Tips for talking with your little one!
When communicating with your child, there are some things you can do to be sure you are getting the most out of your interaction! You don’t need to do ALL of these things during every interaction, but keep them in mind to use at different times. There are also many other ways to interact that are not listed here but are equally beneficial!
Being at eye-level with your child helps them see your face. This encourages imitation and motivates them to communicate with you!
Show that you are listening! By giving a look of anticipation and interest, you are setting the stage for communication! You can do this by using active listening, such as nodding, pausing, and looking interested. You want your child to know that you are excited for them to communicate with you!
Use language your child can imitate. We usually recommend using language just slightly above where your child is developmentally. If your child is using gestures, you can model single words. However, modeling two-word combos is a great next step if you have a child with many words!
Talk about your child’s interests! This doesn’t mean you have to talk about trucks all day, but try and talk about what you notice your child attending to! This makes language far more motivating for them. If your child is interested in a dog walking by, talk about the dog! When your child is engaged in play, you can talk about what they are playing. No need to bombard them with comments, but a few can go a long way to model words and language!
Let your child watch your mouth. It even helps to point to your mouth to draw attention to the sounds you are saying in words. Imitation is a big part of language development, so having your child see your face and facial expressions can go a long way to encourage this!
Get down to eye level with your child! This lets them know you’re engaged, listening, and ready to interact. When your child can see you and your reactions, it’s easier for them to imitate you.
When talking, try to use new words in more than one way. Repetition is a big part of learning new skills, and this is also true for vocabulary growth! Ideally, you want to use a new word at least three times in each new context and with a few consecutive sentences to help with understanding.
The bottom line is that when you spend some time interacting with your child on their level, you are helping them grow!
