Learning to speak is one of the biggest milestones your child will go through and it starts at such a young age. From the moment they start babbling to the first time they string a full sentence together, they will be faced with lots of different sounds, stages and challenges they must overcome.
As parents, you play a critical role in your child’s speech and language development. Of course, we understand that can feel very scary, so to help you feel more confident in your own abilities, here are nine effective ways you can support and nurture your child’s speech development.
1. Speak clearly and often
You might feel a little crazy at first, but narrating everyday activities can really support your child’s development, no matter how young they are.
Make sure to describe what you’re doing, seeing or feeling as you go about your day and undertake your usual tasks. For example, talk them through the process as you’re making them a snack, saying, ‘I am cutting you a tasty apple for your lunch’.
It’s also important to speak slowly and clearly at all times. This helps your child to better understand the words you’re saying and how they’re used, as well as helping them to strengthen their grammar and vocabulary.
Leading by example and modelling proper language helps them to learn faster and avoid oversimplified or incorrect use of words and grammar.
2. Encourage and participate in active conversations
Conversations should not be one-sided, and it’s vital that when your child speaks to you, you listen carefully and respond with genuine interest, even if they’re not forming full words or sentences yet. This encourages them to work on their speech and communication and helps to build their confidence.
It’s also a good idea to ask open-ended questions. So instead of simple yes or no questions, ask ones that require more elaborate answers from your child, like ‘What did you do at school today?’.
During these conversations, you must encourage turn-taking, allowing for pauses to give your child the opportunity to listen and speak, supporting interaction and patience.
3. Read together as much as possible
Reading aloud is an excellent way for your child to practise their speech. So choose age-appropriate books and read them together as much as you can. This builds their vocabulary and exposes your child to different sentence structures; it’s a fun way to spend time together.
You can also ask them questions about the story and engage them further by asking them to describe what they see in the pictures or what they think will happen next.
You can also re-read their favourite books time and time again as repetition helps your child to become more familiar with words and patterns. This can help with their overall speech production.
4. Sing songs and nursery rhymes
Fun and familiar songs with repetitive phrases and rhythms, like some of the popular nursery rhymes we all know and love, can help children to learn new words and sounds. As can children’s songs, whether from their favourite films or TV shows.
Better still, rhymes and songs with actions like “Itsy Bitsy Spider” combine the use of language with movement, making it more interactive and engaging for children, helping to make the words and structures more memorable.
5. Label objects and everyday items
As you go about your day, whether playing, interacting or simply just doing your daily tasks, make sure to audibly label items. For example, pointing out the ‘car’, ‘dog’, ‘toys’ or ‘water’. You can do the same with actions like ‘eat’, ‘sit’ or ‘jump’.
You can take this one step further using adjectives like ‘red ball’ or ‘soft teddy’ to help expand their vocabulary further.
Using gestures as you go along can also help to reinforce the meaning of what you’re saying.
6. Use gestures and body language
Following on from the last point, you should support all verbal language with gestures. So, as well as pointing and labelling objects, you can wave and mimic actions that reinforce their spoken language. Again, this helps children connect words with their meanings.
It’s also a good idea to encourage your child to use gestures when they are talking. This is because, before kids can speak clearly, they often rely on these gestures to communicate. By encouraging them to keep doing this even as they begin to speak, you can build a bridge to better verbal communication.
7. Encourage playtime and social interactions
There are so many great ways that you can engage your child in pretend. Using toys, games, and role play can encourage them to be imaginative with their language and to tell stories. You can do this at home and you can also set up playdates with other children their age.
By allowing children to interact with their peers in this way, you can help them practice communication and language skills in a natural setting. They can also support and learn from one another.
8. Be patient with them
It’s so important that you avoid rushing your child when they are trying to speak. Sure, life is busy, and there are times when you feel rushed and stressed. But you must give your child time to express themselves, even if it takes a little longer.
Avoid finishing their sentences for them or correcting them mid-sentence. This won’t help them learn from their mistakes, and it can end up knocking their confidence.
Instead, celebrate their efforts and praise their speech, even if it’s not perfect. Positive reinforcement can boost their confidence and motivation to keep trying.
9. Get help from the professionals
It’s important to remember that every child develops at their own pace, so don’t count down the days and pile on the pressure. But if you’re worried about your child’s speech development, you don’t have to suffer in silence.
Keep a look out for some of the key milestones children should go through and notice if there are any significant delays in their speech or language. If you notice any problems or delays, get in touch with a speech and language therapist.
They will be able to conduct an assessment to determine what is causing speech delays in your child. They will then be able to advise you on the best treatment and course of action, giving you a tailored plan and activities to help your child improve.
