Do you have concerns about how your child's speech and language skills are developing? Join Better Speech on the new episode of The School Psych Corner Podcast, where we discuss what parents can do at home to support their child's growth.
Listen to the podcast using one of the players below:
Episode highlights
What kind of things parents could do at home to help their children communicate?
1. Keep talking to your children: what you're doing is you're narrating their life, and you're explaining this entire world. Children have no idea what socks are, what love is, or what a fork is. As you're constantly talking to them, and you're giving them tons of information.
We're designed to understand language, and we need to make sure that language is going in to the child's mind so that they understand how to use it.
2. Offer children the opportunity to talk or an opportunity to make a decision. All day long children are told where to go and what to do and as you're doing it, you're offering them an opportunity to express themselves to literally make that choice.
It is important to ensure that your younger children have the opportunity to talk because sometimes the older ones like to be in charge too, and they'll unintentionally talk for them and then we'll start to see the younger ones not talking because they didn't have to talk.
Does your child struggle with speech and social skills?
3. Encourage your children (teens) to practice social skills. If you go to a store, tell them to go ask an associate a question, or ask them to call and order a pizza.
If talking in class makes teenagers uncomfortable, practice at home. Read whatever story it is, and see if your child can tell you what the story is: practice that story flow, practice presenting, practice being able to manage your thoughts and execute them effectively to somebody who's listening so that the listener can understand the story, or practice even telling jokes. Practice the delivery and the timing of that, because it's so important to be able to communicate.
Children don't develop the language overnight: it's a process and you have to be patient and check that you're not pushing things or expecting things that are kind of unreasonable.
4. Parents can also use Practice Library to help their children's language development and practice skills that they're currently working on.
If you have any concerns about your child's speech delay or social skills, reach out to a professional. At Better Speech, we offer online speech therapy services convenient for you and tailored to your child's individual needs. Our services are affordable and effective - get Better Speech now.
About the Author
Lenora Edwards
I am ASHA Board Certified Speech Language Pathologist and Chief Knowledge Officer with Better Speech. Since obtaining my CCC’s in 2010, I have worked with individuals of all ages from little ones who are learning to understand and express themselves to adults who want to improve their speaking skills and become a more fluent and effective communicator. I love to teach and educate others, in my spare time I like reading, cooking and traveling!
