Growing a chatterbox
A raft of research projects have shown that good early language skills are the key to later success in many areas. For example children who have poor language skills at 5 struggle with maths in secondary school.
The reasons why language skills are so crucial is that most of our skills and learning experiences involve us talking and listening, so the better you are at the basics the more you can learn.
So how can you help your child develop these skills? Fortunately there are a few simple ways.
· Talk to your child from birth. Very young babies will respond by babbling in turn, with your talking - learning the essential skills that make them able to dialogue not monologue. Narrate your everyday to them.
· Make sure they can see your face, so have the pram or pushchair facing you lots of the time, sit on their level at mealtimes and face them.
· Be patient, think of when you tried to learn a second language, well that is child’s play compared to mastering your first language. Allow plenty of thinking, listening and processing time, don’t rush in with the answers or the next question.
· As they get older, make time for everyday conversations, allow an extra 5 minutes when you walk somewhere. Sit down and talk whilst they are eating and if possible eat together — resist the urge to get on with other jobs. Include them in conversations with others whether you are meeting a friend or doing some shopping, role play how to talk to friends and strangers.
· Start weaning your baby off their dummy at 6 mths and aim to not use after 12 mths, it will inhibit their speech development and if used much later make cause dental problems.
· Give your child options, so offer them say apple or grape and hold the plate out of their reach and wait, count to 10 before repeating it, giving them time to process the choice and formulate a response.
· Don’t give your child your phone to watch when you’re out, once you do it’s almost impossible to go back. Have realistic expectations of their patience and behaviour, by two or three a child should be able to wait whilst you chat for a few minutes.
· If your child turns your face away while you are talking to someone explain that you will talk to them for another two minutes and then give your attention to your child. Then stick to the two minutes.
· Stretch your toddlers sentences, so when they say ‘banana’ reply ‘more banana’, role play sentences one or two words longer than they can say. Scaffold and support them onto the next stage of language development.
· Read to them, sometimes they will want the same story over and over again, this is them learning. When you both know it well, change it around, play with the words so your child listens to catch them and you both have fun.
· Talk in your home language, your child will learn English at preschool and will master both well by the time they are in reception.
· Read stories and make up alternate endings, play with possibilities and have fun, why shouldn’t the big bad wolf suffer from hayfever when blowing down the straw house and be looked after by the pig and turn vegetarian.
· Sing with your child, drag up all those half forgotten nursery rhymes, they won’t judge your ability and will honestly think you are better than Adele, well at least until the age of 3!
· Limit TV and screen time, a little, maybe 30 mins a day, especially when shared with a parent, can help, but it’s no substitute for one on one parent time.
· Allow some silence, turn off the background TV and radio. Your child is still learning how to filter out background noise and to speak they must be able to listen and hear the sounds.
· Play games, from silly rhyming games to word play, English is great for this. In English you can chop a tree down and then chop it up and not return to the start.
If you have concerns talk to your child’s nursery or playgroup, your Health Visitor or your Doctor, or visit one of the county’s Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) drop in clinics.
The following websites are also useful, and a simple search will throw up many more.
http://www.talkingpoint.org.uk/
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Thank you for reading my blog.
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Tracy
