Partnering With Parents In Building The Childs Language Competence

Before a child reaches the age of three, 75% of his brain will have grown completely. At this early stage, a child’s early experiences are critical to his emotional and intellectual development. The right stimulation can put your child on track with his maximum language capability. It is actually a three-pronged process that requires him to think, act and speak to communicate and understand.

It is not automatic like rolling, crawling and walking. Language competence needs stimulation. Health care professionals (HCPs) can help guide and support parents like you with the language development of your children. The experts can help with possible communication problems that you as parents may not immediately understand.

Keep Talking

Younger children hear sound and pick up the language through stimulation by constantly repeating words, phrases, and structures until they become part of your children’s vocabulary. It is important to keep talking to them. Engage them in fun, interactive activities in all kinds of setting. Let language permeate all activities. Here are some helpful tips that those in health care can remind parents to do.

For Toddlers

• Teach your child nursery rhymes. Research shows hearing these popular lines pave the way for exceptional reading skills.
• Teach your child to pray. Simple, spontaneous prayers will improve child’s creativity.
• Ask open-ended questions to help your child think clearly: “How did you do that?”
• Talk as you play together. Describe what you are doing: “I am holding a hot cup. Do not touch.”
• Listen to your child.
• Read to your child.

For Older Children

• Talk to your child during family gathering like dinner, bed time and car rides.
• Engage your child to do word games such as scrabble and crossword puzzles.
• Limit the use of TV and computer. Reading books at his leisure is more productive as it requires more brain power.
• Encourage your child to read independently.
• Encourage your kids to write letters.
• Provide writing tools – pen, paper, dictionary, thesaurus. They have to be available to your child anytime he feels like scribbling his ideas.
• Show him the world – dining out, watching movies hanging out at bookstores and libraries, sharing your hobbies, and going on vacation will stimulate language development.

Your child’s environment should be conducive to stimulating his language abilities. Key here are the people surrounding him – parents, teachers, counselors, and his extended family. Being around for the child, providing him with love and encouragement, building a language – enhanced environment will be helpful in honing his self-esteem and competence.