These are the TOP Ten Tips for Parents/ Guardians for Developing Oral Language with your child as supplied by the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST)

Infants – 1st Class

• Listen to what your child is saying/trying to say and respond to contributions 
• Make and maintain eye contact while talking with your child
• Explain the meaning of wordsTalk through activities
• Talk through everyday experiences
• Involve your child in discussions/plans
• Ask/ Answer questions
• Teach your child nursery rhymes/songs/poems/raps
• Develop your child’s receptive language by asking him/her to follow simple instructions 
• Assist your child to express ideas in an orderly fluent way
• Read to your child each night

2nd – 4th Class

• Set aside 10 – 15 minutes to discuss the day’s happenings
• Encourage your child to express and justify opinions
• Involve your child in adult conversation when appropriate
• Talk about the child’s favourite T.V programme
• Play language games which focus on words i.e. Scrabble, Crosswords
• Encourage your child to talk about experiences with a wide range of people: peers, relations,other adults
• Listen carefully and clarify meaning: “Do you mean/or is this what you mean?”Encourage your child to give reasons for decisions
• Encourage your child to listen courteously to the opinions of others
• Talk about school topics and assignments

5th and 6th Class

• Encourage your child to develop a positive attitude to speaking/listening
• Discuss your child’s school work successes/concerns/interests
• Respect your child’s opinions and feelings
• Involve your child in adult conversation, when appropriate
• Help your child to extend his range of words in specialised subjects
• Encourage your child to listen and respond courteously to others
• Watch and discuss T.V. news/current affairs programmes together
• Assist your child to locate information in local library, internet
• Talk about school topics and assignments
• Play commercial games that focus on word building