Speaking is the main form of communication between children and adults and even children and children. Helping your child with their speech skills can help them communicate with each other and adults. The most important stage of child development is from birth to the age of three, here it is critical for you to help your child so that they can achieve all that they can when it comes to their speech skills.
Basic Interactions
If your child talks to you, it is important to let them finish, do not interrupt and give them your full attention until they are done. If they have a favorite topic, let them speak to you about it and encourage them speaking about it, get them to talk as much as possible!
During this time of learning, your child may not have the correct pronunciation of words or the correct word order, it is important to not criticize them or tell them they are wrong. Instead, repeat the sentence to them in the correct manner and praise them for trying.
Another tip is to narrate what you do as you do it, for example, “I’m taking the dishes out of the dishwasher because they were dirty and now, they are squeaky clean”. This may seem very frustrating or like it may not make a difference, but it helps your child hear the correct pronunciation of words and make stronger connections in their brain with regards to language and strengthen their overall communication skills.
Reading Together
It is important to read to your child, even though you talk to them daily, reading introduces them to new words they may not have heard before. Reading them a story every day will help increase their vocabulary and develop their fluency. Reading can also help improve your child’s concentration skills and help them to learn to sit still for longer periods of time.
Reading to your child can help them develop skills that will be useful when they start school and can give them a solid foundation for when they are ready to read by themselves.
Watching TV
It is recommended that children younger than 2 do not watch TV, and once over two they do not watch TV for more than two hours a day, according to the Academy of American Pediatrics. TV programs do not respond or interact with children, which is one of the main ways that children can learn and improve their language skills.
Singing
Singing may be a way to spend some quality time with your child, it also helps with their speech skills. Singing will help your child to articulate sounds and words, while the rhyming of the song helps to keep their attention.
Remember it is important to always listen to your child while giving them your undivided attention to help improve their speech skills, read to them different entertaining stories to help them with their fluency and vocabulary, sing together to help with their articulation and don’t let them watch too much TV.
Providence Children’s Academy is a safe and family orientated day-care and preschool and we are dedicated to laying a solid foundation for your child in all aspects of their development. Your child’s learning is important to us and we know the importance of preschool in infant development and that everyone learns differently, this is why we will help your child with their speech skills in the best way for them.