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Why is rhyme important in EYFS? Rhyming helps children learn about words, sounds and language formation. Hearing and using rhyme, rhythm and repetition helps children develop early literacy skills, with a prominent focus upon developing spoken language.

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60 minute medley | Early Years - Nursery Rhymes | BBC Teach

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Video clip- Actions speak louder than words

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Video clip- Actions speak louder than words

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Five Golden Rules 1 - Actions Speak Louder than Words

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Resources and tools for early language development and parental engagement | National Literacy Trust

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Early years resources and tools for early language development and parental engagement.

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Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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Skip to content

We give families the confidence and skills to help their children. If you're concerned about your child's speech and language development, we can help.

We know that it can be hard to know where to start if you are worried about your child's development. If you think your child is having challenges with talking and understanding words, we are here to help you.

Our free resources and services can help with understanding what to look out for, how to get support and even some simple ways you can help your child at home.

Our progress checker will provide short questions you can answer to see how your baby or child is getting on with their talking and understanding of words.

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Help for families - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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We give families the confidence and skills to help their children. Access our free resources and learn more about ways to encourage children's speech and language development.

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With Greater Manchester continuing to lead the way in tackling the issue of school readiness, a new set of leaflets have been created to provide guidance to parents and carers to support their children's physical development, from birth through to starting school. The leaflets (separated into stages of development) give ten top tips for movement for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers, all of which can be done in the home or in a suitable outdoor space. The project was coproduced by GreaterSport and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) with support from the Greater Manchester School Readiness Physical Development Task and Finish Group.

The leaflets have been specifically designed with the current guidance surrounding Covid-19 in mind. Face-to-face support for under 5s has been affected by social distancing and venue restrictions, and whilst many services have adapted to virtual delivery or to operating under new strict guidance, these leaflets aim to be a stable resource to complement the key messages from professionals.

The leaflets are another example of the investment in early years that Greater Manchester has committed to; to continue in closing the school readiness gap between children from our most disadvantaged communities and the rest of the country.

The leaflets aim to compliment the recently released, GMCA "Ten Tips for Talking" campaign, also part of Greater Manchester's school readiness work, funded by the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership. The ambitious programme aims to improve outcomes for young children and their families, and ensure every child achieves their potential. This is complemented by the BBC's Tiny Happy People campaign, developed in partnership with the GMCA, to help close the pre-school language and communication gap.

The 3 Top 10 Tips for Movement leaflets can be downloaded at the bottom of the page and further information on Ten Tips for talking campaign can be found here.

Downloads

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New at-home guidance created to support parents and carers to get their little ones moving!

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With Greater Manchester continuing to lead the way in tackling the issue of school readiness, a new set of leaflets have been created to provide guidance to parents and carers to support their children's physical development, from birth through to starting school.

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This section provides activities to develop core skills among babies aged 0-18 months along with information on the skills we would expect to see emerging at this age.

Activities in the Toddler section are suitable for children aged 18 - 36 months. Some children might be ready to move to the preschool section sooner or later, dependent on their level of development.

Activities within the Preschool section are typically suitable for children aged 3 years - reception age, although skills and activities in the younger age groups may still need to be reinforced.

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This section provides activities to develop core skills among babies aged 0-18 months along with information on the skills we would expect to see emerging at this age. Activities in the Toddler section are suitable for children aged 18 - 36 months.

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Let’s Keep Bolton Moving is a resource website that offers various activities and volunteer opportunities to the wider community that benefits health, wellbeing, learning and fitness. Providers can list their activities for free.

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Parenting is an incredibly rewarding and challenging experience.

At times, it can feel like a real roller coaster of emotions - particularly if your child or young person is behaving in ways that feel difficult to manage or understand.

If your child's behaviour is challenging at the moment, it might feel exhausting. But things can change. With support, both of you can experience a more positive family life. On this page, we've got lots of ideas and strategies to help you deal with difficult moments.

What is challenging behaviour?

Most children and young people will behave in challenging ways at some point. Feeling upset, angry, stressed or disappointed is a normal part of life. Because we develop our ability to manage our emotions as we grow up, children and young people do sometimes act out when they're going through big feelings. In response to their emotions, they may display a range of behaviours. It's normal for younger children to hit or 'have a tantrum' sometimes. And it's normal for teenagers to shout, lash out or storm out sometimes. Most children and teenagers will also push boundaries as they test their independence.

But sometimes, challenging behaviour can become more frequent and difficult to deal with. It may start to have an impact on someone's day-to-day quality of life, on relationships and learning at school, and on other family members.

Examples of challenging behaviour include:

having lots of angry outbursts or 'tantrums'

regularly shouting, swearing, hitting, biting or kicking

kicking, hitting, smashing or damaging things in the home

regularly refusing boundaries and routines, including not wanting to respond to reasonable requests

being impulsive and taking physical risks

blaming others for their behaviour

bullying or being unkind towards others

persistently getting into trouble at school

refusing to engage in conversations about what's going on

Why do children and young people behave in challenging ways?

An iceberg submerged in water, with the text 'When we seem angry or aggressive, there are often other feelings hidden under the surface'. The words Angry and Aggressive are displayed on the section of the iceberg above the water, and the words Worried, Hurt, Scared, Lonely, Stressed, Overwhelmed, Ashamed, Ignored, Sad are displayed on the iceberg below the water.

The way your child behaves is a communication about how they're feeling.

When your child is acting out, it can be helpful to think about the image of an iceberg. We only see the top of an iceberg because most of it is underwater. Similarly, when your child is behaving in challenging ways, there will be feelings going on under the surface that you cannot see. Your child may not be aware of these feelings and may need your help to talk about them.

Underneath their behaviour, a child or young person may be feeling angry, tired, stressed, anxious, confused, hurt, jealous, bored or something else. Whatever's going on, try to remember that the behaviour you see on the surface is not the whole story.

Talking to your child about their behaviour

If your child is acting out, starting a conversation about what's going on can often feel like the hardest bit. Your child might not want to talk, or they might find it hard to recognise that there is a problem.

Starting a conversation while doing an activity together is a good strategy to try. This can help your child to relax by making it feel like less of a 'big chat'. Depending on your child's age, you could go for a walk, cook or bake together, or do something creative like colouring. Or you could start a conversation while travelling somewhere together.

If your child cannot talk at the moment, you could start a conversation by text or write them a letter instead.

Whether you're talking in-person or in another way, our tips below can help you to have a positive conversation with your child.

Try to use simple phrases such as:

"I notice there is a lot of shouting happening."

"I think something might be upsetting you."

"I feel worried you're not happy."

"I need you to know you can talk to me about what's going on."

Be specific about the behaviour you have noticed, without using labels or negative words such as 'naughty', 'bad behaviour' or 'horrible'.

Tell your child that it's normal to feel angry, frustrated or upset, but it's not okay to express it in this way.

Helping your child to manage their behaviour

Having some behaviour management strategies in mind can help you to feel more confident. Below are some things you can try to help your child manage their behaviour. Have a go at some different strategies until you find what works for you and your child. Be patient if new strategies do not seem to work straightaway. It often does take a bit of time for change to happen, and for your child to get used to things.

Remembering to explain why can help - so rather than just shouting 'sit down' at the table, I try to let them know that I'd like them to sit down so we can enjoy eating and that we can go and play when we've finished.

Challenging behaviour is exhausting and demoralising. In our family it often leads to everyone feeling less positive and only picking out the negative behaviours, which is so hard not to do. When we notice that we have all gotten stuck in a negative rut, we make an effort to pick up on and name some positives, however small, and this helps us move through a difficult time.

Depending on their age, some of these strategies might help your child to calm down:

drawing or painting

doing something active like running or their favourite sport

listening to music

having some time alone

reading a book

writing

cooking or baking

making something out of playdough or Lego

Having a list of coping strategies will help them to build up a bank of tools they can use when they're struggling.

Reading stories together that talk about feelings has helped my child get used to the words - giving them a way to talk about positive and difficult things.

It's completely normal to feel frustrated, angry, overwhelmed or hurt when your child is behaving in challenging ways. But try not to react or argue back, as this will only escalate the situation.

If you feel yourself running out of patience and it is safe to do so, it's okay to walk away for a few minutes to calm down. This is actually a positive strategy your child can learn from you when they see you doing it. After a particular incident, make sure both of you have some space before you try to talk about what has happened.

Finding professional support for your child

A counsellor or therapist can support your child to understand and manage their feelings and behaviour. Counsellors working with younger children will usually do this through play and arts activities.

Have a look at our guide to counselling and therapy to find out how you can access services in your area.

Be open with the school about the challenges you are experiencing and ask them for advice. Lots of primary and secondary schools provide extra support like mentoring, pastoral check-ins, learning support, peer buddying, and clubs and activities.

Whether they are at primary or secondary school, you might have noticed that something at school is triggering your child's behaviour. This could be their relationships with their peers, their schoolwork or learning, or the school environment. If this is the case, work with the school to address this. You can find information and advice to help you do this in our guide to school anxiety.

If you are worried that your child is behaving in challenging ways because they are struggling with their mental health, it's a good idea to speak to a GP. If you have a younger child, you can speak to the GP yourself to get information and advice. If you have a teenager, you can encourage them to make an appointment or ask them to go to an appointment with you.

The GP can discuss what's happening and make suggestions for what might help. They can also make a referral to the NHS mental health service for children and young people, called CAMHS.

You can find out more about how GPs can help in our guide to getting support from the GP.

Sometimes, children and young people behave in challenging ways when they have an additional need, neurodiverse condition, learning disability or developmental difficulty that has not been recognised. This can include dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism, ADHD, or difficulties hearing or speaking. In this situation, they may be acting out because their needs are not understood at home or school.

If you think your child might have an additional need, speak to your GP, or to your child's teacher, pastoral lead or SENCO. They can make a referral for an assessment. It's helpful to make a log of the behaviour you have noticed so that you can provide evidence when communicating with professionals.

If your child is diagnosed with an additional need, you can ask the professionals supporting them about parenting strategies that will best suit them.

You can find out more about the support available in our guide to getting mental health support.

Looking after yourself

Supporting a child who is behaving in challenging ways can be an exhausting task. If things are tough at the moment, don't be hard on yourself or your abilities as a parent. While it's normal to feel upset when your child is acting out, often it is not about you. Like us, children and young people take things out on those they feel closest to and safest with. So try not to take it personally. Keep doing the things that help you re-charge and ask for support when you need it.

You might also find it helpful to reach out to other parents. It can be very reassuring to hear what they are struggling with and how they handle difficult situations. They can also be someone who gets it when you need to talk.

You can connect with other parents by:

reaching out to family and friends

accessing peer and group parent support through Parenting Mental Health

joining Facebook groups or other online groups

setting up your own parent support group using our guide

You might also find helpful...

Useful helplines and websites

While we take care to ensure that the organisations we signpost to provide high quality information and advice, we cannot take responsibility for any specific pieces of advice they may offer. We encourage parents and carers to always explore the website of a linked service or organisation to understand who they are and what support they offer before engaging with them.
This page was reviewed in July 2023. It was created with parents and carers with lived experience of supporting their child or young person with challenging behaviour. We will next review the page in 2026. YoungMinds is a proud member of PIF TICK - the UK's quality mark for trusted health information.
Whether you love the page or think something is missing, we appreciate your feedback. It all helps us to support more young people with their mental health.

Please be aware that this form isn't a mental health support service. If your child is in crisis right now and you want to talk to someone urgently, find out who to contact on our urgent help page.

At YoungMinds we take your privacy seriously. If you'd like to read more about how we keep the information we collect safe, take a look at our privacy policy.

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Challenging Behaviour | Parents' Guide To Support

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Read our advice on what to do about your child or young person's challenging behaviour, including behaviour management strategies to help you deal with it.

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Toddlers: behaviour management tips & tools

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Our practical guide helps you encourage good behaviour in toddlers and deal with difficult behaviour. Get tips on praise, consequences, time-out and more.

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10 practical tips to help children cope with strong emotions

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How can you help your child to have good mental health and stay happy and well? We chatted to child mental health expert Pooky Knightsmith to get some practical ideas to support children with worries.

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Children's early development is greatly affected by the mental health and well-being of the adults who care for them.

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Feeling Better - How to talk to your child about emotions

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Children’s social and emotional skills begin to develop from a very young age. Building a good understanding of emotions when you’re young helps you relate to others and manage your own mental health later on. Talking openly with children about how they feel and why, enables them to start recognisin…

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The Local Offer provides a single point for information to help families access details about services available to them

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Brexit Check how the new rules affect you

Guide for parents with learning disabilities, explaining changes to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system.

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You will find this guide useful if you are a parent and you want to understand how the changes will affect you and your child.

It has been jointly developed by the Department for Education and Mencap, with help from parents and young people with learning disabilities.

An easy-read guide for children and young people is also available.

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SEND support: easy-read guide for parents

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We use cookies to collect information about how you use GOV.UK. We use this information to make the website work as well as possible and improve government services. Brexit Check how the new rules affect you Guide for parents with learning disabilities, explaining changes to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system.

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Baby touch and feel Animals DK

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The Animal Boogie | Barefoot Books Singalong

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Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes | By Mem Fox | Read Aloud | Story Book | Hoots and Tales |

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Dear Zoo (Share a Story Corner)

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Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Song | Kids Songs | Eric Carle Book | Colors | Animals

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Makaton Signed Story | The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle | Read Together Storytime

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Michael Rosen performs We're Going on a Bear Hunt

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The Wonky Donkey: Kids Books Read Aloud by Books With Blue

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Handa's Surprise - Give Us A Story!

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Mrs Withams Reads The Runaway Chapati

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Storytime for kids read aloud - Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

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The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson. Children's read-aloud (audiobook) with colour illustrations.

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We held the coffee morning to:

Strengthen communication and language development by showing parents the key skills children need in EYFS — listening, understanding, talking, turn-taking, and vocabulary growth.

Work in partnership with parents, giving them simple, everyday strategies they can use at home.

Share how communication and language underpin all learning, including early reading, writing, social skills, and behaviour.

Give parents a space to ask questions, see examples of activities, and understand how their child is progressing.

Build a sense of community, making parents feel welcome, included, and confident in supporting learning.