smalltalk - May 2025

smalltalk…supporting the early years sector in Wales for over 30 years.

Published since spring 1986, and mailed free of charge to all Early Years Wales members. smalltalk is the must-read title for early years education and early years childcare providers in Wales.

Whether you are looking for ideas to implement within the setting or to help you with your training and development, wanting to keep up to date with the latest curriculum changes or changes in legislation, our 64-page, fully bilingual, full-colour magazine is packed full of articles to inspire you to embed and inform high-quality practice, whilst continuing to run a successful business.

Welcome to the May 2025 edition of smalltalk

What’s on the cover?

Nurturing Speech, Language, and Communication Skills in the Early Years

• For over twenty years, Llanybydder Family Centre has been a vital support to families, ensuring children develop strong communication skills to thrive.
• Welsh Government aims to reduce inequality and improve lifelong outcomes through the "Talk with Me" programme.
• Telling stories without books fosters children's listening, language, and confidence, using actions, local themes, puppets, and simple props to create engaging, inclusive, and imaginative storytelling experiences.
• Explore the complexities of sound processing in children, including bone conduction, social engagement, and strategies to improve development.
• How using The Planning Cycle can support practitioners support children's Welsh language development.
• Prosiect Pengwin is an exciting new bespoke bilingual surveillance approach for Wales, designed to help identify children with SLCN as early as possible.
• Promote children's speaking and listening skills with the assistance of Persona Dolls.

Read on for a full list of contents...

4. Making Memories, Leaving Footprints

Hiking Mums Wales, founded by Lucianna Biggs, empowers mums through accessible outdoor movement, fostering community, child development, and well-being.

5. Nurturing Communication at Llanybydder Family Centre

Llanybydder Family Centre provides essential support to families, ensuring children develop strong communication skills to thrive in life and learning.

6. Supporting Speech, Language and Communication Skills in the Early Years

Dawn Bowden, Minister for Children and Social Care, provides an update on the Welsh Government's commitment to giving babies and young children the best start in life.

8. The Power of Storytelling without a Book

Storytelling without a book enhances children's listening, speaking, and confidence, fostering connection through actions, rhymes, and local tales. Join Cath Little as she shares her top tips for telling stories.

10. From babies to children in their early years, books and sharing stories together supports speech and language development

Books and shared reading from infancy support speech and language development, Booktrust Cymru share their favourites.

12. Sound processing is so much more than just hearing…

Exploring the complexities of sound processing in children, including bone conduction, social engagement, and strategies to improve development.

14. Curriculum Focus: Invitations to Play

An invitation to play encourages children to lead, explore their interests, and express creativity, fostering curiosity and learning. Kelcie Stacey shares the work she has been doing with Tiddlers Wraparound in Caerphilly.

16. Cultivating Curiosity, Wonder and Connection in Early Years Education

Stephanie Bennett and Lyndsey Hellyn, co-founders of The Curiosity Approach® talk to us about The Curiosity Approach® and its alignment with the ECPLC and the Curriculum.

19. Y Cylch Cymraeg: Nurturing Welsh Language Development in the Early Years

We consider how The Planning Cycle can be used to help practitioners provide a supportive environment in which to foster children's Welsh language development.

22. Helping parents and staff quit smoking

Hywel Dda Smoking and Wellbeing Team supports individuals, parents, and staff to quit smoking, promoting health and reducing harm.

26. Introducing Prosiect Pengwin

Prosiect Pengwin is an exciting new bespoke bilingual surveillance approach for Wales designed to help identify children with SLCN as early as possible, and they are looking for families to take part.

28. Enhancing Children's Language and Communication Through Persona Dolls.

Persona Dolls promote language development by encouraging children to engage in conversation, share experiences, and build communication skills empathetically.

30. Play, Physical Activity and Movement

Play Wales examines how play enhances children's physical and mental health by promoting movement, creativity, and social skills, supporting overall wellbeing and development.

32. Ad: Period Dignity: What It Is and Why It Matters

Period dignity ensures access to safe, sustainable period products and education, eliminating stigma and supporting well-being, equality, and participation. Find out how you as employers can help create a lasting change.