Enriching Communication and Language in Early Years
At TTS, we are excited to introduce our fantastic Talking Frogs. These little creatures offer a plethora of learning scenarios. They are a great resource for promoting communication and language in the early years and much more! These little amphibians are not only appealing but are also recordable. The combination of a character and the recordable function allows you to embark on all kinds of language-rich activities.
Waterproof, Recordable Technology
Yes, you heard correctly! They are waterproof too so they can be used in the water tray and sandpit. No need to worry that your tech resources have to be hastily brought inside at the first sign of rain, or that someone has plunged them into the frothy depths of the water tray!
When thinking about resources to boost communication and language, we want them to bring engagement to enliven the learning. We want them to add a sense of awe and wonder, and hopefully a source of glee. Most of all, we want things that cultivate a language-rich environment, where children feel secure in experimenting with words and developing extensive lexicons.
Why is Communication and Language so Important in Early Years?
Spoken language and communication are the foundation for all areas of learning. Through talking, listening, and playing with words, children build a range of skills. These include developing confidence, thinking skills, and lay the groundwork for reading, writing, and learning across the curriculum. A rich language environment is key to helping children become successful, creative learners.
Introducing the Talking Frogs
Imagine the daily delight, the sense of anticipation and wonder, as children curiously investigate and activate the frog near the door to hear what it has to say. You could record a message, a mission, a daily greeting, or something that is a particular focus for the group. How lovely would it be to hear the frog wishing you happy birthday in your own language! The children will be sharpening and encouraging their active listening skills.
Catalysts for Conversation
Is this a magical frog who turns up in all kinds of places with a myriad of instructions, tasks and greetings? Could they be left around the setting, waiting to be discovered in a treasure trail? Imagine hearing that the third frog can be found in the lower branches of the tree, under some shimmering fabric, in a sparkly box, or buried deep in the soft sand. Will the frogs lead them to the mystery object, a key, or perhaps a box of treasures? We want to fuel reasons to talk. Think of the rich language opportunities that could occur. Shouldn’t childhood be about such magical moments? Think of these little creatures as catalysts for conversation.
Independent Speaking and Listening
The Talking Frogs are a resource that the children can use autonomously to practice, rehearse and assist their language and communication skills. Each Talking Frog has a 10-second recording time, which you can change as often as you wish. It is so simple as you just press a button and speak. We need to give children time to talk, to reflect upon words, how they are conveyed, and a Talking Frog might just be a relaxed and fun way to achieve this. Yes, we all have to work on ensuring the children have secured and embedded numerous concepts — from numbers to gaining a phonemic understanding — but we can do so by facilitating and offering fascinating. provocations that invite the children to learn and play.
Storytelling, Wonder and Imagination
Imagine sitting with the children at story time (ideally under a tree) and carefully introducing one of the frogs, with full dramatic effect: “You will never guess, children, what I have in my hand. If you listen really carefully, you just might hear the frog talk. Where do you think it came from?”
From there you will discover all kinds of explanations, as the frogs may turn back into a prince, be a dragon, grant wishes, or have just got lost by hopping too far from the pond. No matter what the suggestion, it is firing imaginations and encouraging conversations.
Encourage the children to make up adventures about them, creating fascinating stories. They could be part of a magical small world landscape. Small world play is a great way of encouraging children to weave narratives, and perhaps the frogs may have speaking roles. Imagine hearing about the frog who lives in a deep, dark pond and only comes out when all the other creatures have disappeared.
Playing with Sounds
Choose and record the frog’s names, perhaps relating to one sound: Frank, Freda, Frances and Felicity.
Perhaps make silly sentences such as: “Jilly jumps and jiggles like a jack-in-the-box,” or “Sandy slips and slides like a squid.”
Children love to make up nonsense sentences and tongue twisters, which are great for playing with sounds, as in Phase One Phonics.
Other activities to try related to sounds:
- Make a collection of rhyming words for children to match together: cat, hat, mat, rat, or cap, map, tap.
- Have the frogs with different recorded words and find the odd one out.
- Record and match sounds: a car, a tap, a bell.
- Imitate animal sounds: who makes a roar?
- You could sing the favourite rhyme about speckled frogs (sitting on an actual log they have foraged!) and have a real bowl of water for the frogs to jump into. So much more fun and relatable.
- Perhaps record messages together about the activity — for example: “Farris, the freezing, shivering frog, found the water was like ice,” and “Charlie liked to splish and splash in the clear, cold water.”
Using Talking Frogs Across the Curriculum
Spoken language is fundamental to all areas of learning. You could incorporate the Talking Frogs into:
- Talking number lines: children rearrange them after hearing a number or counting set.
- Sound matching: match recorded sounds to objects.
- Emotions and descriptions: match feelings to recordings.
- Story sequencing: record parts of familiar stories like Goldilocks and place them in order.
- Following instructions: jump, dance and sing by following frog commands.
- Giving directions: how to make a jam sandwich, carefully choosing words.
- Solve mysteries by listening to clues: “I am grey, I have a trunk, large ears, and I might live in Africa.”
- Children can even create their own riddles, describing a favourite food, book, or toy — encouraging them to ponder, plan and speak. And if they falter, no problem — just record again!
Endless Language Opportunities
These cute little characters can be adapted to all kinds of contexts. Why not try some of the following ideas?
Place the frogs on floating islands in a water tray.
Introduce them to messy play areas with recordings of magical potion ingredients or used to stamp froggy patterns in the paint or sand.
Have parts of nursery rhymes recorded onto them for the children to complete or put into the correct order.
And it really doesn’t matter if some of the concoction spills on them due to their waterproof nature! They can hold recordings of favourite things, tell jokes, or simply spark a story. Some children may even want a message recorded from a loved one at home to help them through the day!
Ideally, we want children to imagine, to reflect, and to have as many enriched language scenarios as possible — and these little Talking Frogs might help to achieve just that.
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