SIMPLE Menu
Styled Menu

Optional Sidebar Info

Any information can be placed in the sidebar to help your website visitors navigate your site.

To make a boxed heading like the one above, simply apply the H3 tag.

To make a box like this, assign the "sidebarlt" class.

You can do anything with a sidebar box. Insert images, ads or other web content.

Here's a text link.

To make a box like this, assign the "sidebardk" class.

You can do anything with a sidebar box. Insert images, ads or other web content.

Here's a text link.

Home > Programs    

Talking with Children
Strategies that Foster Language Development in Children

  • Face-to-face interaction is important.  When you are interacting with a child it is very important to get down to the child’s physical level.
  • Take turns talking.  Take your turn talking and then stop talking and wait for the child to take his/her turn.  Waiting is one of the most important strategies to use with children who are language delayed.
  • Follow the child’s lead.  Engage in activities and talk about things that the child is interested in. You can follow the child’s lead by joining his/her play and making comments.   Try to avoid asking questions.  Focus on making comments.
  • Label and talk about (describe) everyday tasks and events as you complete them with a child.  By putting your thoughts and actions into words, you are teaching language. For example, as you are washing your hands say “I’m washing my hands” or as someone else is eating a snack say “Jason is eating his yogurt.”
  • Describe what the child is doing – children are able to think before being able to express thoughts. You can help by putting thoughts into words for them. Provide narrative for his/her actions. “That’s a car. What happens when you push it? It goes fast. It’s a little, blue car.”
  • Expand on what the child says.  For example, if the child says “hands” then you can say “wash hands” or if the child says “wash hands soap” then you can say “You are washing your hands with soap.”
  • "Make your toys talk to each other".   Your cars might say "I'm fast" or "let's go!"  Your dolls might say "I'm hungry." Or "Where is my shoe?"  Model short phrases like your child would use and soon their toys will be talking back to yours.
  • Dramatize the meaning of a word or concept.  For example, show “big” or “gigantic” using your hands when you say “big” or “gigantic.”  Don’t hesitate to use words like gigantic, enormous or massive along with or in place of a word like big.
  • Redirect a child’s initiation to a peer.  A redirection occurs when a child initiates to the teacher, and the teacher then suggests the child initiate to a peer, thereby redirecting the child from an adult to a peer.  Basically, encourage children to communicate with each other and give them the words to do so.

ANY TIME YOU ARE WITH A CHILD IS A TIME FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING

TALK TO AN SLP OR A PRE-K COACH FOR MORE TALKING STRATEGIES!