Supporting Language Learning for Infants and Toddlers

Within this single resource is a range of tools and ideas that can help early childhood educators to enrich the life of each child in their care by supporting (or scaffolding) English language and literacy learning. The robust, practice-based ideas are suited to monolingual, bilingual and multilingual children. With an emphasis on what will actually help in day-to-day practice, this resource features "scripts" of appropriate ways of talking to and with infants and toddlers. It also set out fun games and activities that can become "language events"- occasions ripe for promoting spoken language among very young children. Use this highly practical resource to make a discernible difference to a child's language learning and to help equip them with the words and language understanding they will need for the formal school curriculum.

Ages: 0-3 years

About the Author

Picture of Fleur Harris

Fleur Harris

Fleur Harris, PhD, has 33 years of speech-language therapy and early childhood education experience, specialising in language and literacy learning, and tertiary teaching. Since completing her PhD in language and literacy learning for Maori children (New Zealand’s indigenous people), Fleur has focused particularly on how educators can create education contexts that are linguistically and culturally appropriate for children from a range of diverse backgrounds. She is also particularly interested in bilingualism and how bilingualism influences language and literacy learning. Fleur is currently an adjunct fellow with the Communication Disorders Department, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, and a freelance early childhood education consultant. Previously, she lectured at the Institute of Early Childhood at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, and in early childhood education at the College of Education, University of Canterbury.