IMPROVING LITERACY

Supporting oral language development

Communication and language provide the foundations
for learning, thinking, and wellbeing.
A child’s core language acquisition occurs between one and
four years old, with children acquiring basic phonology,
syntax, and vocabulary during this period1. Evidence indicates
that success in literacy relies on the secure development of
language2, and that these skills are amongst the best predictors
of educational success1.
Effective environments for supporting oral language
There is evidence that the rate at which children develop
language is sensitive to the amount of input they receive from
the adults and peers around them, and that the quality of this
input is likely to be more important than the quantity3. Ensuring
all children experience effective language support requires a
considered approach appropriate to the needs of individual
children as well as staff training for good implementation.

Figure 3: Implicit approaches for supporting language, communication and thinking

Fig 1. —Approaches adapted from Siraj (2005) & Fisher (2016)

Commenting e.g.
Narrating a child’s activity Recapping e.g.
Child: “Look at
e.g. “The Stegosaurus is “First we did...
what I found!”
stomping and plodding its then we...
Adult: “Wow, that
way into the tidy up box.” finally we...”
is a hairy spider!”

Reflecting Extending e.g. Implicit corrections e.g.

e.g. Child: “My car was Child: “I hided the
“I was thinking the fast.” dinosaur in the box.”
what a great Adult: “Yes, your red car Adult: “You hid the
idea it was to...” was the fastest.” dinosaur in the box!”

Make links e.g. Suggest ideas e.g. Imagining e.g.

“It’s just like when you…” “We could try…” “What might it be like to…”
or “Perhaps…”

Reminding e.g. Explaining e.g. Pondering or

“Remember when you “When it is cold asking open questions
had this problem outside, we wear more e.g. “I wonder why…”
before? What did you clothes to keep warm.” or “What could
do to fix it?” happen next?”

Modelling
Posing problems your thinking
e.g. e.g. “I think I’m going to
“Maybe there’s use the small paint brush
a way of…” so I can carefully
add the eyes.”

How the prompts in figure 1 can be used when working with children

The number and quality of conversations children have with adults and peers throughout the day in a language-rich environment is
crucial. By commenting on what children are interested in or doing and echoing back what they say with new vocabulary added,
practitioners will build children’s language effectively. Where children share their ideas with support and modelling from their
teacher, using sensitive questioning that invites them to elaborate, children become comfortable using a rich range of vocabulary
and language structures. The prompts in figure 1 may support this interaction during storytelling, role play and conversations.

1. Snowling, M. J., Hulme, C., Bailey A. M., Stothard, S. E. and Lindsay, G. (2011) ‘Better Communication Research Programme: Language and Literacy Attainment of
Pupils During Early Years and Through KS2: Does Teacher Assessment at Five Provide a Valid Measure of Children’s Current and Future Educational Attainments?’,
DfE Research Brief DFE-RB 172a, London: Department for Education.
2. Nation, K. (2019) ‘Children’s Reading Difficulties, Language, and Reflections on the Simple View of Reading’, Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, 24 (1), pp. 47–73.
3. Law, J., Charlton, J., Dockrell, J., Gascoigne, M., McKean, C. and Theakston, A. (2017) ‘Early Language Development: Needs, Provision and Intervention for Preschool
Children from Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Backgrounds’, London: Education Endowment Foundation.