early.  This page also provides information about how to support babies' development.

 

 

 

Cost: Free

Speech and Language UK Ages and Stages
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Sing songs and rhymes

Singing songs and rhymes together really help babies' 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

Sing songs and rhymes
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Speech and Language UK How to support your child

This information for families provides ideas for them to support their baby and 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 parents and carers can do to support their baby's communication helps provide them with a great start on their journey to developing communication skills. 

 

 

 

Cost: Free

Speech and Language UK How to support your child
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Share books

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

 

Cost: Free

Share books
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Labelling and Commenting

Using real word labels and commenting on what babies are 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. Use these strategies in your interactions with babies you support and share with their families.

Cost: Free

Labelling and Commenting
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Copy, repeat, imitate

Copying a 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 babies; early communication skills.  Use these strategies with the babies you work with and share these ideas with their families.

Cost: Free

Copy, repeat, imitate
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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

Greater Manchester 10 Tips for Talking
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Top Tips for Talking

Parents play a key role in supporting their baby's language and communication skills in everyday life. Children learn about the world through their experiences and interests particularly within their play. Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust provide information and opportunities for families learn more about developing speech and language.

Cost: Free

Top Tips for Talking
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NLT 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

NLT Tips for talking leaflets
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Family Information Service

Your local Family Information Service (FIS) provides a range of information on all services available to parents, including parents of disabled children. 

Cost: Free

Family Information Service
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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

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Speech and Language UK 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

Speech and Language UK Chatter Matters
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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

National Literacy Trust Bilingual quick tips
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The Baby Club

BBC's The Baby Club, is a website featuring songs, rhymes, stories and activities that you can signpost to families to give ideas for playing, singing and sharing with their baby.

 

Cost: Free

The Baby Club
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Family Nurse Partnership

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

Cost: Free

Family Nurse Partnership
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