Today a new boy had started in the nursery, the other practitioners had told me prior to him coming in that he is delayed within his language development. Furthermore, he does not speak much and he chooses to be very separated from everyone; but he does speak under his breathe sometimes to himself.

The whole time I was at the placement, I was looking after him and was doing activities with him one to one. It was quite hard adapting to the things that he could and the things that he had found difficult. For example, when everyone else was having food at the tables, he would not eat. He only ate cereal and crackers and never sat around a table. However, despite how difficult I found this – it was interesting to gain a different experience within the nursery.

He would always run back and forth towards the table to grab some cereal but then would run to the other corner and play with wooden blocks with pictures on animals on them. When playing with the blocks, I sat down beside him and listened carefully to what he was mumbling. I could hear “Pig, Pink pink”

Crystal (1984) suggests that some children may be delayed within their language development or they could simply not be comfortable enough to speak in the setting.

The other woman working there told me at the end of the day that I had done well, and that he had shown great interest in me. She was shocked that I had done well with him even when he was screaming and crying.