From their first words to the articulation of complete sentences, language acquisition is an essential milestone in a child’s development. While many children effortlessly absorb language through regular interactions and exposure to speech, some may encounter challenges requiring additional support. In this article, we present five strategies aimed at nurturing your child’s language development.
Understanding Language Difficulties in Children
Pinpointing the origins of language difficulties in children is difficult as they can be so varied, often containing a combination of both genetic predispositions and environmental influences.
Generally speaking, children need regular stimulation to help them assimilate language correctly.
According to a study conducted by Santé Publique France excessive screen exposure in the morning prior to school heightens the risk of language disorders by a factor of 3.
Similarly, an Australian study published in JAMA pediatrics establishes a link between screen time and language development. For every hour of screen time a day at the age of 3 months, no fewer than 397 adult words, 294 vocalisations and 68 turns of speech are missed each day.
Therefore, prioritising screen-free activities is vital to stimulate your child and provide an enriching environment for language learning.
Five Strategies to Encourage Language Learning in Young Children
To provide your child with the best opportunities for language acquisition and proficiency, we recommend implementing the following strategies:
1. Engage in Search and Discovery Activities:
The names of objects are generally the first expressions of a child’s language and the basis of their vocabulary. What’s more, children aged between 1 and 2 are particularly receptive to exploration because of their recent ability to move around on their own. Encouraging them to search and discover different objects around the house is an excellent way of stimulating their language learning while having fun at the same time! Name an object in the room (a soft toy, a ball, a spoon, etc.) and ask your child to search for it. Don’t forget to congratulate them when they indicate it and repeat the word several times to encourage them to repeat it.
2. Engage Verbally Through Dialogue and Song:
Your child can hear you, even when they are still inside the womb. Remember to talk to them regularly, taking care to pronounce each word correctly.
Singing nursery rhymes to your child is also an excellent way of enriching their vocabulary. You can use gestures to help them understand the meaning of the words they hear.
3. Read Books
As well as forging a meaningful bond, reading them stories to your child at key times of the day is a very effective way of encouraging language development. Start with simple books, featuring a single word and picture, for example. You can gradually introduce stories that are longer and have a richer vocabulary.
4. Create Stories
Embark on collaborative storytelling ventures with your child, fostering creativity and offering a great way to expand their vocabulary. Further in time, encourage creativity by suggesting them to create the illustrations for the book themselves!
5. Narrate Daily Activities
Describing what you do or what your child does is a great way of stimulating them on a daily basis. As well as exercising their hearing, it helps them to make sense of the words they hear. It can even help them to understand their emotions and give them the desire to express themselves.