Developing children's language.......

Conversations and activities that include some of the points below are good for developing your child’s language skills.

Tune into your child

• Turn off distractions. For example, put your phone on silent, turn off the television and computer, and just ‘be present’ to talk to your child.
• Listen to what your child is trying to communicate. Even if he/she isn’t using words yet, ask him/her questions and build on his/her efforts. For example, if your child is pointing at a dog, say, ‘It’s a fluffy white dog. What do you think he’s going to do now?’
• Use natural pauses. Your child will eventually fill in these pauses when his/her language develops. This also teaches him/her to ‘give and take’ in a conversation.
• Know when to stop. If your child starts to look tired or restless, or gets grumpy, don’t force them to keep listening.

Be interesting

• Notice what your child is paying attention to and talk about that. For example, if he/she is playing with blocks, talk about the blocks.
• Talk to your child about things he/ she is likely to be interested in – for example, what mummy/daddy/nanna/grandpa might be doing today, a story you’ve read together, or something that’s happening outside.
• Use lots of expression to make your conversation interesting and engaging. What you talk about doesn’t matter as much as how you talk about it.
• If you use complex words, explain them and build on them by using lots of descriptive words. For example, ‘We’re going to see the paediatrician – that’s a special doctor who knows all about babies and children’.

Read, tell stories, sing songs and make rhymes

• Read books and tell stories to your child from birth, every day if you can. After a few weeks, your child will know that this is when you enjoy a quiet, special time together.
• Talk about the pictures in books, wonder out loud what might happen next in the story, point out words and letters, and let your child touch and hold the book and turn the pages. You can make up your own stories to go with the pictures in the book.
• Help your child learn that books and reading are fun. You can do this by having a special reading spot, making cuddles part of reading time and letting your child choose some books – even if you have to read the same ones over and over again!
• Sing songs and rhymes in the car, in the bath, at bedtime – even if it’s off-key.

Your child will also learn to talk by watching how you communicate with others. If you talk in a positive way, your child will learn to speak positively to others. For example, when you’re talking together at mealtimes, you can use positive language like ‘What was good about your day today?’