5 Top Tips to Teach Communication
Waiting for your child to begin talking can feel like the old saying “a watched pot never boils.” As a mom, waiting can create anxiety and a feeling of helplessness. I always encourage parents to talk with their pediatrician about their concerns and to make sure a developmental milestones checklist is being completed at every appointment. And, if you feel like your concerns are not being addressed or don’t feel comfortable waiting, then you should move forward with seeking out an evaluation. Now, that being said, I wanted to give you some ideas of ways to promote language development at home. These strategies are not meant to replace therapy or a research-based parent intervention program, but are great ways to create extra language opportunities at home.
1. Turn off the TV. Now, I get it, this is way easier said than done. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no TV for infants and toddlers. For children over the age of two, the academy recommends no more than one to two hours a day of total screen time… yep, you read that right, that’s two hours total of TV, Ipad, or phone. Little ones are unlikely to have any developmental benefit from TV and it may actually distract them from more important learning experiences. There is also a distinction of children watching TV alone (say when you need to keep them occupied so you can make dinner) compared to watching a program with an adult. The bottom line is the less screen time and the more real life interaction the better.
2. Talk to your child as much as possible throughout the day. Narrate your day as much as possible and keep your language simple. The idea is to create “a language rich environment” which will provide language models. So, don’t feel weird about chattering away, your child is learning from you every minute. Singing and reading also counts towards quality language time.
3. Teach the skill of requesting first. Asking for things that a child really, really wants is a highly motivating time for teaching language. They will learn quickly the power of their words if they say “milk” and they get the milk. This is naturally reinforcing which just means the reward of getting the milk that they wanted will increase that behavior.
4. Once you know what your child wants, show the item and say the word. Then, look at them expectantly and wait to see if they try to say the word. If they make an attempt to say it, then praise them and give them the item as quickly as possible while you repeat the word.
If they don’t respond at all, then model the word and give them the item. Sometimes it takes a while for this to click. If you find that this strategy is not working, then you may want to consult with a speech therapist or other professional.
5. Teach sign language. Teaching your child simple signs for the things they most frequently want is a great bridge from nonverbal to verbal communication. Research shows that teaching signs can actually promote verbal language. And, giving the child a reliable way to get their wants and needs met will prevent behaviors from occurring out of frustration that people don’t understand them.
Use these tips as a starting point to be intentional about teaching communication at home. Schedule a complementary clarity call if you would like to discuss these tips or want more information about starting a home program.
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