Encouraging Your Child’s Language
By age one
Activities to encourage your child’s language
- Respond to your child’s coos, gurgles, and babbling, so they will participate
- Talk to your child as you care for him or her throughout the day
- Read colorful books to your child every day causing them to develop color senses
- Tell nursery rhymes and sing songs
- Teach your child the names of everyday items and familiar people
- Take your child with you to new places and situations
- Play simple games with your child such as “peek-a-boo” and “pat-a-cake”
Between one and two
Activities to encourage your child’s language
- Reward and encourage early efforts by saying new words
- Talk to your baby about everything you’re doing while you’re with him
- Speak simply, clearly, and slowly to your child while explaining relevant things
- Talk about new places before you go, while you’re there, and when you are back home
- Look at your child when he or she talks to you
- Describe what your child is doing, feeling, hearing as soon as they have any problem
- Let your child listen to children’s records and tapes
- Praise your child’s efforts to communicate
Between two and three
Activities to encourage your child’s language
- Repeat new words several times
- Help your child listen and follow instructions by playing games: “pick up the ball,” “Touch Daddy’s s nose”
- Take your child on trips and talk about what you see before, during and after the trip
- Let your child tell you answers to simple questions
- Read books every day, perhaps as part of the bedtime routine
- Listen attentively as your child talks to you
- Describe what you are doing, planning, thinking
- Have the child deliver simple messages for you (Mommy needs you, Daddy )
- Carry on conversations with the child, preferably when the two of you have some quiet time together
- Ask questions to get your child to think and talk
- Show the child you understand what he or she says by answering, smiling, and nodding your head
- Expand what the; child says. If he or she says, “more juice,” you say, “Adam wants more juice.”
Between three and four
Activities to encourage your child’s language
- Talk about how objects are the same or different
- Help your child to tell stories using books and pictures
- Let your child play with other children
- Read longer stories to your child
- Pay attention to your child when he’s talking
- Talk about places you’ve been or will be going
Between four and five
Activities to encourage your child’s language
- Help your child sort objects and things (ex. things you eat, animals. . )
- Teach your child how to use the telephone
- Let your child help you plan activities such as what you will make for Thanksgiving dinner
- Continue talking with him about his interests
- Read longer stories to him
- Let her tell and make up stories for you
- Show your pleasure when she comes to talk with you
Between five and six
Activities to encourage your child’s language
- Praise your child when she talks about her feelings, thoughts, hopes and fears
- Comment on what you did or how you think your child feels
- Sing songs, rhymes with your child
- Continue to read longer stories
- Talk with him as you would an adult
- Look at family photos and talk to him about your family history
- Listen to her when she talks to you