January 30, 2021 / By


1. Read, Read, and Read
The single best thing you can do with your child is read with her. You do not have to read anything that is complicated. Even with picture books, you can point to the pictures and name the objects. Children like books that are repetitive, and sometimes they may want you to read the same book over and over again. After you have read it so many times, you can slow down at the end of a sentence and let them finish the last word or the last few words. It is best to select reading time when your child is calm and wants to cuddle (even for 30 seconds). You can use your fingers to point to the words you are reading or point to the objects you are talking about. Try to create reading time during the day and designate a little reading corner with books.
Remember: You want to let your child know that reading is fun.
 
2. Decrease Screen Time
Decrease time spent on the TV, computer, tablet, and smartphone. Researchers have found that watching TV (even as background noise) can rob young children of crucial language development opportunities. Each hour that a child watches TV or remains near a TV that is on, there is reduced vocalization, vocalization duration, and conversation turns. In 2019, the World Health Organization recommends that children under age 5 should not spend more than one hour on the screen each day. Do not worry about downloading fancy educational apps; those times count as screen time too.
Remember: There is nothing that the apps can teach your child that you cannot teach better.

3. Narrate Daily Activities
Almost everything that you do can be a language activity. When you are getting breakfast ready, you can talk about the utensils you are taking out from the cupboard, and you can talk about the food and drink that you are preparing. When you are bathing your child, you can talk about the different body parts and what each body part does. When you are giving your child some crackers for snacks, you can count each one out loud. When you are doing chores around the house, you can talk about how you put the items on the table, in the drawer, behind the chair, or under the bench.
Remember: You can inject language teaching into everything that you do.

5. Teach Baby Signing
Before your child verbalizes speech, you can teach her to sign. You can get a book or search online for baby signing. Start with teaching just one or two signs of frequently used words (e.g., milk, more, open); that way, your child can start communicating to you her needs. Again, after she signs, you can praise her for her effort. Then you can follow up by saying the word and encourage her to repeat after you. Here’s a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWRqzugoagM
Remember: Even though you may already know what she needs, you want her to know there is power in communication
6. Make Funny Faces and Sounds in Front of the Mirror
Your child may only be making just a few sounds. Try standing together in front of a mirror and make funny faces and different noises with your mouth. You want to let your child know that there are all these different sounds that he can make. Blowing bubbles and making animal noises are also fun activities to encourage vocalization.
Remember: You want your child to know that learning to speak is fun.

7. One Last Suggestion
Get all the adults in your home to agree on how the home environment should be to foster language learning. If you are not in agreement, your child will know which adult will let her watch four hours of cartoons, and which adult will get her everything she wants as long as she whines.
Remember: Children can be very smart, but you are still the boss!

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