Talk With/To Your Child

As you do things with your children, talk as much as you can. It does not matter how old they are. It does not matter if they can talk back. The more you talk, the more vocabulary your child hears. The more vocabulary that is introduced to your child, the more he/she will learn. So, when you go to the grocery store, talk to your child. When you go to the park, talk to your child. When you go for a walk, talk to your child. When you are driving in the car, talk to your child. When you are giving your child a bath, talk to your child. 

What do you talk about?

Talk about whatever you see. Talk about the trees, "Do you so those trees? Look how tall they are. They have green leaves on top. Do you see the trunk of the tree on the bottom? That part is brown. It feels rough when you feel it." Describe as much as you can. The more you say, the more they learn.

Talk to your child about the different kinds of jobs people have. Talk about how you are making dinner. Make up rhyming games together.

As your child grows up, you can ask him/her questions about the things you see; quizzing him/her on his/her knowledge. Instead of you doing all the talking, allow him/her to do what you used to do for him/her.

Allow your child to talk on the phone to familiar family members. Hearing their familiar voices helps them develop the skills they need for social interaction. As they listen to their voices they will respond by smiling, cooing, or talking back.

Show pictures of your child. Talk about the things that are in the picture. Talk about what happened during the event where the picture was taken. Discuss anything you can think of from the one photograph. Allow your child to talk about the picture as well (even if it is only cooing noises). Allow the picture to spark memories and then talk about them together.

Find things to sort together. Talk about how they can be sorted. Have your child describe the attributes he/she chose to sort into groups.

Look at a calendar and discuss the days of the week and the months of the year. Talk about what the child usually does on those days or during those months.

A parent talking and interacting with a child is far more beneficial than vocabulary that is gained through television. There are great shows out there that will definitely teach your child many things. However, there is no substitute for a parent taking an active role in a child's development.

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