As parents, we all want our children to be effective communicators, but sometimes we struggle to know how to help them develop these skills. The good news is that there are simple and fun ways to practice communication skills with your child every day! We believe that practicing communication skills can be a fun and rewarding experience for both parents and children.
One of the best ways to help your child develop their communication skills is by practicing with them at home. Cooking and mealtime are great opportunities to incorporate these strategies, but they can be used all through your day; getting dressed, playing, driving, doing chores, grocery shopping, while observing others… the possibilities are endless!
Remember to be patient, consistent and supportive as you work with your child on these skills.
By incorporating these strategies into your daily interactions with your child, you can help them develop their communication skills in a fun and natural way. So let’s get started!
1.) Model language without expectations.
Narrate what you are doing in a way that matches your child’s language skills. Modeling your actions such as “I’m cutting bread!” “Let’s go find Aunt Lisa” or “Open jar” creates a space for your child to imitate what you are saying while removing the pressure from them.
2.) Offer choices.
Instead of asking “What do you want to drink?” Try to offer choices when possible. Saying “Do you want milk or apple juice?” models vocabulary to children and show them how they could potentially respond.
3.)Re-state your child’s utterances.
After your child says something, even if it is a single word, acknowledging their communication by repeating back what they said using correct pronunciation and adding an additional word is a great way to model language and create a connection. For example, if your child says “Wawa!” at the dinner table, you could say “Water please!” as you hand them their drink. If they say “Tato!” you could respond with “More potatoes!” as you hand them another spoonful.