17 Tips To Stimulate Language In Children
Children acquire language naturally, from a very young age, thanks to social interactions with their environment. However, sometimes it may be necessary to stimulate language in children because problems arise. For example, there may be problems with pronunciation or lack of vocabulary.
The evolving process of language acquisition follows each child’s own rhythm. Not all children are alike. Nor, they acquire the language at the same age. It is important to understand that all children develop at their own pace.
The correct pronunciation and articulation of sounds depends, to a large extent, on the parents of children. Unless, the child suffers from a physical problem that makes it difficult for him or her. So, what responsibility do parents have? We need to be models for the right pronunciation. With all this in mind, we will provide you with 17 tips to stimulate the language of children. Keep reading.
Tips to stimulate language in children
Talk to your children often
You can ask your children about their taste preferences, friends, favorite activities, the clothes they are wearing, etc.… There is an endless variety of topics to talk about to promote language acquisition!
Stimulate conversations
With visual support from books and pictures, you can review basic concepts with your children.
Increase their vocabulary
Show your children different objects and tell them the name of each of them. At the same time, describe the objects by mentioning their characteristics, shape, color, etc.
Tell stories to stimulate language in children
This activity is very motivating for children. You can make sounds, signs, voices, etc. while reading or telling a story. And, when you are done with this, you can ask them questions about the content of the story.
Take advantage of every opportunity
Any occasion is a good opportunity to promote the development of language in children. A walk, household chores, looking at the things in your children’s closet or the furniture in their room, the colors of different objects, etc. And, you should always do it at your children’s level when you talk.
Play games to stimulate language in children
You can stimulate oral expression through simple games, such as I See. Or, you can organize a treasure hunt by storing objects around the house and providing clues so your kids can find them. Any play you can come up with where your kids need to produce or process the language is beneficial.
Express joy and enthusiasm
It is important, even if things do not always go well, that you praise the efforts your children make in various activities. You need to make sure that you show that you are happy and proud of your children.
Do not overprotect your children
If you overprotect your children, then you are not allowing their personality to develop completely. You need to give them autonomy and, as much as possible, enable them to be the ones in control of the activities.
You should always make sure that you listen to your children
To stimulate the language of children, it is crucial that you listen attentively and try to respond with questions. That way, you will encourage your children to keep talking. At the same time, you make communication a pleasant experience.
Play games that involve breathing to stimulate language in children
Games, such as inflating balloons, sipping through straws, blowing whistles or imitating voices and animal sounds, all help train the mobility of the mouth.
More tips to stimulate language in children
Imiter for learning pronunciation
Children learn a lot through imitation. For that reason, talk slowly when talking to your children. You need proper pronunciation and without shouting. You should not ignore your children when they want to talk to you and you should make sure that you do not reinforce mistakes they make when they express themselves.
Reward your children when they speak correctly
It is important to correct your children when they make mistakes. However, make sure that you do not criticize them, laugh at them or get angry. At the same time, avoid making comparisons with other children, siblings, cousins, cousins, classmates, etc.
Do not disturb your children when they talk
It is never a good idea to interrupt children when they are talking and ask them to start over.
Do not use baby language when talking to your children
Children use baby language because they are still at an early stage in the process of learning the language. If you imitate them, you will delay and slow down the process, which, sooner or later, will lead to correct pronunciation.
You do not have to answer for your children
When you ask your children a question, it is important that you do it in a way that the answer requires more than just a “yes” or “no”. For example, do not ask your children if they want a banana. Instead, you can ask; “Do you want a banana or an orange?”
You should not imitate your children
Even if you find the way your children speak entertaining, you should not imitate their pronunciation errors. You will only reinforce this habit by doing so.
You do not have to cut the ends of words
You need to make sure that you finish all your words, without cutting the ends off. At the same time, if your children do this, then you need to make sure that you correct them so that their learning and acquisition of the language becomes appropriate.
Concluding thoughts on stimulating language in children
These are just a few of the many ways you can stimulate language in children. If you introduce them, you will, with certainty, observe improvements in their language development. Of course, only if your children do not have a physical problem that makes it difficult for them to pronounce words correctly.
The tips we have mentioned above are not a substitute if your child needs a speech therapist. It depends on the particular situation of each child and the problem he or she has.
