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What can parents do?
Like so many other things, speech
development is a mixture of nature and nurture. A
child's genetic makeup will, in part, determine
intelligence and speech and language development.
However, a lot of it depends on the child's environment.
Is the child adequately stimulated at home or at child
care? Are there opportunities for communication exchange
and participation? What kind of feedback does the child
get?
When speech, language, hearing, or
developmental problems do exist, early intervention can
provide the help your child needs. And when you have a
better understanding of why your child isn't talking,
you can learn many ways to encourage your child's
development of speech.
Here are a few general tips you
can employ at home:
-
Spend a lot of time
communicating with your child,
even during infancy - talk, sing, and encourage
imitation of sounds and gestures.
-
Read to your child
- starting as early as 6 months. You don't have to
finish a whole book, but look for age-appropriate soft
or board books or picture books that encourage your
child to look while you name the pictures. Try
starting with a classic book such as Pat the Bunny,
in which the child imitates the patting motion, or
books with textures that your child can touch. As your
child gets older, let him or her point to recognizable
pictures and try to name them. Then move on to nursery
rhymes, which have rhythmic appeal. Progress to
predictable books, such as Eric Carle's Brown Bear,
Brown Bear, in which your child can anticipate
what happens. Your little one may even start to
memorize his or her favourite stories.
-
Use everyday situations
to reinforce your child's speech and language. In
other words, talk your way through the day. For
example, name foods at the grocery store, explain what
you're doing as you cook a meal or clean a room, point
out objects around the house, and as you drive, point
out sounds you hear. Ask questions and acknowledge
your child's responses (even when they're hard to
understand).
Keep things simple, but never
use "baby talk."
Whatever your child's age,
recognizing and treating problems early on is the best
approach to help with speech and language delays. With
proper therapy and time, your child will likely be
better able to communicate with you and the rest of the
world.
How can I help my child at home?
-
Talk to your child.
Children learn words and the rules
for using them by listening to others talk. They model
their language behaviour after you. Therefore, what you
say and how you say it is important. Dialogue is a
natural part of many daily routines such as mealtime,
bath time, and dressing. Your child can expect certain
language to be used over and over again within his
familiar routines.
-
Encourage your child to ask for
items, make choices, and answer questions at his
language level.
Teach your child to use words
instead of crying or pointing to satisfy his basic wants
or needs.
-
Listen to your child.
Encourage storytelling and sharing
of information.
-
Encourage play.
Provide objects and toys
appropriate to your child's level of play. Use the toys
yourself and call your child's attention to how you use
them. Set aside a special time each day to play with
your child.
Give him opportunities to play
with other children.
-
Sing to or provide music for
your child.
Help your child learn new songs.
While singing, a child learns new words and sentence
patterns, memory skills, listening skills, imitation,
and expression of thoughts and feelings through words.
-
Plan family trips and outings.
Language is based on ideas and
experiences. Talk about the new experiences.
-
Read to your child.
Ask a librarian for books
appropriate for your child's age. Reading provides an
opportunity to teach and review words and ideas.
By Age One
Activities to Encourage your
Child's Language
-
Respond to your child's coos,
gurgles, and babbling
-
Talk to your child as you care
for him or her throughout the day
-
Read colorful books to your
child every day
-
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 at saying new words
-
Talk to your baby about
everything you're doing while you're with him
-
Talk simply, clearly, and slowly
to your child
-
Talk about new situations before
you go, while you're there, and again when you are
home
-
Look at your child when he or
she talks to you
-
Describe what your child is
doing, feeling, hearing
-
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 over and over
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
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Reading tips for parents
Making the Most of
Reading Minutes
A little planning can help busy mothers and fathers make
the most of even a few minutes of bedtime reading:
·
Read daily.
Go to the library on the weekend and pick out several
books for the week. Schedule special reading time to
share one book with your child every night. This shows
your child you value reading and your time together.
·
Talk about it.
Talk about the story after reading time and again in the
morning. This reinforces the special time you spent
together and is a great educational exercise.
·
Try variety.
Tell a story that you know or make one up together. This
helps stimulate creativity. Another option is to sing
familiar songs together at bedtime to help your child
explore and develop rhythm and language.
·
Teach the concept of time.
Let your child choose books according to how much time
you have to spend together (short, medium, long).
"Tonight is a short book night. Can you find a short
book that you want to read?" This teaches your child
about time and involves your child in the decision
process, which is empowering.
·
Build excitement.
If using a longer book, you can read a chapter or two
each night. This helps build continuity and suspense for
what's to come.
Brain Waves: 10 Ways
Reading Can Stimulate Learning
Reading is a wonderful bonding and learning experience
for children. How you approach and carry out your
bedtime reading routine can enhance cognitive
development.
1.
Create a Bedtime Reading Zone
o
Read in your child's bedroom,
surrounded by her favourite things: a blanket, stuffed
toy, night-light.
o
Why?
Being in a familiar place stimulates all the senses at
once, making the experience pleasurable and memorable
and creating positive associations with reading
2.
Get Close
o
Have your child sit next to you or
on your lap to provide him with a feeling of security.
o
Why?
When a child feels insecure, the
body releases a hormone that can interfere with
learning. Creating a warm, close bond makes the child
comfortable and can help him learn.
3.
Find Your Child's Pace
o
Start with short reading sessions
and slowly build up to longer sessions.
o
Why?
There is a difference in what a child can do with
guidance (potential development) and what a child can do
without assistance (actual development). Building up
reading time keeps your child challenged and helps your
child transition from reading with help to reading
independently.
4.
Act Out
o
Act out the characters and use
variation in your voice while reading the story.
o
Why?
This helps your child develop critical listening skills
and makes reading time more fun.
5.
Read with Your Eyes and Fingers
o
Run your finger under the words as
you read.
o
Why?
Running fingers under the text trains a child's eyes to
follow words and symbols from left to right. Also, one
of the first steps when learning to read is hearing
sounds in the words. This teaches that speech is made up
of different individual words and sounds.
6.
Be Repetitive
o
Read favourite books more than
once.
o
Why?
When a child reads a book over and over, he can learn to
predict the outcomes and recognize patterns. This helps
your child learn and store new information and builds
upon his memory.
7.
Make a Point
o
Point out pictures, shapes, colors,
and page numbers.
o
Why?
This develops an understanding of printed material.
8.
Word Power
o
Enunciate your words, but speak as
normally as possible while reading aloud. Pay close
attention to grammar as your child is paying close
attention to you.
o
Why?
When listening to a parent read, a child listens to
spoken language. This helps his ability to express
thoughts and communicate using correct grammar.
9.
Share and Compare
o
Make comparisons as you read. For
example, "Which tree is taller?" Or, "You have blonde
hair. What color hair does Goldilocks have?"
o
Why?
Comparing and contrasting helps
children create connections and find meanings in these
connections.
10.
Play a Game
o
After finishing a story, ask the
child what happened in the beginning, middle, and end.
o
Why?
This stimulates higher-order
thinking because your child has to analyse the story and
tell you in her own words what happened. This will also
enhance your child's listening and reading comprehension
skills.
Creating Your Child's Own Reading
Library
How to Choose Books:
·
Look for books based on your
child's interest.
What are your child's favourite
things or activities?
What does he talk about?
·
Find your child's favourites.
Observe what types of books grab your child's attention
when at the bookstore or library. Does your child have a
favourite author/illustrator or primary character?
·
Choose situational books.
Choose books that relate to what is happening in your
family. Are you going to the beach this summer? Will you
be visiting grandma?
·
Use books to learn about and
celebrate special events.
Is it the first day of school? Are you having a new
baby? Are you celebrating a special holiday?
·
Choose a book appropriate to your
child's development.
Can she easily handle it, touch it, or mouth it? Are the
pictures bright and attractive? Can she relate the
stories to her own life?
·
Look for books that initiate
independent reading.
Wordless picture books allow a child to "read" the
pictures and follow the story.
·
Choose the right reading level.
Your child should be able to understand the vocabulary,
the sentence structure and comprehend the story. If your
child has a book that is too hard for him, you or an
older sibling can read the book to the youngster.
·
Organize by categories.
Help your child organize her library arranging books in
different categories: picture books, long/short books,
books that the parents read to the child, books that the
child can read by herself, etc.
Where to Get Books:
·
School book fairs.
·
Garage sales, second hand stores.
·
Create a "book club" to share and
trade books between family and friends.
·
Bookstore gift certificates make
great presents.
·
Local library. You can "test run"
books before you buy them. You can also ask your
librarian to keep you posted about book sales or fairs.
AAn Age-appropriate guide
to books
Your bedtime reading routine will evolve as your child
develops physically and intellectually.
Birth to Toddlers
·
Developmental Stage:
As babies, children learn by using their five basic
senses to explore the world. By age 2 years, a child can
use his oral language skills to identify objects and
communicate ideas.
·
Bedtime reading suggestions:
o
Sing lullabies and songs.
o
Choose picture books with 1 or 2
pictures per page that are clear, simple, and filled
with vivid colors. Repetition with these books helps
foster language development by creating familiarity and
associations.
o
Use board or plastic books and
allow the child to explore the pages.
o
Help the child discover her senses
through textured (e.g. Pat the Cat), scented
("scratch-n-sniff"), or squeaky books.
o
Play with rhythmic activities like
clapping rhymes and knee bouncing.
o
Relate story time to nighttime/bedtime
through simple "good night" books.
·
Recommended books:
o
Time for Bed,
by Mem Fox (fosters early language development)
o
In the Small, Small Pond,
by Denise Fleming (uses language that rhymes and
repetition)
o
When Mama Comes Home Tonight,
by Eileen Spinelli (introduces rituals)
o
Hush Little Baby,
by Sylvia Long (details and reinforces the parent/child
bond)
3 to 5 Years Old
·
Developmental Stage:
Children in this age group learn that words represent
objects and things. They are able to understand shapes,
numbers, colors, and seasons. This is a time when
children see themselves as the "center of the universe."
·
Bedtime reading suggestions:
o
Read stories that repeat catchy
phrases, inspire creativity and make reading enjoyable
(rhyming, nonsense words).
o
Look for sturdy, pop-up and
pull-tag books to help coordination.
o
Choose short stories that relate
to everyday events.
o
Introduce books focusing on the
ABCs, counting, colors, and shapes.
o
Kids this age love non-fiction.
Read books about dinosaurs, trucks, and farm animals.
o
Select simple folk tales to expand
a child's world.
o
Begin to introduce longer stories
and more detailed pictures.
o
Look for stories that can be acted
out, such as The Three Little Pigs.
·
Recommended books:
o
On the Day You Were Born,
by Debra Frazier (story includes nature)
o
The Relatives Came,
by Cynthia Relant (creates an association with family)
o
Cowboy Dreams,
by Kathi Appelt (includes repetition, rhythm, and word
play)
o
Guess How Much I Love You,
by Sam McBratney (encourages different and new ways to
express an idea)
o
There's Something There!,
by Mercer Mayer (ideas that center on the child)
6 to 8 Years Old (Beginning Readers)
·
Developmental Stage:
This age group is "grown up" and has many capabilities.
They have a good command of language, have well
developed imaginations, and are able to describe
feelings and events. They like to read about things and
events that are real. This is when children start to be
able to see things from another person's viewpoint.
Parents and teachers of this age group should encourage
children to read on their own as well as with a parent.
·
Bedtime reading suggestions:
o
Choose short stories with more
words per page, pictures that match text, simple chapter
books, and big print in chapter books.
o
Let the child choose books with
subjects that interest her.
o
Begin to read real-life stories,
simple biographies, and mysteries.
o
Have fun with joke and riddle
books.
o
Introduce simple magazines.
·
Recommended books:
o
The Patchwork Quilt,
by Valerie Flourney (story involves multi-culturism)
o
The Tale of Peter Rabbit,
by Beatrix Potter (one of the longer editions;
introduces fantasies that seem real)
o
May We Sleep Here Tonight?,
by Tan Koide (plot that focuses on fear and resolution).
o
The Sneetches,
by Dr. Seuss (story that involves stereotypes and
encourages conversation)
Sources:
-LD OnLine
-The Child & Adolescent Services
Research Center
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