Model being a listener by listening to children and taking account of what they say in your responses to them.
Have conversations with children as part of everyday activities
Play alongside children and talk with them as part of playful encounters
Model and encourage language for thinking by using phrase such as I wonder…, What if…, I have an idea.
Encourage repetition, rhythm and rhyme by using tone and intonation as you tell, recite or sing stories, poems and rhymes from books.
Be aware of and actively support the needs of children learning English as an additional language from a variety of cultures and ask parents to share their favourite stories, rhymes and songs in their home languages.