Children make mistakes while learning to speak. The language skill of every child develops at different stages and each sound is learned at a different age range. But if your friends and relatives continue to ask you to interpret what your child is saying especially when other children of their age are speaking clearly, you might want to interfere.
Parents can play a crucial role in the language development of children. Children who are often read to and spoken with during early childhood tend to have better grammar and greater vocabulary.
Here are some simple ways to help your child speak more clearly –
1. Read more
Reading habits are undeniably related to the language skills of a person. You can start with simple board books, picture stories and then gradually introduce them to larger stories and novels. Take them on regular library visits and storytelling sessions to induce in them a love for language.
2. Speak more
Children tend to be attentive to the way you talk, the words you use and their pronunciation.
Narrate to them the events of the day and encourage them to tell you about theirs.
3. Never criticize their articulation and speech patterns
Identify the sounds they are pronouncing wrong but never scold them for that. Repeat the same statement back to them with the correct word usage and pronunciation. Remember to praise them when they say things correctly.
4. Enjoy music together
Children learn words and rhythm through nursery rhymes and songs. For instance, the rhyme
“London Bridge is falling down” teaches them new words and the different ways of articulation.
5. Tell stories
Bed-time stories do more than just making your child sleep well. When they are engaged in elaborate stories with many characters and turn of events, they learn to express well. Allow them the chance to narrate the same story to you so that they feel listened to as well. Click here to know the ways in which storytelling sessions can be made more interesting.
6. Ask questions with choices
When you ask your child questions with multiple choices, they will know to answer you by repeating your words clearly. This way, they have the chance to both hear it and practice saying it.
7. Use computer and television sparingly
Even though there are programs today that are interactive, they cannot replace human interactions. Socializing is crucial in developing language skills. Provide situations to play with other children and to express their ideas clearly.