5 Ways You Can Help Your Child’s Language Development at Home
Your child’s language is constantly developing. Language development involves many different skills, and you can help these skills grow by using the steps shared here. It may seem overwhelming at first when trying to learn the best ways to support language development, but we’ll talk you through the process.
Language is broadly thought of in two ways, receptive and expressive. These terms are beginning to change as newer research comes out, but they help us think about the skills children use.
When you talk to your child, they use these skills to understand what you mean and then respond. The ways they understand what you say and express what they mean can be very different!
Receptive Language Development
Receptive language refers to the language we understand. We can listen to words, feel brail, read words, interpret symbols and more. These are all different ways we know what happens in the world around us. Children do this all the time. When they hear us speak, they process the words and those words have meaning.
Children can receive language by:
- Listening to what others say
- Reading books
- Looking at symbols (AAC)
- Seeing signs (ASL)
- Feeling brail
How Children Use Receptive Skills
- Listen when you ask them to do something
- Understand when you explain something
- Follow-directions, such as when doing homework
- Sequence steps, such as when you use the words, ‘first’ and ‘next’
- Learn new vocabulary words
Expressive Language Development
Expressive language refers to the language we use. We can say words, type sentences, press icons on an augmentative and alternative communication device (AAC) and sign. These are all different ways we express ourselves when communicating with others. It is critical that children get the chance to express themselves in a way that works best for them.
How Do I know the Way My Child Communicates Best?
A licensed SLP can tell you which of these ways your child uses language to express their wants and needs:
- Speech
- AAC
- Written language
- Sign language
- AAC
- Gestures
- Vocalizations
How Children Use Expressive Skills
- Put words together to make phrases and sentences
- Make comments socially
- Ask questions of others
- Describe the world around them
- Tell stories and explain events
1. Model Language in Play
Modelling language in play is a powerful tool for supporting your child’s language development at home. Many speech therapists suggest this strategy to parents. It helps empower you and your child during those important years that skills develop.
When you give a model, you use your child’s best method of communicating to describe what they are doing. You also describe your own actions in play. This gives your child rich language models. They get to learn how to put together words and phrases.
Only 10% of what you say to your child during a play activity should include a question. Giving a rich narrative support the use of nouns, articles, verbs, objects, pronouns and more.
Use these tips to boost language during playtime:
- Speak at a slightly slower rate of speech
- Use nouns, verbs, objects, pronouns, adjectives and prepositions
- Describe events that include a variety of actions (different verbs)
- Remember to include articles (i.e., ‘a,’ ‘an,’ and ‘the’)
- Emphasize important phrases (e.g., “Up the stairs” and “In the kitchen”)
2. Communicate in the Same Way
When a child uses a different mode of communication, we need to also use that method. While it is important to use a variety of ways to share language with a child, using what they use helps support their skills. For example, if your child uses an AAC device, share activities by modeling what you want to say on their talker. You can also verbally say the words at the same time.
If your child understands sign language, then use signs during their everyday activities. For a child that does best expressing themselves in multiple ways, you might use signs, speech, gestures and more to speak with them. By being aware of how your child best shares their wants and needs, you get the chance to meet them where they are and interact together.
3. Help Language Development with New Words
While we many words around children every day, by focusing on a few words each week, they get the chance to build better language. Pick out 1-5 words each week and use the other steps in our list to help your child learn them. This gives you a way to keep track of new words your child learns and know how well they learn them. It also gives you the chance to make your language models even better.
What Words to Use for Language Development
- Verbs
- Prepositions
- Pronouns
- Article
- the season (fall, winter, spring, summer)
- favorite activities
- a specific event or occasion (e.g., birthday, visit to the aquarium)
4. Expand on What Your Child Says
Another great tool is to expand on what your child says. For example, if your child said, “I go park,” you might repeat what they said by saying, “I go to the park.” Or, if your child said, “dog woof,” you might say, “Yes, the dog barked at the bird” (if that is what happened). By saying your child’s words back to them with correct grammar and extra words, you given them a rich language model.
This tool lets you help your child make better sentences in play and in everyday activities. You also get a way of learning more of what your child says. By sharing examples of your child’s sentences with their speech therapist, the SLP learns even more about how to best support them.
When you expand on your child’s phrases and sentences, try to include plenty of adjectives as well. Adjectives provide description and will give your child ways of thinking of the words they already know. For example, if your child says, “dog play,” you might say, “The brown dog is playing in the soft grass.” These words expand on sentences and also describe the world.
When you expand on your child’s words with adjectives, consider using words from these groups:
- Size
- Shape
- Color
- Texture
- Scent or taste
- Emotion (e.g., silly, excited)
5. Participate in New Activities
While language means putting words together, vocabulary helps increase the what a child can say. Talking to your child and using new vocabulary words is helpful but using those words in context is key. By using new words around your child when participating in activities, your child gets the chance to connect those words to what they actually mean.
By participating in new activities your child enjoys, they learn new words and build off of words they already know. Language development happens naturally but is enriched through experience. When a child visits a zoo for the first time, they get to hear all the words used there. For example, they might hear: fish, lion, bird, water and trees. They also get to hear you put words together. For example, you might describe what you see and say, “I see a lion getting ready to roar” or “The penguins are jumping into the cold water.”
When you visit a new place, think about how you can make it a language rich experience for your child. Use the other ways to build these skills as well.
Get Your Child Started with Expert Speech Therapy
While we shared the 5 ways to help your child’s language development at home, it is critical that they also receive speech therapy. These steps supplement ongoing treatment with a licensed SLP. If your child struggles to understand what you say or express their wants and needs, contact a speech therapist today to get them the support they need.
