Types of talk with young children, aged 4-5 years, within woodland free play

While classroom talk has been the subject of much research, particularly with primary aged children, the study of talk in contexts outside of the classroom and with younger children is under-researched. This study examined the child-child talk of 4–5-year-olds in the context of free play within a woodland setting. Free play was chosen as it presents elements of choice and autonomy in play and the opportunity for children to engage in child-led play with no, or limited, adult involvement. The children chose to wear camera glasses which recorded both speech and gaze, providing rich data without the impact of the physical presence of adults. Results showed that free play within a woodland environment encouraged more, and different, types of talk than is evident in existing studies based in the classroom. Eight categories of talk were identified: Invitational; Competitive; Imaginative; Informational; Questioning; Inquisitive; Instructional and Self-talk, as well as cumulative and disputational from previous studies of classroom talk. Young children’s use of language within this study, displayed both nuance and imagination as they used it for a range of purposes, including to build meaning with others, to instruct, to impress and to engage in imaginative play. There were also examples of co-construction of language to develop and/or extend play scenarios. Recommendations for future research include the examination of the identified categories of talk within alternative play environments and/or within specific types of play.