Language and Communication

SOUNDS  ➜  WORDS  ➜  WORD STRANDS   ➜  SHORT SENTENCES   ➜  LONGER SENTENCES  ➜  CONVERSATIONS

Talk to your child from the womb on using a normal voice that is calm and comforting.  You want your child to learn to speak properly so talk to them properly.  Use complete sentences, pronunciation . . . .  Do not talk to them like a baby.  Oh it’s cute!  But do you want your child to grow up talking that way?  I didn’t think so.  We all want children to learn how to communicate with others; have conversations with others; be active listeners; understand and process the words they speak and hear.  Here are a few more suggestions to help your child develop language and communication skills which influence their ability to become literate as they grow:

• Use voice inflections and tone to show excitement . . . conveying meaning in speech and help your child to develop the ability to do so.  Nothings worse than to have to listen to a monotone person who has no inflections at all.  I don’t know about you but that puts me to sleep ~  Zzzzzzz
• Sit and chat with children ~ helps build stronger communication skills.  When you actively involve yourself in a conversation with a child, hopefully you are modeling good conversations skills.  Try to avoid saying Aha, Aha . . .  or nodding your head.  Use words just like you want children to do.   We want all children to learn to use their words to express themselves.  Children who have speech impairments or difficulties will find other ways to communicate and in most cases we do not consider them appropriate (touching, hitting, biting, throwing, grabbing, pinching, etc.)  We also want children to use words not tears or whining.  It’s important for you to remind your child often when they are young to use their words because you are unable to understand crying, whining, etc. 
• Talk to your child on the phone and let them say hello and share with relatives.  Don’t take the phone away until they are done talking and have said good-bye.  You and everyone else have to grow patients.  Children are often in no hurry, we are!
• Let your child say the blessing on their own or with you.  Let them create their own from time to time.  It doesn’t have to be perfect but it will be their thoughts put together.  Very important for cognitive development and critical thinking.
• Let children read you a story as soon as they are able providing correction or help only if they ask for it.  If they are struggling with a word, let them try to figure it out.  Too often as adults we lack this patience and blurt out the word before the child is ready and then they lose confidence, become frustrated and want to quit.  You want them to feel successful because the more anyone feels success the more they want to try.
• Have children dictate to you using their words to communicate in writing. If they receive a present from someone, have them tell you what to write in a thank you note.  Read their dictations back to assure you recorded them correctly. Do not chance their dictations ~ make it authentic. This encourages a child to want to write.
• When children get in a tryst or argument.  Do not immediately try to solve it for them.  Let them think it through and attempt to solve it on their own using their own words.  Never intervene unless the child has been injured or has harmed another or could in some way.  Only intervene if harm is or could be caused.  Otherwise let children solve it on their own.  If they come to you for help.  Tell them it is their disagreement not yours and they need to solve it.  If they say they do not know how, you may give them some advice but again do not intervene.  If the situation involves harm, you need to speak to both children separately to begin with.  First talk to the victim to make sure they are okay and ask them what happened.  Asked them if they could have done something differently to make it better.  Then talk to the other child and ask them what happened.  Then get both children together.  Tell them what you feel should of happened.  What rule was broken and/or what you did not like about the situation.  Then you need to ask the first child to tell the second how they feel.  And then have the second make the first feel better.  Please note you did not yell; you did not put words in anyone’s mouth; you did not tell anyone to say “I’m sorry.  Keep in mind the second child can say I’m sorry but it will be more meaningful if no one ever tells them to do so.  This way each child learns to use their own critical thinking skills and will grow both emotionally and socially.