According to ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association), the development of speech and language is vital in every aspect of a child’s journey. Whether it’s excelling in academics, navigating life’s challenges, or thriving in social settings it is important to have early mastery in communication. Fluency allows children to articulate emotions, comprehend complex ideas with greater ease, form meaningful relationships. In this blog, you’ll find five creative and effective ways to assist to develop your child’s speech and language skills from birth to 2 years of age.
- Gazing at your little one as they babble and engage in conversation. This nurturing act provides vital encouragement and fosters the social interactions that will shape their future
- Engage in conversation with your child during routine activities such as bath time, dressing and meals. Describe your child’s actions and surroundings to them in order to assist them to understand where they’re going or what they’re seeing. This exposes them to language, as well as enriching their vocabulary.
- Read to your child. Whether you’re exploring the pictures together or diving into the text, it is beneficial. It sparks your child’s cognitive development, fostering vital skills such as phonological awareness (the ability to recognize and work with sounds in spoken language), while also laying the foundation for early literacy.
- Point to objects you see. Pointing to objects as you name them can be supportive as they are beginning to learn and categorize the world around them. Visually seeing what the object is can enhance comprehension for the baby/ toddler and allow them to make connections between words and their meanings!
- Use plenty of gestures. Gestures allow children to communicate their needs serving as a powerful tool for communication and learning. This early form of communication reduces frustration and helps strengthen the parent- child bond. An example of this can include teaching your child sign language for basic commands, such as “more” and “all done”.
We have explored five creative and effective strategies to support speech and language development during these critical stages. From engaging in meaningful interactions with your child to incorporating language-rich activities into daily routines, each approach aims to provide infants and toddlers with opportunities for language exposure and vocabulary expansion.
Source: “Activities to Encourage Speech and Language Development.”, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, www.asha.org/public/speech/development/activities-to-encourage-speech-and-language-development/. Accessed: 5 Apr. 2024.
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-EMILY SMITH, Illinois State University, Senior Research and Marketing Intern
-NICOLE BUTLER, M.A., CCC-SLP/L (ASHA Certified and licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, Founder and Executive Director of Speech Within Reach.)
SPEECH WITHIN REACH provides in person and virtual telehealth speech therapy for children and adults. We are happy to support your speech therapy needs. Please feel free to reach out to us.