As a speech-language pathologist, I have worked with children of various ages to support their language development. Many parents have asked me what they can do at home to facilitate their child’s communication skills. Here are some strategies that parents can use to support their child’s language development at home:
Modeling: Children learn language by hearing it and seeing it used correctly. Therefore, one of the most effective ways to support your child’s language development is to model correct language use. This means using correct grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary when you speak to your child. If your child makes a mistake, model the correct production to them!
Expanding and building on your child’s language: When your child speaks, try to expand on their language by adding more detail or complexity. For example, if your child says, “I see dog,” you could respond by saying, “Yes, I see the big, brown dog!” This helps your child to learn new vocabulary and grammatical structures within sentences.
Using visuals and gestures: Many children benefit from visual aids and gestures when learning language. For example, you could use pictures or drawings to help your child learn new words or concepts. You could also use gestures or sign language to help your child understand language better. I use lots of gestures and pictures when working with children on directions or certain concepts. For example, if I am asking them to sit, I may point or gesture to a chair, or show them a picture of someone sitting.
Play-based approach to learning language: Speech-language pathologists often use play-based therapy to help children develop their language skills. This involves using toys and games to engage children in language-rich activities. Many children learn naturally through play and will learn more if they are interacting with something they enjoy. For example, if your child likes animals, you can use a toy farm to model words such as “cow”, “moo”, “pig”, “farmer” “barn”, “hay”, “open door”. Give your child lots of opportunities for repetition and keep things fun!
Read books to your child: Reading books is such an amazing way to support your child’s language skills. Reading books can teach them new vocabulary and provide visuals that support their understanding. If your child is interested in certain pages of the book, pause and talk about them. Point to the pictures and talk about what you see. For older children, you can work on higher level skills such as predicting and inferencing (e.g. “I wonder what will happen next…”). I use books in therapy all the time!
Manipulate the environment to encourage communication: This strategy is especially effective for little ones who are emergent communicators. You can create opportunities for them to communicate. For example, you could place their favorite toy on a shelf so they need to figure out a way to communicate with you in order to request it. You could also purposefully give them a toy that is missing a part so they need to communicate to you that they need assistance. For example, I will give my clients a ball ramp without the balls that go along with it.
If you have tried these strategies and are still concerned, it may be worthwhile to consider reaching out to a speech-language pathologist. Communication skills are incredibly important, and it’s necessary to get your child additional support if they need it. A speech-language pathologist would be able to evaluate your child and could provide targeted interventions to address your concerns.
