Making Time to Talk - Why Being an Active Listener is Important

Podcast: The Early Years Together · Deborah Brown and Dr Jacqueline Young

Opublikowano: 2026-03-01

Active listening is one of the most powerful foundations for early communication. In this episode, we explore why listening matters so much in the early years, how it supports language development, and what the EYFS says about listening and understanding. We break down practical ways adults can model active listening—being present, responding with attunement, validating feelings, and noticing non‑verbal cues. The episode also introduces the EEF’s ShREC approach and shares simple strategies to help young children become active listeners through open‑ended questions, thinking time, playful listening games, and reducing background noise. This epi...