Your babies grow up faster than you can believe. I don’t know this from experience, but have it on very good authority (said any parent ever). Your little bub will grow and change in so many ways including developing their understanding of language and how they express themselves. I have had so many parents ask me how they can encourage their children’s language. As I’ve had conversation after conversation, I’ve adapted my language development ideas so they can fit in with the busy parent’s schedule. Here are four golden ways to encourage language development for all ages that are fun, interactive and best of all simple.
- Read, read, read! The evidence behind reading to your baby (regardless of how old they are) is older than I am. The evidence says that reading to your baby, toddler or young child exposes them to a significantly larger vocabulary than children that are not read to and leads to huge increases in language development (Whithurst et al., 1988). Read books to your child, point out and talk about the pictures, allow them time to point to things and then name what they point to. Make it a fun experience by buying books with flaps, material or sound.
- Play with your infant/toddler/pre-schooler. The research is clear that children can learn so much through incidental play (Oddo & Castleberry, n.d.). They love to explore their environment and as they learn to play they are learning to manipulate objects, develop critical social skills with peers or adults, develop understanding of basic concepts and even develop their sensory motor skills (Oddo & Castleberry, n.d.). Wait to see what your child is interested in and develop an interaction around this. Name the object or function, ask a question and produce comments around the activity.
- Self-talk. This is a running commentary where you describe everything you’re doing and everything you see. It is great for developing your child’s understanding of language (Pianta et al., 2008). If you are changing a nappy, talk to your little one about what you’re doing (Pianta et al., 2008). For example; “I am going to change your nappy. I am taking off your pants. Off the pants go….” You might well feel pretty awkward about doing it (I sure do) but who is watching you? Only your little bubba and they LOVE it.
- Take turns with your baby. I don’t want this to seem contradictory with point 3, it actually really should complement it. Talk to your baby, commentate what you’re doing, but leave space for them to respond (Sterling Honig, 2018). Whatever they do as a response, interpret it as a contribution to your “conversation”. For example; you’re changing that nappy (because let’s face it, isn’t that 95% of parenting a baby?) and you’re talking to your baby about what you’re doing; “I’m taking off your pants. Off go the pants. Pants are off. What do you think about that?” Wait 5-10 seconds for a response. *child kicks his/her legs and smiles*. You respond; “Oh you like that do you? You like having your pants off?” As they babble, respond to their babbles with your interpretation of what it means and as they talk, respond to their words, sentences or stories as they grow and develop (Sterling Honig, 2018).
Always remember, that if you have concerns see a speech pathologist. You’ve got too much on your plate to be stressing about this as well. In the meantime have fun!
Written by: Laura Fisher, Speech Pathologist
References:
Oddo, J. M. & Castleberry, L. (n.d.). The Importance of Play in the Development of Langauge Skills. Retrieved from; http://www.theministryofparenting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/The-Importance-of-Play-in-the-Development-of-Language-Skills.pdf
Pianta, Robert C,, La Paro, Karen M., & Hamre, Bridget K. (2008) Classroom Assessment Scoring System Manual Pre-K, Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co, Baltimore, MD.
Sterling Honig, A. (2018). Infants & Toddlers: Activities That Encourage Turn-Taking. Retrieved form: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/infants-toddlers-activities-encourage-turn-taking/
Whitehurst, G. J., Falco, F. L., Lonigan, C. J., Fischel, J. E., DeBaryshe, B. D., Valdez-Menchaca, M. C., & Caulfield, M. (1988). Accelerating language development through picture book reading. Developmental Psychology, 24(4), 552-559. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.24.4.552
