Being a parent is one of the greatest joys in life. Watching your child develop from a newborn to a toddler to a teen seems to go by in the blink of an eye. And while it can be a roller-coaster ride along the way, the journey you take with your child shapes who they are for the rest of their life.
Caring for and teaching your child during their first few years is critical in their early-stage development. Of course, one of the most important developmental stages for your child is when they learn to talk. But doing so can sometimes be a challenge.
So what’s the secret to the “art of communication”? It requires a positive environment, repetition, and fun, Larry Gray M.D., assistant professor of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the University of Chicago Medical Center, told parenting.com. Here are some fun tips to getting your baby to start talking and begin to acquire language skills at an early age. Keep in mind that you’ll usually hear your child’s first words around their first birthday.
As your baby continues to grow, have conversations with them as much as possible. Pretend like you are having a conversation with your spouse or friend. Just chit-chat like you would with anyone else.
If you have a play mat for your baby, it’s a great way to start a conversation. You can talk about the objects on the mat, including any colors, shapes, and sounds on the mat.
The more you talk with your baby, the better. Try using “self-talk” around your baby. You can do this by pretending you’re a broadcaster who is giving a complete rundown of what you are doing at any given time. Don’t feel awkward, either. This can help your child by hearing a repetition of words throughout the day.
Start conversations by mimicking sounds around the house. Bark like a dog, meow like a cat, crow like a rooster … then talk about the sounds and the animals to creating a learning experience.
You can also enhance conversation skills by reading a story to your baby. Make sure to talk about the pictures used in a book. Let your baby hold the book, if possible, and even turn the pages.
Here are some awesome baby books to read to your baby.
6) Give rewards for success
Give your child a reward when they learn a new word or phrase. Rewards can be as simple as clapping or giving a little cheer using your baby’s name. Or do a little dance when your child puts a few words together.
Engage your baby in conversation with nursery rhymes. Of course, the most popular are “Humpty Dumpty”; “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”; “Ring a Ring o’Roses”; and “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” There are
so many to choose from.
Make sure to watch your baby for non-verbal communication cues. If your baby waves at you, say, “Hello” or “Goodbye,” which ever is appropriate for the circumstances. If your child points at something, say, “Do you want the toy?”
Engage your baby in conversation by telling them a verbal story. You can even act out part of the story. Tell them about a story that involves a family member or friend.
When you and your baby play with a toy, make it a conversational learning experience. Does the toy make noise? Discuss what the noises are. Does it have colors? Talk about the colors.
11) Read everything on the page
When you read to your child, don’t skip ahead. Make sure to read each page in its entirety. Point at the picture and ask questions: “Does this little girl look happy or angry?” Make animal noises when reading about animals, etc.
Play dates with other children can help your baby or toddler develop language skills. Be an active part of the play date by participating in the conversation. If one of your child’s friends hands them a stuffed animal, discuss what the toy looks like. Also remind them to say, “Thank you!”
13) Talk about this and that
Whether it’s the noise of a dog barking or a song playing on the radio, talk about it with your baby. When the dog barks, tell your child, “That’s the dog barking.” When a song comes on the radio, tell them something about the song.
14) Play the “piggyback word” game
When your child starts saying words, join them in conversation by adding on a word. For example, if your baby says, “dog,” then you say “big dog” or “little dog.” When you string words together like this, it helps advance your child’s language skills.
Just like reading a book is engaging for your baby, so is singing. And it can help your little one’s language skills progress. So share some music time by singing a song every now and then. Sing “Old MacDonald” or “The Wheels on the Bus.”
Another great way to engage your baby is by playing a guessing game. Hide a toy behind your back and say, “What do I have behind my back?” Then show the toy to your child and tell them, “It’s a red ball!” Describe items as much as possible.
If your baby cries, especially when they are young, turn it into a learning experience by starting a conversation. Tell them you’re here them and ask some questions about what might be wrong. Odds are you’ll already know what’s wrong (they’re hungry, or wet, etc.), and talk to them about it as you resolve the situation.
18) Connect words to actions
If your baby starts to crawl, talk about it. When they eat, talk about what they are eating. If you are changing their clothes, talk about it. Talking about these seemingly mundane tasks actually makes a difference in helping your baby’s language skills progress.
Whenever you can, use visual aids to help your baby associate images with words. So, if you are talking about distant family members, pull out your photo album and show your child while describing who each person is.
It’s true! Smiling can help get your baby engaged and talking. Smiling and other facial expressions elicit responses from those we “aim” them at, so smile at your baby and say to them, “I am so happy right now to be here with you,” etc. Then ask them what makes them happy, using visual aids as props, such as their favorite stuffed animal or toy.
Start a conversation with your baby by playing the color game. It’s simple: Just name objects around the room and what color they are. This is both fun and educational for your little one.
Get baby talking by playing ball. Sit on the floor with your child and roll the ball back and forth between you. Just talking about this simple act is a fun conversation starter.
A daily walk with your baby helps expose them to the outdoors. Describe to them everything you see along the way, including the trees, the cars, and a neighbor walking their dog. Just make sure your child is protected from the sun when outdoors.
24) Talk about their favorite TV show
Does your child like to watch “Sesame Street”? Then talk about it while they are watching, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Describe the characters’ names, what they are doing, the colors and numbers they are talking about, etc.
It’s time to get out the beats and have a dance party! Music helps stimulate the brain, and your little one will have a lot of fun dancing with you. Make sure to talk about the music and dancing while you are having fun with your baby.
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Talking with your child early in their life can enhance their vocabulary, verbal comprehension, and even their IQ, according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics. So start talking with your baby early and often!
Being a parent is one of the greatest joys in life. Watching your child develop from a newborn to a toddler to a teen seems to go by in the blink of an eye. And while it can be a roller-coaster ride along the way, the journey you take with your child shapes who they are for the rest of their life.
Caring for and teaching your child during their first few years is critical in their early-stage development. Of course, one of the most important developmental stages for your child is when they learn to talk. But doing so can sometimes be a challenge.
So what’s the secret to the “art of communication”? It requires a positive environment, repetition, and fun, Larry Gray M.D., assistant professor of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the University of Chicago Medical Center, told parenting.com. Here are some fun tips to getting your baby to start talking and begin to acquire language skills at an early age. Keep in mind that you’ll usually hear your child’s first words around their first birthday.
