Communication (Speech and Language)

Articles

Using Early Childhood Classroom Activities to Build Vocabulary (free)

teacher playing with child

An article exploring the connection between vocabulary and academic success with strategies and tips to use in the classroom.

Learning Language and Loving It ™ Certification Workshop (paid)

teacher entertaining children

Open to those who train or consult to early childhood educators, this workshop provides an effective framework for creating the kinds of enriched language-learning environments that help children learn best.

Making Sure Children Get Their Daily Dose of Language Nutrition

This article shared by The Hanen Centre, explains the importance of language nutrition, and having multiple language interactions with children in order to increase language development. It highlights the direct implications of how conversations with caregivers and the child and how these conversations can impact language development.

Guidelines for Parent-Child Communication

This article outlines guidelines for parents while engaging in communication and conversations with their child. It provides examples of good communication and how this can increase self-esteem in children.

Kids Need Diverse Literacy

In this Ted Talk, Rebecca Clark speaks about the importance of representative and creative literacy in children's learning. Children being able to identify with the characters and storylines of the books they read ensure they are acknowledged and also encourages other children's understanding of diversity.

Boosting Bilingual Environments for Young Children: What the Research Says (paid e-seminar; group rates available)

An e-seminar on how to best support the language development of bilingual children with an exploration of recent research.

Fostering language and literacy development during COVID (free)

A video highlighting what educators can do to maintain high quality interactions in spite of masks and other health and safety measures.

Patricia Kulh: The Linguistic genius of babies | TED Talk

Patricia Kuhl in the TED talk, explains how infants acquire language and the ability to understand and speak different languages.

Books

Five Books, Five Literacy-Building Ideas! (free)

teacher reading to child

Fun tips for building the five critical early literacy skills that all children need to learn: oral language, vocabulary, story comprehension, print knowledge, and sound awareness.

The Hanen Book Nook: a resource features monthly books with specific strategies to promote emergent literacy (free; updated monthly)

sound awareness with room on the broom

A fun list of children’s books with ways you can use them with young children to promote their emergent literacy skills.

Children's Books for Early Literacy

This resource lists off books that encourage development in children's ability to read, write, sing, participate, and talk.

The Hanen Centre | Speech and Language Development for Children

This resource comes from the Hanen Centre. The Hanen Centre focus is on early language intervention for children with language delays. It has since developed three other areas of expertise, each concerned with promoting the communication development of a particular group of children with specific needs.

Child Development Institute

This resource is from the Child Development Institute. The Child Development Institute provides information, products and services related to child development, psychology, health, parenting, learning, media, entertainment, family activities as well as to connect with other parents, professional experts organizations and other useful websites.

Second language - Introduction | Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development

This resource is from the Child Encyclopedia. The Child Encyclopedia investigates first and second language acquisition, development impacts made my learning languages and how to support language development and bilingualism by examining evidence-based research.

Ontario's Preschool Speech and Language Program

This resource is from the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, which provides a brief explanation on language and speech disorders. They also provide families with services to support language and speech development.

Importance of language development in low-income, high-risk children

This research article published by the University of Miami investigates the importance of early year interactions for children who are from low-income households and are at high risk.

Language & Learning Lab – University of Toronto

The Language and Learning Lab at University of Toronto provides users with research articles and opportunities for families and students to participate in research about how children acquire language, understand the world and communicate with other.

Supporting Early Language and Literacy

This resource is from the Ontario Ministry of education which provides educators and parents with research-based practices to support of early language development.

Hanen - How to Help Your Child Learn New Words

This article shares strategies to help support language development and how to build on vocabulary. It assesses developmental milestones of how many words a child should be saying at what stages and ages.

Scholastic Canada

Scholastic Canada is a platform where parents can buy children books. They also provide teachers, parents, teens and children with reading lists, language and literacy-based activities and book discussion guides.

For Professionals - Macaulay Child Development Centre

Macaulay Child Development Centre provides parents and educators with book lists, newsletters and literacy tip sheets for children.

Literacy in the Early Years: What Children Need to Learn and How You Can Help Them Learn It

The Hanen Centre provides parents and professionals with tools, educational information and activities to enhance children’s language and literacy skills.