Activating More Language in Kids
Developing verbal communication is very important; this is one of the biggest ways that we get our needs, feelings, issues and want's across to others.
1. First Hearing Has to Be Activated
Before any speech is built, the ability to hear must be developed. The part of the brain that controls hearing is typically activated around seven months in all humans. But sometimes this is not the case, and a child's hearing becomes activated much later on; these children usually have temporary hearing loss, another form of ear issue or something else that has restricted hearing from developing, which can cause sounds to be muffled. If your child constantly does not respond to sounds around them, their name when they are called or do not react to any noise, please check their hearing.
Easy hearing check done at home
The name check: Call your child's name while standing a little away from them and see if they respond in any way or try to look up at you.
The Eye check: Get down to your child’s level and face them while looking into their eyes. Start saying their name at different volume levels to see if they respond somehow each time. Try this exercise and each volume level a few times before drawing conclusions.
The sound check: Get down to your child's level and clap your hands or stamp your feet to see if your child responds.
The Music check: Turn on your child's favorite music and see if your child responds.
The singing check: Get down at your child's level and start singing at different volume levels to see if your child responds to your voice.
The ear check: Alternate sitting next to your child on each side of their ears (left ear and right ear) and start singing, calling their name or talking to them. See if your child responds on both sides and how long their response time is.
2. Can Your Child Do Facial Actions?
Before any speech is developed, your child needs to be able to make, understand and recognize facial expressions; this is the first form of language that children go though , this is called non -verbal communcation. Facial gestures are how young babies first communicate their feelings, wants, ideas, and needs to their parents. By watching others and copying, young children learn to use facial actions and body language to communicate wants, emotions, and needs.
3. Does Your Child Seem Interested?
Children will engage and respond to things that interest them; their interest must be sparked first for them to become interested. From a young age, start exposing your child to new play materials, travelling, new environments, books, different ethnicities, and experiences so that they can learn how to be more open-minded, spark curiosity, try new things, build new interests, and have a variety of interests as they get older.
Exposure to environments where your child can observe, meet new people, be social, see different faces, play with new materials, and partake in new experiences is vital in building healthy curiosity and openness to understanding and learning about new things and people.
Let’s build more interests together
Play with sound toys.
Read along while looking at and listening to audiobooks. Choose audiobooks and toys your child can press, adjust the volume and copy the sounds they hear.
Play with different musical instruments, such as a pretend telephone with buttons or other instruments with different sounds, tones, and beats.
Look for puzzles that make sounds, play music or name everyday objects.
Make reading fun.
Reading books together daily can help your child visualize words and names for objects while hearing and saying them. For a toddler child, choose books with bold pictures, 3-5 pages in length, and that has alot of repetition of words. While reading please point to the images while saying the names, ask simple questions, and listen to your child as they share.
Having fun play sessions.
Proving toys and activities that are based on your child’s interests can help them enjoy what they are doing and keep them focus for longer. more. Playing is how young children learn, so helping them to keep engaged longer will help boost their development and milstones. Parents can also participate by:
modeling using new language and imitating new sounds.
asking questions to get your child thinking.
4. Can Your Child Form Attachments?
Learning happens when children feel safe, loved, and cared for; this helps them to be able to relax and focus on what they are learning. When safety and trust are met, most toddlers start sharing their thoughts, communicating more and become more open to receiving what is being said and shown to them. When children feel safe and not stressed around you, they will want to talk to you and tell you about things and about themselves. But if they are stressed and feel scared around you they will not be relaxed and their brains will be in a constant fight and flight mode.
How to build a secure relationship
Parents should review their inner thoughts about their children.
Parents should show ongoing love and care to their children.
Parents should spend quality time with their children.
Parents should listen to their children and give them attention.
Parents should teach their children through modelling how to have manners and be positive leaders.
Parents should find ways to celebrate their child’s uniqueness and achievements.
Parents should speak to their child in calming loving ways.
Parents should correct their child when they are doing something wrong but also balance it out by also praising their child’s efforts.
Sometimes repeat what your child says, expand on their comment, and add corrections by rephrasing gently.
Demonstrate things by being a role model: Toddler’s learn a lot of new things, lessons, characteristic and manners by observing their parents. Parents need to be positive role models because their children will for sure repeat and act out what they see.
5. Can Your Child Repete Things?
If your child can re-make sounds they hear, copy facial expressions they see, and repeat actions they see; they are displaying skills in repetition. Partaking in doing things repetitively can help your toddler get practice, thus making them stronger and able to master new skills faster. For example, repeating the same sounds as your child can help stimulate their speaking skills more quickly. Also, playing music daily, reading books, singing songs, and speaking to your child can expose them to the repetition of sounds, new words, tones, and pitches.
Songs that have great repetition
One Little Finger
Old MacDonald.
Row, Row Your Boat.
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
Two Little Feet Tap.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear.
How to help build actual Words
Keep comments shortn don’t talk too fast.
Have daily face-to-face interactions at your child’s level.
Have a mixture of social, funny, and learning talks with your child.
Give time for your child to think and respond after asking them a question.
Arrange the home environment in a way that helps to build language and communication skills.
Encouraging your child to test things out and give them space to be curious.
Expand on language skills through reading, games, and dramatic playing.
Ask open-ended questions.
Use simple and repetitive language, keep sentences and instructions short, clear, and direct.
Sometimes narrate what you are doing.
Point to objects that you see and say their names slowly.
When Talking With Your Toddler
1. Speak slowly
Slow down when pronouncing sounds and use easy words.
Say things 2-3 times while looking at your child.
2. Show respect
Listen to your child as they try to talk, even if it does not make sense.
Repeat back your child's sounds, volumes, and pitches they make.
Always use your child’s name when speaking with them.
Respond positively to all your child’s speaking efforts.
3. Advance language
Show objects, pictures, gestures, or sign language along with saying words.
Identify things your child is interested in and ask about them.
Sing songs to model new sounds and words. Also, use music to teach new language, such as the alphabet song.
Ask questions that require your child to think.
Watch tv programs that teach words, languages, and concepts.
Narrate your day and what you are doing in front of your child.
Have a “word of the day,” and talk about it with your child.