Ideas to develop your baby or child’s communication skills. Find strategies, activities and resources that will help your child develop understanding, talking or communication skills. The resources and activities might be things you choose to do yourself at home. They might also include more particular activities advised by a practitioner or activities and programmes that your child's school or setting might use. You may find more specific activities that can be advised or delivered by a speech and language therapist.
Ideas to develop your baby or child’s communication skills. Find strategies, activities and resources that will help your child develop understanding, talking or communication skills. The resources and activities might be things you choose to do yourself at home. They might also include more particular activities advised by a practitioner or activities and programmes that your child’s school or setting might use. You may find more specific activities that can be advised or delivered by a speech and language therapist.
What follows is organised according to the Balanced System Five Strands and Three Levels because that is the framework that is underpinning service delivery across the system in Torbay and here are our Torbay resources.
What is The Balanced System®?
The Balanced System® framework is a way of making sure that in a setting, school or local area, the right provisions are available for parents, carers and professionals to help children and young people develop their speech, language and communication.
The framework is organised in five strands or themes and across three levels. All of these are important to get the whole system working at its best. If a local area is working well then as a parent or carer you should be able to find out what you need to know to answer your questions and where to go for more information.
Information, advice and support for early communication
On these pages you will find information, advice and support to help your child's communication which is listed under universal, targeted or specialist and ideas to do at home, your child's progress, services, activities you can do and general information and websites you can go to. Click on one of the universal, targeted or specialist signposts or one of the green buttons below to find out more.
On these pages you will find information, advice and support to help your child’s communication which is listed under universal, targeted or specialist and ideas to do at home, your child’s progress, services, activities you can do and general information and websites you can go to. Click on one of the universal, targeted or specialist signposts or one of the green buttons below to find out more.
What follows is organised according to the Balanced System Five Strands and Three Levels because that is the framework that is underpinning service delivery across the system in Torbay and here are our Torbay resources.
What is The Balanced System®?
The Balanced System® framework is a way of making sure that in a setting, school or local area, the right provisions are available for parents, carers and professionals to help children and young people develop their speech, language and communication.
The framework is organised in five strands or themes and across three levels. All of these are important to get the whole system working at its best. If a local area is working well then as a parent or carer you should be able to find out what you need to know to answer your questions and where to go for more information.
Ideas to develop your baby or child’s communication skill
Last Update - 11/Nov/2024
Universal Advice and Support
Universal Support, Information and Resources
All of the information, resources and activities are organised into three levels. Universal level is for all children and families and has general information and resources about speech, language and communication.
All of the information, resources and activities are organised into three levels. Universal level is for all children and families and has general information and resources about speech, language and communication.
Last Update - 28/Aug/2024
Targeted Advice and support
Targeted Information, Advice and Resources
Targeted level information and resources are more directly useful for children and young people and their families where there is a likely worry about speech, language and communication or a need has been identified already. For the majority of children and young people and their families, this level will provide enough support.
Targeted level information and resources are more directly useful for children and young people and their families where there is a likely worry about speech, language and communication or a need has been identified already. For the majority of children and young people and their families, this level will provide enough support.
Last Update - 28/Aug/2024
Specialist Advice and Support
Specialist Advice, Support and Resources
Specialist level information and resources are either to support more complicated speech, language and communication needs or to provide more specialist information and help. Some children and young people and their families will need specialist level support as well as targeted and universal levels for them to make the progress they wish to make with speech, language and communication. Specialist level may not be needed all of the time and may be helpful at certain points on a child or young person's journey.
Specialist level information and resources are either to support more complicated speech, language and communication needs or to provide more specialist information and help. Some children and young people and their families will need specialist level support as well as targeted and universal levels for them to make the progress they wish to make with speech, language and communication. Specialist level may not be needed all of the time and may be helpful at certain points on a child or young person’s journey.
We know that every child’s communication journey is unique, and as a parent or carer, you may have questions along the way. This page is here to offer you clear, reassuring answers about early communication development — from first words to getting extra support. Whether you're just starting to explore or looking for specific guidance, we’re here to help you feel informed and confident.
We know that every child’s communication journey is unique, and as a parent or carer, you may have questions along the way. This page is here to offer you clear, reassuring answers about early communication development — from first words to getting extra support. Whether you’re just starting to explore or looking for specific guidance, we’re here to help you feel informed and confident.
Before children learn to talk they need to develop their early communication skills. These include: looking, joint attention, taking turns and listening. These skills are key building blocks for developing understanding and communication. A lot of important communication skills develop before first words appear.
Children need you! They need opportunities to communicate with familiar adults. Children communicate more when adults respond to their communication attempts, however and whatever they have communicated. It may be by smiles, gestures, showing and giving objects, pointing and making sounds. During everyday activities, the way you communicate and interact with your child can help them practice these early communication skills.
Look for opportunities to communicate with your child; everything can be an opportunity for talking and playing with them. This will help them to learn about communication and start building those communication skills.
Here are some of the of the questions we are asked frequently and there answers. If you have a questions, please download our Torbay family hub App and you can chat to one of our health visiting team members.
Where can I go to get advice about my child’s speech?
If you’re wondering where to turn for advice about your child’s speech and language development, you’re not alone — and there’s plenty of support available. Below you’ll find trusted services, helpful resources, and friendly professionals who are here to guide you every step of the way.
Need advice or support?
Torbay Family Hub | speech and language page and Family hub groups and services.
Talking and interacting with your baby helps you form a strong, loving bond, which is crucial for their development and well-being, it helps them to understand and learn language and they will begin to use first sounds and then first words at around 9-12months. The Family Hub can give you some tips to encourage this.
Talk to your baby, encourage songs and nursery rhymes and going to music groups with the children, tiny happy people is a great resource for showing how to talk to baby.
Babies are learning from the world around them from the minute they are born (and beforehand in the womb). Communication with a baby can be as simple as copying their facial expressions when they are newborn as they work out that they are their own being in the world around them. Talking to them allows them to put meaning to the world around them and supports the development of their language as they go from babbling to forming their own sounds and words.
If you are at all concerned about your child’s speech development ask to speak to your health visitor about your concerns. Furthermore you can attend one of the groups at the Family Hub where a support worker will be able to offer advice.
When your child turns two, your Health Visitor will spend some time with you to look at how your little one is growing and developing. If there’s anything you’d like extra help with, they’ll be happy to guide you to the right support.
Dummies offer a soothing and comforting transformation to wean babies off breastfeeding, as well as helping children learn to fall asleep by themselves. There is some evidence to suggest that frequent dummy use in the daytime may affect young children’s speech sound development.
Is it Ok for my Two Year old to only be saying 10 words?
2 year olds can be saying up to 50 words it is important to explore there whole development especially social development that can be contributing to communication skills, including family holistic assessment.
Children develop at different speeds and it is exciting that he is now saying 10 words. There are lots of strategies and websites that you can access which will show you how you can support your child on their communication journey. At 2 years your child will be approaching their two year health check and the health visitor will be able to offer advice.
It’s absolutely fine if your child isn’t using all 50 words just yet — every child develops at their own pace. Let’s keep encouraging them together! You can find more helpful information by clicking the links below, and your Health Visitor is always there to chat about support available through the Family Hub Talk and Play sessions
Should I speak our first language at home or only use English with my children?
Speaking more than one language is a wonderful gift for your child — it can actually support their learning and help them develop strong skills in English too. If you’re more comfortable speaking in your first language, that’s absolutely fine — in fact, it’s encouraged. Children learn best when communication feels natural and loving.
It’s also perfectly okay if one parent or carer speaks one language and another speaks a different one. This is common in many families and can help your child become confident in both languages over time.
If your goal is for your child to be bilingual, try to use both languages regularly at home. You might notice that their speech develops a little differently, and that’s normal. Learning two languages at once is a big task — and it shows just how clever they are! With time and support, they’ll catch up and thrive.
Play and everyday routines are powerful tools for language learning. Singing, reading, and playing together in any language helps build strong communication skills. If you’d like more ideas or support, we can point you to helpful resources and activities.
Libraries Unlimited Torbay have many dual language picture books which can be borrowed for those special story times in your home language. Click here for Torbay libraries website
Your child’s nursery
Last Update - 19/Aug/2025
Bilingual
Bilingual Families
In this section you can find information, links to websites and more on 'how to help my child if I speak another language.'
In this section you can find information, links to websites and more on ‘how to help my child if I speak another language.’
Last Update - 02/Aug/2024
Children learning more than one language
Speech and Language UK has some helpful information on children learning more than one language here and a blog, Myth-busting: Bilingualism / English as an additional language with a link to a bilingualism factsheet
have many dual language picture books which can be borrowed for those special story times in your home language. Click here for Torbay libraries website
Bilingual babies and speaking multiple languages at home. Will hearing me speak more than one language confuse my child? Is the speech of bilingual children delayed? Tiny Happy People got the answers and information on the benefits of bilingualism.
Bilingual babies and speaking multiple languages at home. Will hearing me speak more than one language confuse my child? Is the speech of bilingual children delayed? Tiny Happy People got the answers and information on the benefits of bilingualism.
Last Update - 02/Aug/2024
Translation
Did you know that you can translate any information on our Torbay Family Hub website by clicking on the icon at the bottom of the page and selecting your language.
Did you know that you can translate any information on our Torbay Family Hub website by clicking on the icon at the bottom of the page and selecting your language.
