Tips to Boost Your Child's Language Development

We know that children are sponges and that they are constantly absorbing knowledge, words and habits from the world around them. It is easy to think that your child will develop language no matter what actions we take, however it is important to realize that language development and literacy skills don’t just come from nowhere. The interactions we have with our children during the early years will shape their skills for the future, and activities like those we have listed below allow us to build crucial language skills at an early age. These tips can help prepare your kiddos for success in school, and in life!

Talking and Listening

Babies:- Talk to your child constantly about what you see and what you are doing.- Listen as your baby communicates to you with coos, smiles, laughs, and cries.Toddlers and Preschoolers:- Have conversations where you take turns talking and listening. Be patient when it’s his/her turn to talk.- Talk about the events of today, yesterday, and tomorrow.- Play games like hide-and-seek or I-spy. Talk about what you see as you both look around.

Reading

Babies:- Give your child picture books with simple faces, objects, and bright colors.- Offer your little one books with soft, rough or bumpy textures that they can touch and feel.- Provide your baby with board or cloth books with pages that turn easily and won’t tear or crumple.Toddlers and Preschoolers:- Have your child point to familiar objects, numbers, colors, and letters.- Ask your child to tell their own stories about the pictures.- Choose books about their topics of interest like animals or trains – or about big events such as the birth of a new sibling.

Singing

Babies:- Play music frequently and watch as your baby bounces and babbles to the beat.- Sing favorite songs and rhymes over and over again.Toddlers and Preschoolers:- Teach your child songs that have hand movements and repetition such as “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”.- Sing simple sing-along songs together such as “The Ants Go Marching 1 by 1.”

Writing

Babies:- Encourage your child to hold soft toys or rattles, which help develop grasping skills.- Play with puzzles that have oversized numbers and letters.Toddlers and Preschoolers:- Give your child large magnetic or foam letters to trace and play with.- Allow your little one to draw freely and creatively, still giving them opportunities to practice coloring inside the lines.These tips are simple and some may seem like second nature, however they all play a part in the growth and development of your child’s language and literacy skills. By interacting with your baby, toddler and preschooler in many different and creative ways, you will give them their best change at success in school, career, and beyond!The information in this article was adapted from the Born Learning campaign.