The organisation Words Matter have created a free online course, for parents and carers, teachers, and any adults around children, designed to help build children up, not knock them down.
Words shape children’s lives more than we realise. 2 in 5 children experience verbal abuse by adults in their lives, affecting their confidence, self-esteem, mental health, and development.
Across the three-week course, you’ll find out the science of child development and language, recognise verbal abuse in daily life, and gain practical techniques for home, school, and in a variety of interactions with children.
You’ll gain insights into the latest research and simple neuroscience with leading experts to understand why the way we communicate with and around children – and the words we use – matter.
Through guided activities, you’ll practise responding constructively in challenging moments and explore approaches that protect children’s mental health and wellbeing while supporting positive relationships. With this foundation, you’ll recognise how everyday comments can either support or undermine a child’s confidence and wellbeing.
Words Matter is a charity on a mission to improve children’s mental and physical health by ending verbal abuse by adults around them. They understand how our early relationships and experiences lay the foundations of how our brain and body get built, and shape who we become. Whether at home or at school, being surrounded by warm and loving words lays the foundations for children to grow and thrive.
Parents, carers, teachers and any adults around children
3 weekly sessions
2 hours a week
Online
Free
To register for the course, visit the Future Learn website to join
For more information about Words Matter:
