Toddlers learn new things about their world every day. They have so much potential for speech and language growth in this period. Our team of Speech Therapists at Amazing Speech Therapy Pte Ltd work with many young ones and their families to support their communication development.
WE LOVE TO SHARE! Here are some tips for parents:
1. Get down to their eye level (or bring them up to yours)
Being at the same eye level ensures you are physically and emotionally closer to your child. This shows that you are ready to communicate and connect. Eliminate background noise and visual distractions so your child can focus on what you are conveying
2.Add words into your everyday routines. Then repeat, repeat, repeat!
Narrate what you do as you go through the day. Predictable, familiar routines provide ample opportunity for repetition. This will help your child connect words with their meaning. For example, while washing your child’s hands: “Wash our hands, wash wash wash. Turn on the tap, we need soap. Rub our hands, wash off the soap. Now let’s dry our hands.” Other daily routines you may use include: bath time, mealtime, when leaving the house etc.
3.Expand: Add one thing to what your child says
Speak in sentences with 1 or 2 more words than your child is using. Instead of asking questions (“what’s this?”) or making demands (“say big ball”), make a conversational comment (“Wow we have a ball, BIG ball!” or “ROLL the ball, 1,2,3, roll!”). If your child is already using phrases, you can wait to see what he says, then respond with an increased phrase length.
Child: “bird fly up, bye bye!”
Caregiver: “The bird is flying up the tree, bye bye bird!”
4.Shared book reading
Reading with your child is a great way to build vocabulary and lay the foundations for early literacy skills. Studies show that children who find reading pleasurable (regardless of what was read) are more likely to become lifelong readers. Follow your child’s lead as they flip the pages, open flaps, or interact with the images. You do not need to read every word, but you can point out interesting objects, people, colours and talk about whatever is capturing your child’s attention.
Have fun trying them out to stimulate and elicit language from your little one!
Interested to find out more? Feel free to reach out to us!
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