Creating Spaces for Talk

1️⃣ Introduction

In every Early Years classroom, the walls, furniture, and layout send messages — even before a word is spoken. A busy, colourful, talk-friendly space tells children: “Your ideas matter here.” A silent, tightly ordered room can suggest that learning is about listening, not speaking.

Creating spaces for talk doesn’t mean redesigning your classroom — it means using what you already have to make conversation easier, safer, and more natural. This page explores how small environmental changes can make big differences to how, when, and how often young children talk.

2️⃣ Key Ideas and Evidence

The Environment as the “Third Teacher”

In early childhood education, educators often say that the environment is the third teacher — alongside adults and peers. The way we arrange space, light, and materials can either invite or block communication.

• Circular seating and floor mats encourage eye contact.
• Defined spaces (story corners, art zones, play kitchens) help children focus and use language specific to that context.
• Quiet corners or nooks give shy children a place to talk softly, away from noise or large groups.

Research shows that when children have clear, welcoming places to talk, they use more complex language and talk more confidently — especially when those spaces are predictable parts of their day.

Props, Puppets, and Prompts

Physical objects can act as conversation starters. Puppets, photos, and real-life items encourage children to describe, question, and imagine.

• Puppets give every child a voice — they can talk to the puppet, through it, or with it. Many children who are shy with adults will happily chat with a puppet “friend.”
• Photo prompts (family pictures, community scenes, animals, markets) can spark talk even in mixed-language groups.
• “Curiosity baskets” — boxes filled with interesting objects like shells, spoons, old keys, or local fruits — invite natural discussion: “What is this? How does it feel? What do we use it for?”

Evidence from programmes such as PUPPETalk (used across low-resource early years settings globally) shows that simple materials can trigger rich interactions between children and adults, even where few toys or books exist.

Visual and Physical Design

Talk also depends on how the room feels. In crowded Bangladeshi classrooms, sound levels can quickly rise — but careful design helps:

• Use soft surfaces (rugs, cloth, cushions) to reduce echo and noise fatigue.
• Hang visual prompts at child’s-eye level — such as pictures of emotions, animals, or classroom routines.
• Display children’s own words and drawings on the wall. When they see their ideas written up, they understand that their voices are part of the classroom story.
• Create mobile talk corners — a few cushions and a cloth divider can turn any space into a mini talk zone.

Even in shared or outdoor spaces, visual cues (like a “Talk Tree” poster or a simple floor mat where pairs sit to talk) show children that this is a place to share ideas.

3️⃣ What This Means for Teachers in Bangladesh

Small Things, Big Impact

You don’t need extra space or money to make talk visible. A few intentional moves can transform the tone of a classroom:

“We use our voices here — together.”

Active Ingredients: What Makes Space for Talk Work

Real-Life Example: Shuvo’s Talk Corner

Setting Government preschool, outskirts of Mymensingh    Teacher Shuvo Rahman, 6 years’ experience

Shuvo teaches 35 children in a small shared room. The space is busy — mats, posters, low tables. He noticed the children were talking mainly during play and not much during group time.

“They laughed and whispered in play, but when I asked questions in front of the class, they froze.”

He decided to create a Talk Corner using only what he had: a faded rug, a small chair, and a basket of objects (shells, pencils, bottle caps, an old phone). Each day, two children visit the corner and choose one object to describe to the class.

At first, the children were nervous. Shuvo began modelling:

“I pick up the shell. It feels rough. I found it near the river. It sounds like the sea.”

Then he handed the shell to a child:

“Now you tell me about it.”

Within a week, even the quietest children were queuing to visit the Talk Corner. Shuvo then added a puppet parrot that “listens carefully” and praises each child.

Not every attempt goes smoothly — sometimes children grab objects or go silent. Shuvo learned to slow down, limit the audience to five peers at a time, and remind everyone:

“We wait, we listen, and we clap when our friend finishes.”

He says the biggest change isn’t just in talk, but in confidence:

“They speak louder now — and look at each other. They even correct me sometimes!”

4️⃣ Summary Box