Enhancing Oral Language

This priority ties in with our Set For School programme and hearing from our local kura (schools) about what areas of learning and school readiness need support.

We support the development of oral language in so many ways. Starting in the peepi room, our kaiako koorero and sing waiata all day long, using repetition and rhyming. These learning experiences are showing positive outcomes when our peepi are starting to babble along to the tunes of the waiata and be able to understand verbal language when it is spoken to them.

In the over-two environment, we use a lot of prompting and questioning to encourage the tamariki to verbally respond. We scaffold their questions and answers by adding age-appropriate suggestions to extend their oral language. We have story time and waiata at mat times as well as being on offer all throughout the day.

We set out learning experiences that promote spoken thought and serve and return conversations. We have noticed a huge increase in the way our tamariki speak to each other and how they ask us questions and tell us stories. Tamariki help each other through different learning moments, ranging from building together to resolving conflict.

This supports their leadership skills and resilience, while also knowing we are always here to support them and give them the verbal tools they need in each situation. Our tamariki love having verbal koorero with us as kaiako and each other, and we love listening to them.