Talking and playing together is the best way to support your child’s language development.
Why is it important?
Young children learn best through play. Children learn to link words to objects, actions and concepts through their play. They also learn about sharing, interacting, and communicating with others.
Join your child playing with whatever they are interested in. Try and let your child lead the play but add in words and phrases to describe what they are doing. By doing this you will help your child learn hundreds of new words, new sentence structures and develop their knowledge of how the world works.
First point of contact
If you are concerned about your child’s communication or language skills then you can talk to your GP or health visitor. Alternatively, go along to one of Hackney’s Talking Walk-in sessions run by the speech and language therapy team. They will listen to your concerns and give you advice about how you can help your child.
Watch the film on their website to see what a Talking Walk-in Session is like.
Local services and information
Hackney and City Health Visiting service
020 7683 4151 (9-5pm Monday–Friday)
huh-tr.hackneyandcityhv@nhs.net
- Get help for your mental health (Talk Changes)
- Parenting and mental health support for children, young people and their families
- Hackney Support for Early Years (Local Offer)
Your local children’s centre will have regular stay and play and music sessions which you can go to. These are a great way of meeting other parents, getting ideas for new play activities or learning some new songs.
For some top tips on promoting your child’s communication skills watch this short video.
Get hackney talking
- Speech and language milestones
- Fact Sheets-0-5-years
- Top tips on promoting your child's communication skills video
National resources
These websites are a good place to start if you would like to learn more about promoting your baby’s communication through play and sharing books together:
- How to help when toddlers say words wrong (Tiny Happy People)
- Talk and play tips (Words for Life)
- Play ideas 9-12 month old baby (Tiny Happy People)
- How to entertain your child when tired and stressed
- Watch me play - a play manual for parents
- Looking after your child's mental health film
- Look say sing play - sign up here for regular support and information
- Tiny Happy People resource bank
- Learning more than one language film clips
- How toddlers learn to count film
- Play and toy ideas booklet
- Make a sensory bottle
Out and about ‘talk and play’ ideas
Feedback
We value your feedback about the birth to five resource and the information we provide.