Early Attention

Speech and language therapy

﻿Hello everybody. My name's Emma, and welcome to today's session. I'm really looking forward to today's session, and I hope you are too. But before we get started, just a quick reminder. We here at Oak, are trying to support any approaches you might already be using, and any work that you might have already been set. We know this lesson is going out to so many different children and families. So if you're not sure, or have questions, then please contact your usual speech and language therapy team, or your child's school. In today's session, I'll be doing some talking about early Attention and Communication Development. I'm going to be sharing some tips with the adults, around how they can use the strategies. Stop, Look, and Listen. And then we'll have a go practising these strategies in your special time with you. Special time, is where we get to play. In these special times, I'll be setting your adults some tasks so that they can really make the most of special time with you, and help you to develop your attention and communication skills, in the most effective way. So for today's session children, all you'll need is your adult, and some toys. Adults you'll need your child, some writing equipment and the downloadable resources available on the Oak website with this lesson. For now, find yourself a quiet place, where you won't be disturbed. You need to turn off any notifications or conversations that might be a distraction during this lesson. Make yourself comfortable, and then when you're ready, let's begin. Okay, let's start by doing some talking and thinking about early attention. In the early stages of development, children begin to move or react depending on their situation. These movements are early signals to show things like what they like, don't like, want, or what they're aware of. The child doesn't necessarily have control over their body, or their attention at this time. So rather than being purposeful actions, these movements are more of a signal, or feeling. The adult's role at this stage of the development, is really to observe and interpret these messages. If we're able to of a baby and their primary caregiver, the primary caregiver we'll spend the early stages of development, looking for the way the child is moving, or reacting to certain situations, and trying to establish whether these movements are consistent. This helps the primary caregiver to establish what the movements mean. When we're observing the messages and signals that our children are giving us, we're better able to respond to these messages appropriately. By responding to the messages, as if they have meaning, in a consistent way, over time, the child will learn that signals can be intentional. This is in its earliest form communication. Let's take a moment to pause the video here. Adults, I'd like you to use this game of "Peek a Boo" as a natural and fun-filled exchange, for you to be able to observe the child. Look for signals or messages that the child might be giving you when you change your face or tone of voice. Take a couple of turns in this game, to really take the time to observe the different messages that your child might be giving, with the changes that you make. When you finished, come back to the video and press play, and we'll continue with the rest of the lesson. For children who are at the early stages of development, it's essential that adults take the time to top, look, and really listen. By stopping, what I mean, is to value the opportunities that observing your child will give you. Some peoples can take 10 or more seconds to form a response to changes in their environment. So it's not only important for them, that we give them this time, but it's important that we give ourselves the opportunity to observe, by stopping, and waiting. Now it's time for another short activity. I'd love it, if you could sing the nasty rhyme, "Round and Around the Garden." with your adults. Adults, I'd like you to practise using lots of enthusiasm in your voice. Experiment with pauses, and tickles. For example, one step, two step, and then the tickle, could be under the chin, or near the child's ear. Observe the signals that your child is giving you, in reaction to these changes. This will really give you the opportunity to find out what your child likes and enjoys. When you finished having a couple of times with this activity, come back to the video, and press play, so we can continue with the lesson. When we're listening to the child, it means we can respond to the messages they're giving us. I like it, I want more, or I don't like it, I don't want that. It's important that when we're taking the time to observe and listen, that we do what the child is asking. If we're being given the message, "I like this." We need to do what the child is asking. Give them more. By doing this, the child will learn that if I do X, the adult will do Y. When this is happening, it creates a great opportunity for us, the adults, to comment on what the child is doing, or looking at. Using one or two keywords, or simple phrases. Now it's time for some special time. Children, it's time to find something you'd really like to play with. You and your adults are going to have five minutes on the floor, doing exactly what it is you want to do with your toys. Adults, this is a really important and valuable time. You need to follow your child's lead through their play. Remember, stop, look, and listen, to what your child is doing, and what their messages or signals are telling you. This will really help you to be able to follow their lead. When you finished, come back to the video and press play, so we can finish the lesson. I hope you enjoyed that special time together. Play or special time is a fantastic opportunity, because the child gets to choose the game or activity, and the adult has to follow their lead. You might already be familiar with special time, but there are a couple of golden rules. The first, is that it has to be somewhere quiet, and the adult gets down on the child's level. Ideally, special time last around five minutes, but we can get lots from it, even in that short period of time. I've put a couple of ideas here for special time activities. But really, special time can be anything that your child is interested in. And as you know your child best, it's up to you and the child to make the decision about what your special time is going to be. It could be, playing with their favourite toys, or playing a game. They might love painting or colouring, so this could be the activity you choose. Or it could be looking at or reading a book together. Really, it can be absolutely anything that your child loves, and really wants to do. Before we finish the lesson, I just want to let you know that the downloadable resource, is available for you adults, to be able to reflect on your strengths as a communication partner, and also to be able to develop your communication skills, to really get the most out of the special time with your child. Follow the instructions in the pack, to set yourself a target to help develop your communication skills with your child. And you can practise these during special time. I've also included some resources to help you record and reflect, on how these positive and small changes to your communication style impact on the special time you have with the child. Well, that brings us to the end of today's lesson. A really big well done, on all the fantastic play, and attention you've achieved today. I've got two final things I'd like you to do now. The first task is for adults. I'd like you to look back on your notes from today, and try and identify three important things that you'll take away with you. The second thing, if you're able to, I'd like you to take a picture of your special time, or some of the toys that you've chosen to play with, and record this in your special time diary, which is in the downloadable resource attached. Ask your parent or carer to share this with your teacher at school, so that they can see the fantastic progress that you're making with your early attention. If you'd like, you could even ask a parent or carer to send a picture of your special time record book to @OakNational on Twitter, so I can see your lovely progress too. Well, all that's left for me to say, is thank you. So take care, and enjoy the rest of your learning for today. Bye bye.

Early Attention

Early Attention

These resources will be removed by the end of the Spring Term 2026.

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