TUESDAY TIP!
Early Language Development
Our topic today involves early language development and ways to foster language growth with your child.
The secret – fun! From your child’s perspective.
You can start small – set aside 15 minutes each day to conscientiously practice this and then as you get used to it, you’ll notice that you’re using it throughout your day and become more aware of other opportunities you can facilitate.
Bring out some of your child’s favorite activities. Or bring out novel (safe) kitchen items, or bathroom items, or office items. Brushes, spoons, envelopes. See what your child is interested in. As they are playing, narrate everything they’re doing.
Open! You’re opening the envelope.
Brush, brush. This is the way we brush our hair, brush our hair, brush our hair.
You have a spoon! Scoop, scoop. Are you eating ice cream?
Observe what your child is doing and talk about how fascinating it is – because it is! Try not to include too many demands as the goal is to truly follow your child’s lead and encourage their exploration, not to do what you as the adult wants them to do. Giving too many instructions can make the activity seem like work or make it too difficult and not as fun for your child. As you’re playing, model various words and phrases, actions, reactions (uh-oh! Wow! Mmm.) and make it your goal to behave in a way that catches your child’s eye. If your child changes their interest (now all of a sudden, they open the Play-Doh) then switch with them (you can also model that language – oh, you’re all done with spoons. Now Play-Doh!). Model the language appropriate for the situation that you would love your child to use, but don’t require that they use it.
Don’t forget the praise! Be excited if your child engages with an activity in a different way than usual, if they make a different sound or use a different word or phrase, if they copy you. That’s exciting and show your child that you love to watch them learn new things. Praise can be delivered in a short-and-sweet method – Nice! Yes! Wow! Or in a more specific manner – wow, you’re eating the ice cream! Praise should always be genuine, delivered quickly after you saw the desirable behavior, and should be frequently varied. It’s gets a bit boring if you’re only told good job and makes it less noticeable and novel from the child’s perspective. Don’t forget that you can reinforce your child without words; continue doing the silly thing they copied or laughed at - or do something even sillier.
Share with us some of the fun activities you and your child love to play. Share some of your go-to ways to promote language in play and engagement with others during play. Or share some new language that your child engaged in that you’re excited about. Because new language is always exciting!
Link Therapies