Follow the CAR: Three Simple Steps to Increasing your Child's Language Skills

Maybe you have a preschooler who just doesn’t stop talking and you sometimes wish you could have just a moment of quiet. This is actually a wonderful thing. Language skills are key in life to many of the abilities and successes you want for your child. Having meaningful conversations with your child not only will increase their language skills but will also increase their cognitive skills (how well they think) and create a stronger, positive relationship between the two of you. Language skills will even help your child learn math!Children learn language best when given many opportunities to express their ideas and feelings. They need lots of practice! Every day has countless moments you can have conversations with your child: during dinner, when you are in the car or doing chores. Try these simple steps to increase your child’s learning when you are talking with them.Follow the child’s lead. When adults focus on a child’s interests, the child engages more readily and successfully. You want to “hook” the child’s interest by noticing what they notice and focusing on what attracts their attention.Comment and wait. Comment about what your child points to, looks at or does. And then wait at least 5 seconds. For example: your child holds up a shape and you say “it’s a cube.” Then you wait 5 seconds to give your child a chance to think about what you said and respond.

OR:

Ask a question and wait. Simple open ended questions work best. Once again the key for your child is to wait 5 or more seconds for him to think about what you have asked and respond.

Then:

Respond by adding a bit more, and wait. Practice the back and forth of a conversation by adding a bit to your child’s response and waiting again. Remember to keep your response appropriate for your child’s language skills. For example, a young toddler might say: “Two car” and you would respond “Yes. Two little cars.” This helps your child practice listening, too.

"When adults offer too many comments all at once, they take over the conversation and children miss out on valuable opportunities to practice their language skills. Waiting can be the hardest part, but it’s the most important!"

If you speak a different language in your home and your child responds in English, say the word back to him in your language. And wait for his response, of course!Finally, enjoy these conversations with your little one. Think about the insight that you gain into their growing, changing minds as you have these conversations. It’s truly amazing how children learn so much in their first 5 years of life.This is the second in a series of articles created from Head Start’s High Five Mathemetize curriculum. The “Follow the CAR” learning resource was created by Washington Learning Systems. Check out their website at http://www.walearning.com/. You can also find more information on teaching your young child math at Head Start’s website for families.