Why
Talking and communicating for the first time is a great milestone in a child’s life. It allows them be heard by parents, carers, and friends clearly. It also enables them to communicate their needs and wants without the frustration of not being understood.
How
Once your child begins to uses single words each time to communicate, you can encourage them by adding the next word to show that you’ve understood and to support their continue language acquisition. They listen to you so they can repeat. So, if they see a car and say “Car”, you can say “That’s right. It’s a car. It’s a blue car”. Or if they say, “Blue car,” you can say, “Yes. Big blue car.” Using descriptive words to support children’s developing vocabulary encourages them to explore language more.
Everyday Activities
An example of how you can use this method with everyday activities is at mealtimes. Offer a choice of food. This gives them the freedom to choose, but also think and decided on their own and try and copy the word you have just said to them.
