In the second part of our series, children between the ages of 2 to 4 years old undergo an exciting advancement in their speech and language abilities. This builds upon the groundwork established during their infant years. Per ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association), this period is marked by an abundance of language growth, as children eagerly absorb and apply the language skills they’ve been acquiring since infancy. In this blog, you’ll find 5 creative and effective ways to assist develop your child’s speech and language skills.
- Repeating the child’s words while appropriately elaborating on them. For instance, if a child points out, ‘Look. Chichen,’ you might respond with, ‘Yes, that’s right, it is a chicken,’ articulating each word slowly and distinctly to aid their comprehension.
- Ask your child questions that include a choice. By doing this, rather than yes/ no questions, you are enabling them to not only answer the question, but expand on their thoughts as well. They can express themselves fully and will be more encouraged to actively participate in conversations.
- Sing simple songs (even nursery rhymes). This allows the child to learn the rhythm of speech and can enhance their skills.
- It is okay to use baby talk sometimes. In fact, it is even encouraged! Baby talk tends to be high pitched, exaggerated, and rhythmic, which helps capture a child’s attention and maintain their engagement during interactions. This allows more opportunity for language input and learning.
- Support your child to learn new words. Naming body parts and discussing their function is a good example of this. It not only supports vocabulary expansion, but it also allows for increased conceptual understanding.
By implementing these approaches, we can allow children within this age range to confidently express themselves, engage meaningfully with others, and comprehend the complexities of the world around them. Together, let us continue to prioritize speech and language development, laying the groundwork for a lifetime of effective communication and learning.
Source: “Activities to Encourage Speech and Language Development.” American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 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.