It’s important to develop your child’s speech and language skills while they are at a very young age. Usually, it helps to have constant conversations with them, speak in long sentences, and listen to their response.
Language is a skill, and an incredible one which children should master. The more you talk to your child, the more you support them in learning how to express themselves well, acknowledge their surroundings and let you know what they are thinking, what they want and/or what they need.
For example, instead of just saying “Here’s a doll,” it would be better to say: “Why don’t we put the doll in the toy box with the toy car and the plastic balls?”
“It’s making nets of meaning that then will help the child learn new words,” explained Dr. Anne Fernald, a Stanford University psychology professor whose study found that varied language with good grammar trains babies’ brains to learn through context.
The best ways to go about talking to your baby would be to talk to them as though they already understand, introduce new words, tell stories and let them know of the things around them. It’s essential that you listen to your child. If they start a conversation, or some form of communication through behaviour, allow them to do so and follow their actions with words.
Source: CBS News
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Image Credit: Flickr user Shawn Perez
