BBC rolls out free digital resources to help improve communication among young children
- Tiny Happy People is an initiative started by the GMCA and BBC
- Seeks to bridge the communication gap among Greater Manchester pre-schoolers
- Website contains free digital resources for parents to use
The Tiny Happy People initiative seeks to bridge the communication gap among Greater Manchester pre-schoolers.
The initiative, which was started by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and the BBC, uses the BBC’s website to provide parents with free digital resources which help develop communication skills in their children.
Joe McCulloch, the producer of Tiny Happy People, said that through research with the help of organisations such as National Literacy Trust, they found that communication issues faced even by adults when they come into the workplace can be traced back to the pre-school level.
@JoeMcCulloch3 executive producer of BBC Tiny Happy People presenting their language and communication initiative, which will tackle the word gap in school age children at #LGAEY2019 #TinyHappyPeople #YourWordsBuildTheirWorld @bbc_thp pic.twitter.com/Ez7ZLp7Ikb
— LGA Peer Support (@lgapeers) December 9, 2019
There is a significant number of children who come into pre-schools without the communication abilities required to thrive.
Mr McCulloch said: “Some parents don’t realise the need for talking to their child at a very young age as they believe that when they are babies they can’t respond. But, that is not true as there can be a rhythm of conversation even at that age.
“Parents should also indulge in child-led communication. It is common misconception that you should tell your child ‘Oh look at this, look at this ball!’, instead you should only say that when the child is actually looking at it.”
Sameena, a participant in this initiative has a one-year-old daughter, and feels the website has helped her child communicate better.
She said: “These days mums are not at home 24/7 as they work. The website really helps me use the time I have with my child.”
Sameena also said that the website helps improve her child’s vocabulary other than just the usual “Yes” or “No”.
The Tiny Happy People initiative is also looking to nationalise in the coming year. This would be done by targeting hyper-local hubs across the UK and then slowly expanding to include more places. Mr McCulloch says that he realises that it won’t happen soon but the plan is to have a UK-wide presence.