HMR Children's Speech and Language Therapy

12/11/2025

The family hub teams across the Rochdale Borough are celebrating World Nursery Week. There are lots of sessions on to explore the magic of rhyme and how much they can support the development of a child's speech, language and communication skills.

28/07/2025

Tomorrow is the start of the second week of our activities at the Library. This week, we continue to celebrate 'Secret Garden Week' and will continue getting to know characters Sola and Jake.

25/07/2025

The school holidays have officially started and we have a summer full of activities planned for you at the Library. We kick it off next week with 'Secret Garden Week' , a week full of activities and you can get to know characters Sola and Jake.

01/04/2025

Reading to your baby is great way of building a bond with your child and it has lots of benefits to their brain and language development.

It also helps to build a routine, develop their imagination and support you and your child’s mental health and wellbeing.

Here are some top tips you should follow...

📚 Encourage your child to choose a book that they want to look at
📚 Give them a choice of books to pick from and offer them the chance to point, reach or grab out to the book they want
📚 Look at the book together and follow your child’s lead
📚 Talk about the pictures and make comments like “oh look a red balloon”.

For more ideas and information, visit ourrochdale.org.uk/homelearning

01/04/2025

Following your child's lead helps them to develop social skills, language, and confidence. It shows them you’re interested, keeps them engaged longer, and encourages turn-taking.

Top tip: Follow their lead and join in with the activity they are doing, whether you are out and about at the shops, at the park, or even on the bus.

They may be looking or pointing at something or using sounds to show you when they have an interest in something, so remember to talk about these things and if you pause and then wait, you’re giving your little one an opportunity to communicate back to you.

For more ideas and information, visit ourrochdale.org.uk/homelearning

28/03/2025

Listening 👂 to the sounds around us really helps to develop your child’s speech, language and communication skills.

It also helps them to make sense of the world around them and understand the difference between surrounding sounds and the sounds in our words.

Top tip: When a sound or movement captures your little one’s interests, follow their lead and show an interest in it too.

Getting down to your little one’s level makes it easier for them to see what you are saying, and being face to face shows them you are interested in them, what they are doing and helps them to listen to you.

For more ideas and information, visit ourrochdale.org.uk/homelearning.

28/03/2025

Friday 28th March
For the final tip, the focus is sharing books and stories

We know that this can help to:
• Bond with your baby and child (supports physical closeness)
• Support your little one’s brain and language development
• Support the development of shared/ joint attention
• build a routine in the day, for example at bedtime
• develop imagination, empathy (understand and share the feelings of others) and creativity
• Develops better mental health and wellbeing for you and your little one

What can I do?
• Encourage your little one to choose the book they would like to look at with you. You could offer a choice of books. Show them one book in one hand and another book in the other. Then they can see the book and listen to you when you tell them what the book is called.
• Your little one can then show you by pointing, reaching, grabbing, using sounds or words which book they would like to look at with you.
• Look at the book together – don’t worry about following the print and the written story- follow your little one’s lead
• You can talk about the pictures. You can make comments like “oh look a red balloon”.

Maybe you can comment in the chat what your favourite children's book is?

For more ideas and information, please visit our new page ourrochdale.org.uk/homelearning or via the QR code below.

27/03/2025

Did you know? Singing nursery rhymes with your little one is a great way of helping to support their early language and communication development.

It can also prepare them for reading and writing when they start school.

Top tip: Try singing or saying a nursery rhyme during your everyday activities and routines, such as ‘Wheels on the bus’ when you’re out travelling - your little one will love to join in and do actions as you sing 🎶❤

For more ideas and information, visit ourrochdale.org.uk/homelearning

27/03/2025

Please see below for information from the Rochdale Additional Needs ASC Team. They are holding a coffee afternoon on April 1st at Number Riverside from 1pm to 3pm

RANS TASC coffee afternoon on 1st April 2025, 1-3pm at Number One Riverside.

See below for details⬇️

27/03/2025

Thursday 27th March
Today the top tip is following your little one’s lead

We know that this can help your little one to:
• Know you have shown an interest in what they are doing
• Stay longer at an activity than one that we choose or move them to
• Take turns with others
• Hear the language you use
• Begin to match the language we use to the play/ games that they are sharing with you.
• Develop social skills, including eye contact during your play

What can I do?
Follow their lead and join in with the activity that they are doing. This can be when you are out and about at the shops, at the park, on the bus.
They might, for example, look, point, take you to or use sounds to show you when they have an interest in something. You can talk about these things and if you then pause and wait you are giving your little one an opportunity to communicate back to you.

For more ideas and information, please visit the new page “Home learning ideas” on ourrochdale.org.uk/homelearning or via the QR code below

26/03/2025

Wednesday 26th March
Today the top tip is talking about things you are doing everyday

We know that this can help:
• to keep your little one interested in what you are doing
• Helps them to learn new words to describe what you are both doing and about the activities you share.

What can I do?
• When they are playing with an object/ toy, talk about what they are doing
• This shows your little one that you have an interest in what they are doing
• You can say and repeat the key words/important words

For more ideas and information, please visit the new page “Home learning ideas” via ourrochdale.org.uk/homelearning or by the QR code below.

25/03/2025

Tuesday 25th March
Today the tip of the day, to celebrate the launch of the new early years home learning ideas page, is Noticing sounds around you in your everyday activities and routines.

Listening to sounds around us will help us to:
Develop speech, language and communication skills
Make sense of the world around us
Start to hear the difference between sounds in the world around us and the sounds we use in our words

Wherever you are, you can encourage your little one to listen to the sounds around them. As much as possible, you can try to remove distractions. This might include turning off the television or radio when you are playing at home.

When a sound or movement captures your little one’s interests you can follow their lead and show an interest in it too!

For more ideas, please visit the home learning ideas page via the QR code below or via ourrochdale.org.uk/homelearning