English not your first language?

It is an enormous advantage to speak more than one language!

Over three quarters of the world’s population speak more than one language. Talk to your child in the language that you are most comfortable with. It does not have to be English. If you speak more than one language, use both languages at different times.

Here are a few ideas to help your child's language development:

• Have fun with rhymes and poems.
• Tell your child stories in your language.
• Share books. Look at pictures in books and tell the story by using them. It does not matter what language the book is written in, you do not need to read the words.
• Encourage your child to tell the story in her own words, by using the clues from the pictures.

Do not worry if English is not spoken at home. Your child will quickly learn English when he starts school, particularly if he is already fluent in another language.