When helping your child to develop talking skills it is helpful to remember that talking is something that we use to make things happen, for example: asking for something or giving directions.
Asking your child to simply repeat your talking isn’t always helpful because that’s not what conversation and talking normally looks like.
We want to aim to teach the connection between the words we use and what your child wants to communicate.
You are the best people to give your child this help as you go through the same routines and see the same things every day as part of your daily lives.
There are lots of fun everyday activities that help to develop understanding of longer sentences.
Everyday
- Children need to hear the same words again and again, in different places, at different times and even from different people. This repetition enables them to really learn what the word means and how it sounds.
- They need to learn that the word “cat” is the name for their pet black “cat”, and also the white “cat” from next door and also the “cat” in their story book and the “cat” on the TV.
- As you go through your day show objects to your child and tell them the word (the name or label) e.g. keys, plates, spoon, sock, towel, soap, car, bag, book, shops. You can also tell them what you are doing e.g. “shopping”, “cooking” “brushing”.
- You can do this in a little “commentary” of what you are doing so that it feels more normal and relaxed e.g. “socks on”, “going shopping”, “wash tummy”. Remember to keep your sentences simple – only a few words long where possible and using the same phrases every day will help.
- Use books to point out words to your child. When you are reading the story stop and look at each page. Pictures books will have lots of little things you can point out and name for your child. Later on, you can ask them to find things in the pictures and point them out to you.
Don’t worry about getting your child to repeat the word by saying “you say it, you say it”. Your child needs to hear you saying the word clearly – they will be ready to use the word in their own time.
Don’t worry if the word isn’t sounding clear just yet – this is very usual when children are learning to use words. With more time and practice, and clear models from adults around them, the words will become clearer.