Elements and Performance Criteria
- Stimulate the child's use and understanding of language
- Provide developmentally relevant opportunities for children to listen and respond to language
- Link language to all interests, activities, routines, and directions
- Create opportunities for group discussions and exchange of views between children
- Create a language rich environment that incorporates materials that capture the child's attention and stimulate a response
- Speak clearly and frequently to children in language that is appropriate to the age of the child
- Take time to listen and respond to children
- Use open ended questions to encourage children to express their thoughts, feelings and words
- Model and encourage two way communication by questions and careful listening
- Repeat and expand children's words and phrases in a natural style of conversation to model communication skills
- Support the child's skills in their own (non English) language as relevant
- Identify the family's language and use bilingual practices as relevant whilst supporting the child to maintain their first language both in the childcare and home environments
- Respond with respect to children's language
- Integrate materials in the child's language into experiences
- Encourage parents and family members to maintain their own language and participate in activities with the children
- Encourage parents to inform worker of key words and phrases
- Integrate child's cultural experiences into language development opportunities
- Seek specialised assistance and use wherever required and available
- Contribute to assessment of language and communication skills and planning of appropriate support strategies
- Identify children with children with special language needs and monitor language development, including the provision of special language programs to meet individual needs
- Contribute to assessment of children's individual language and communication abilities and needs
- Consider English and other languages when assessing language development and use
- Develop a range of strategies for language and communication development for the individual child, including children with additional language development needs
- Discuss assessment with the parents and develop a plan in consultation with them
- Seek specialised assistance where necessary
- Regularly review child's progress and the plan
- Plan and implement developmentally appropriate language and literature experiences for children
- Select, read and tell developmentally appropriate stories
- Use stories, rhymes and poetry to enhance children's enjoyment of language
- Include language and literature experiences that support acceptance and appreciation of diversity
- Use puppets and other props to stimulate children's enjoyment of language and literature