ABSTRACT
Children's own rites and images seem mainly concerned with the uses of friendship and fantasy to avoid fear and loneliness, and to establish a comfortable relationship with people and events. The Talking Table was devised in response to a request to help improve speaking and listening in nurseries in the north-east of England. Nursery staff were concerned that many children were making little imaginative use of the array of play possibilities on offer, and adults were spending precious time settling conflicts or rearranging the setting rather than interacting with children playfully. The Table welcomed all-comers and was not reserved for those with difficulties. Schools have run workshops at conferences to illuminate what they see as the benefits and drawbacks of the Talking Table. Talking Tables occur wherever two or three gather round a shared interest. Watching a model, nursery staff feel they can expand their role and give more prominence to the affective curriculum and to speaking and listening.
