Chatter Matters
Families with young children will be finding time to talk next week as events around the county take place to celebrate communication.
Warwickshire Chatter Matters Week runs from 14 to 19 March and a number of activities are taking place with the aim to raise awareness of the importance of early language development.
Speech and language therapists, children’s centres staff, and early years providers around the county are using the week to promote the ‘time to talk’ programme which helps parents to communicate imaginatively with their tiny tots.
Warwickshire Speech and Language Therapist Alex Williams explains the importance of communication: “As a society we are forgetting how important it is to spend time talking and listening to young children, as a consequence many youngsters are not developing the speech and language skills they are capable of.
“Being able to listen, understand and use words effectively helps children with all aspects of their learning, making them happier and able to achieve more.
The variety of sessions on offer at the county’s children’s centres and nurseries are about children learning to talk and parents and carers learning to listen. We spend time sharing rhymes, songs and stories and show them how good it feels to have a chat.
“We hope Chatter Matters week will give parents a taster of these sessions and give them some inspiration about how they can spend more time talking to babies and toddlers.”
The ‘time to talk’ programme is delivered in partnership with Warwickshire County Council and the NHS. For more information or for details of local sessions email timetotalk@warwickshire.nhs.uk or call Alex Williams on 07909000434.