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Mother, father with two children

The role of gestures in a child's learning

Many of us speak with our hands and now experts suggest always using our hands when talking with children. While young children are forming and expanding their vocabulary, gestures help them bridge the gap between words and the world they live in.

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Couple talking with adopted son while he plays

Helping children build language skills

David Loyst has been studying and teaching about parenting for over 30 years as a speech language pathologist, autism consultant, and parent coach. He says it helps to think not just about language development, but ‘expressive’ language development.

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Father and son are spending time in the living room

Conversation skills: Teaching preschoolers

While conversing as adults can seem natural, for a preschool child, communicating ideas and knowing the rules of conversation is a new skill. Associate Professor Tricia Eadie explains that conversation underpins key social skills such as playing.

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A toddler is using a smartphone at the breakfast table

Avoid screen time before school: Study

A French study has found that screen time in the morning can negatively impact a child’s language ability. Dr Manon Collet says children who were exposed to screens before school were three times more likely to develop primary language disorders.

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Boy in school uniform playing soccer alone in the school yard

Boys lagging behind when school starts

What role do biology and society play in boys not being as developmentally ready to start school as girls? Right from birth, boys and girls don’t begin life on the same starting block. The impact of this is a question researchers are trying to unravel.

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Little boy playing with a mathematics wooden toy

How to include maths in children’s play

Many people believe they can't do maths and are reluctant to help their children. It’s a shame, however, if you’ve managed to convince yourself you can’t help your child to learn the basics. Fortunately, your view about your ability is also untrue.

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Little boy during lesson with his speech therapist

Child speech development milestones

A child's first word is an exciting time, but often we don’t recognise that preparation for speech starts much earlier than those first recognisable sounds. As parents smile and talk with babies, they are listening to the sounds that make up language.

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Children learning words

Using brain science to build potential

Many parents understand that robust vocabulary in a child can have advantages such as helping children create a solid foundation for school, but research also reminds us that early language environment impacts on more than just a child’s vocabulary.

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