Best Way to Stimulate Your Child’s Language Development

You can stimulate your child’s language development no matter what your child’s age is. Talking to your baby is essential because it

• will encourage your child’s interest in language. Even though he can’t understand what you say, your child will begin to imi­tate some of the sounds you make.
• promotes communication. Slow-motion replays of filmed mother-baby interactions reveal that a baby appears to fit his vocalizations into the gaps between his mother’s sen­tences, almost as though he’s listening to what is being said and then replying. Talking to a baby involves him in this prespeech “conversation.”

• ensures your close attention. This shows your child that lan­guage has positive dimensions.
• Many mothers use “motherese” when they talk to their baby, that is, they speak slowly, in exaggerated tones, using short sentences with clear gaps between the words. Research has proved that a baby will pay closer attention to an adult who speaks to him in motherese than to one who speaks to him in a normal style. Adopting some of these speech qualities is worthwhile when you talk to your baby. This doesn’t mean you should use baby talk. Your child has as much chance to under­stand the meaning of the word “dog” as she has to understand the word “bow-wow.” Baby talk has no advantage over normal words, and in fact can impede your child’s skills. Do the following to encourage your baby’s language development:
• Name everyday objects involved in your baby’s regular routine. When you dress him, for example, tell him what you are doing (“This is your sleeper,” “Here is your hat.”).
• When your child makes sounds, give a response. For instance, if your child makes a cooing, gurgling noise, you might say, “Good, you seem to be happy today.” Use lots of facial expressions when you talk to your child.
• Play action rhymes that are basic and that physically involve your child. Elementary rhymes such as “Round and round the garden” or “This little piggy” will make your child chuckle with delight.
• One of your main aims at the toddler stage should be to improve your child’s listening skills. This can be achieved in two ways. First, listen to your child when he talks to you—if you don’t, he will have no incentive to use speech. Second, encour­age your child to listen to you; when you give him instructions (such as “Please come over here.”), make sure that he acts on them, even if he appears to ignore you.
• Broaden your child’s use of words, grammar, and sentence structure using the following strategies:

• Don’t constantly correct your child’s speech mistakes. While there is no harm in doing so occasionally, nagging about errors will reduce your child’s self-confidence and may make him hesitant to speak.
• Model appropriate language. For instance, your child might say, “More juice,” to which you could reply, “I can see you would like to have some more juice.” This provides a model for your child to imitate and is quite different from correct­ing him.
• Use the same word in different contexts. For instance, your child will learn the significance of “on” faster if you say, “I’m sit­ting on a chair,” “Your cookie is on the plate,” “Your toy is on the floor,” rather than using it in one context only.
• Try these activities:
• Ask your child to tell you about something that has just hap­pened. This forces your child to concentrate, to recall details of a previous experience, and to find the words to describe it to you.
• Play lots of word games with your child. He will enjoy hearing action rhymes and songs, singing with you, and reciting simple nursery rhymes. Listen to songs and music together; your child will probably want to join in when he hears familiar tunes.
• Explore picture books and read storybooks. This is a marvelous way to increas your child’s vocabulary and, at the same time, develop his early reading skills. Children of this age love to hear the same story read over and over.
• Between three and five years, your child’s language becomes even more sophisticated. Now, he chatters away endlessly and asks you lots of questions, which you should answer at a level appropriate to his understanding. Remember that every child should be given plenty of opportunities to talk. Family life is hectic, and you may have more than one child eager to have a turn. Each child needs a chance to express his thoughts, not just the talkative ones. Ensure the quiet child also tells you his news, no matter how many others want to speak. These activities will encourage your preschool child’s language:
• Teach your child useful concepts, such as color, shape, and size. Pick one concept at a time (for example, color) and work on this for a few weeks. Begin with matching activities: “Which one of these blocks is the same color as the sweater you’re wearing?”; then sorting activities: “Put blocks of the same color in the same pile”; then identifying activities: “Find me all the green blocks”; and last, naming activities: “What color is this?”

• Play memory games with your child. For instance, bring out a tray with perhaps a dozen common objects on it (ball, scis­sors, pencil, doll, spoon, etc.). Tell your child you will take the tray away, and that he should try to remember as many as he can. After two minutes, cover the tray with a cloth; then ask your child to tell you the objects he can remember.
• Watch a children’s television program together and then talk about it. Programs such as Sesame Street can help broaden a child’s world because they can give him access to events he may not have experienced himself, such as a visit to a fac­tory. Your child will derive more enjoyment if you spend a few minutes discussing the program with him.