Talk

These tips support children’s talk as they play:

• Young children learn best when they play or do something they enjoy.
• They may not use a toy or object in the way you expect. Using things in a new way, such as pretending a wooden block is a train or making a boat out of a box shows creativity and imagination.
• Talk with them about what they are doing. Joining in with their play and following their lead encourages them to be creative and shows that you value their ideas.
• Being down on your child’s level is very important when you’re talking with them. This allows you to make eye contact with your child and they can see your face.
• When you talk with young children, try to talk about things that you can both see. This will help your child to match words with meaning and helps them to build up their understanding of the world.
• Repetition is very useful when learning new words, try to use one word several times to help your child learn it. “Here’s your cup. Anna’s cup.” Be careful not to use too many different words to begin with such as cup, drink, mug, beaker, glass. Start with one or two words, then build up little by little.
• As your child develops even further, they may start to repeat these words back to you and soon these words will become part of their everyday language.
• If your child says a word incorrectly, don’t ask them to repeat it correctly, instead, say the word or sentence again yourself correctly. For example, if they say, ‘ittle dod’, you can answer ‘yes, I see the little dog’. This way children hear and learn the words, without losing confidence.

Find more ideas go help you support your child.