Top 10 tips to get your little ones talking

Guest blog by Jodi Mirelman, Speech and Language Therapist from @Jam.therapy

Parent-child interaction has a significant impact on the development of a child's language.  There is a positive correlation between the frequency of games, playing, singing and reading and the child’s expressive language.  Here are my ten top tips to promote language:

1.  Get face-to-face

Get down to the same level as your child and face them.  This allows non-verbal communication (e.g. eye contact, facial expressions, subtle gestures) to be picked up more. 

You’ll be able to pick up their subtle gestures when they’re trying to communicate with you and see what grabs their attention.

Plus, if they can see you, they'll be more interested when you talk.

2. Follow their lead

Naturally, you are always going to be more focused when someone talks about what you’re interested in. By showing interest in what your child is doing, it is WAY more motivating for them.  It will keep their attention for much longer, because they’re interested in what you’re talking about.  Try once a day to forget your agenda and wait and watch for what they attend to.

3. Create opportunities for them to use language

Naturally, the more opportunities we create and provide our children to communicate, the more likely they are to talk.  Try not to anticipate all of your child’s needs throughout the day. Here are some ideas:

o   Give them an empty plate

o   Give them a little of their favourite snack at a time

o   Put a motivating toy or book in a place where they need help to get it

These ideas will encourage your little ones to use their communication to make requests of you, whether that be vocalisations, gestures or words.  Respond and reward to their attempts of communicating.

4. Reduce questions

“what’s that” “what does a dog say” “where are your eyes” “what colour is this brick”

It may be assumed that asking questions, encourages talking and lengthens conversation.  Actually, it is quite the opposite.  We need to model, teach and support our children, and not to test.  

Try to stop asking questions, and instead comment on what they are doing.  Try to only ask questions when you are sure they know the answer and can verbalise it, or if you think it can continue the conversation. 

5. Narrate what they’re doing 

Linked to the point above, you may find that when you stop the questions, the conversation reduces.  Firstly, it’s ok for a bit of silence, but, instead of the questions, narrate and comment on what your child is doing.  For example, if they are playing with building blocks, say ‘building a tower’ ‘big tower’ ‘blue bricks’ etc. or when they’re eating lunch, say ‘mmm yummy’ ‘cheese’ ‘more’. Provide them with a lot of language models across the day. 

6. Repeat, repeat, repeat

A child needs to hear a word said in a functional and meaningful way several times, before they understand it.  They then, need to understand the words before they use it.  So basically, they need to hear the words said multiple times to have a chance to use it appropriately.  Select and focus on 10 regularly used words, e.g. ‘up’ ‘go’ ‘shoes’ and everyday say those words at any appropriate opportunity.  For example, when they go up the stairs, say ‘up’, when they climb the slide, say ‘up’, when you are lifting them up, say ‘up’.  Model and repeat, and repeat again and again.  The more they hear words said in a functional and meaningful way, they more likely they are to use them.

7. Pause and wait (ready steady ‘go’)

Once they have heard the word lots and lots of times, create anticipatory pauses in your language and conversations.  Here is an example;

Get a motivating toy, e.g. bubbles - the ‘go to’ speech and language therapy toy.  Use the phrase ‘ready steady go’ and when you say ‘go’, blow the bubbles. On the next turn, say ‘ready steady’ and leave a little gap before you say ‘go’.  This gives your child the opportunity to use their communication. Keep pausing before the targeted word ‘go’.  The pause can be up to ten seconds, as long as their attention is held.  If they vocalise (e.g. ‘uh’) or gesture or attempt to say ‘go,’ then reward it with the bubbles and say ‘go’.  

You can use this strategy with anything.  For example, using ‘up’ on the stairs, targeting ‘more’ when you give them a little of a motivating activity or toy.  It’s about modelling lots of times and then pausing and waiting to give them the opportunity to use the targeted word.

8. Offer choices throughout the day

By providing choices, we are modelling the language for the child to imitate.  For example, when asking “do you want a banana or an apple”, the child hears the target words “banana” and “apple”.  This reduces the demand and difficulty when using language. Open ended questions like “what do you want” are a lot harder as it requires the child to retrieve words from their memory.

When offering the choices, try to say and show the objects together.  Hold the object up to your child when asking “do you want a banana or an apple” and pick up the banana with one hand (say it and show it) and then pick up the apple with the other hand (say it and show it). This gives them the opportunity to use their non-verbal communication, and point or gesture towards what they want.  

9. Match their level

Try not to use language that your child won’t understand.  Try to match their language level and “add one”.  So, if your child is using one word at a time, speak to them using single words or expand their language by modelling simple two-word phrases.  If your child is using three-word phrases, speak at a similar level to them and add one word to their phrases.  Here are some examples,

·       Child says “bus”                   Adult says “red bus”

·       Child points to a dog            Adult says “dog”

·       Child says “more bubbles”    Adult says “bubbles up” or “more bubbles mummy”

Feed language in, don’t force it out.

10. Special time each day

Try to build in some one-to-one time at least once a day.  Switch off the TV, screens and phone and play with them. 

“Play is not frivolous.  It is not a luxury.  It is not something to fit in after completing all the important stuff.  Play is the important stuff.  Play is a drive, a need, a brain-building must do.” (Jeff A Johnson & Denita Dinger 2012)

Going forward with your interactions: Choose one top tip from the list above; your favourite one or one that you think is easiest to build in to your every day.  Once confident and familiar with it, add another one, and so on and so forth.

If you have any concerns about your child’s speech and language development please talk to your health visitor, GP or an early-years professional.  A parent can also self-refer to Speech and language therapy services.

This blog was written by Jodi Mirelman who is a qualified speech and language therapist, specialising in ages 0-5.  She has over ten years’ experience supporting children and their families with early communication difficulties.  From language delays to severe communication disorders, Jodi has a passion for supporting children achieve their maximum potential.  Jodi has set up her private practice JAM therapy after recently leaving the NHS.  To contact Jodi, please visit her website.  For more information, follow her on Instagram: @jam.therapy

References:

Jeff A Johnson & Denita Dinger (2012) An early learning (un)curriculum. Redleaf Press

Safwat RF, Sheikhany AR. (2014) Effect of parent interaction on language development in children. Egypt J Otolaryngoly;30:255-63

San San Kyaw, K., Tin Tin, S., Underwood, L. Grant, C. (2019), Effects of home language environment and household crowding on early expressive language development. Journal of Developmental & Behavioural Pediatrics