Are you concerned about your child’s speech? Does he or she seem a little delayed? What can you do to help? Here at First Words Therapy, we have a lot of parents and caregivers calling us asking what they can do to identify and treat a speech or language delay. First, this is a very important subject and we commend you for taking the time to seek out help.
The development of your child speech is continually evolving. Age based developmental milestones are used by professional speech language therapists to determine if your child is on the appropriate level. Here are our top tips to help develop communication skills.
Reading helps boost speech
Children love books, flipping through the pages and exploring pictures and ideas. Let your child start choosing the books they want to “read” at about 18 months old. It’s okay if it is the same book all the time. Reinforcing the same concepts is very beneficial for your child. They also learn how stories are told and hear new words. So, read often to your child.
Don’t just “read”
While you are reading to your child, have them be an active participant. Ask them questions, what is happing in the story, what will happen next, and have them point to pictures. You want them to communicate, so it doesn’t matter if you can understand them. Sparking their imagination and wonder, encourages them to talk.
Music and song
Using musical instruments and singing can be very motivating in speech. “Young children love music. Singing nursery rhyme songs like Row, Row, Row Your Boat and Wheels on the Bus teaches them about different sounds and words. Singing songs and hearing rhymes will help children learn to read.” ASHA Consider making your own musical instruments, canisters are great for making shakers. Play a listening game with clear lyrics or instructions in the song.
If you suspect your child has a speech delay or not meeting the developmental milestones, we encourage you to be proactive and contact First Woods Speech Therapy.
