m
h
T
u
L k s y
in single words, but once they know
approximately 50 words, they will
begin to combine them e.g. ‘mummy
gone’, ‘more cookie’, ‘my ball’ and
this will move onto longer phrases and
sentences with the development of
grammar and sentence structure.
Speech: There is often confusion
between the terms ‘speech’ and
‘language’. As mentioned previously,
language is comprised of the words and
sentences a child uses, whilst speech is
the physical act of talking, e.g. how the
child says the word. A baby’s babble
is the early practice of the sounds that
become words. They often start with
vowel sounds and increase to a range
of consonants. As children begin to use
words, they are often unclear initially but
become clearer as the child gets older.
By three years old, a child should be
understood approximately 75 per cent of
the time.
Top Tips for Supporting Your Child’s
Communication Skills.
1. Play with your child: This play can
begin from an early age; you can
make silly faces, sing songs or play
peek-a-boo. This will help your
child build attention, listening and
social-interaction skills. As the child
gets older, engaging in role play
or sensory play will provide many
language learning opportunities.
2. Talk about what you are doing:
Narrating your actions or your
child’s actions provides them with
the correct language for a specific
g
education
activity. e.g. ‘I’m washing my
hands’, ‘You’re jumping so high’,
‘He’s eating his lunch’.
3. Reduce questions: To support the
natural flow of a conversation, make
comments or narrate what you are
doing. Try to aim for three statements
to every one question.
4. Allow time to respond: When giving
an instruction or asking a question,
give your child time to process the
language and make a response.
Allowing 5-10 seconds may feel
like an eternity in the moment, but
this will give your child the time to
understand the information and
formulate a response.
5. Reduce screen time: There are
many apps out there promoting
learning and language skills.
However, all evidence shows that
children learn language through
interaction with another person.
Spending time playing and talking
with your child will support their
development far more than a tablet
or a phone.
In summary, communication
development is complex with several
interconnected aspects. Supporting
your child’s communication will set
them up for success in all areas of
learning throughout their lives.
For further information, or if you have
any concerns regarding your child’s
communication skills you can reach
out to May via may.henderson@
bebegarten.com
Summer
Winter 2019
43