More than Baby Talk: How to Support Language Development
The transition from cute babbling to well-developed sentences doesn't always come naturally, and in most cases children need external support. In the first few years of development, children are expert mimics; they are constantly observing their surroundings and repeating the words and actions of others. It is during this time that we see a window of opportunity to teach crucial language skills through various modalities, and because of their innate mimicry, it’s actually is easier than we think.
Infancy
People often underestimate the teachability of infants due to their inability to speak, but this is actually the best time to begin teaching language skills. One of the best ways to encourage early language development is by "sportscasting" - think of it as the broadcasters at a sporting event describing every aspect of the event for the audience. This type of descriptive communication teaches infants basic vocabulary (names of relatives or pets, colors, objects, etc.) and gives them a sense of inclusion in activities. At this stage in development, most of an infant's verbal communication is done through babbling which later turns into full-fledged words. At this age, one of the best things that a caregiver can do to support their budding language skills is to actually mimic the babbling noises that the infant makes. Babies (and toddlers) benefit heavily from watching our mouths as we speak as this teaches enunciation and pronunciation. Through us mimicking their speech, they are given an opportunity to see different ways of manipulating their mouth to produce new sounds. A study by the National Institute of Health suggests that babies whose parents respond promptly to their babbling develop more complex vocabulary compared to those whose parents do not. Through mimicry and sportscasting, in conjunction with other methods (such as singing songs and reading books), we can progress our infants' speech development exponentially.
Toddlerhood (ages one through three)
As our infants grow into toddlers, their speech morphs into more coherent and complex vocabulary. They begin to gain an understanding of grammar and sentence structure, but are often still repeating words that they hear without context. During this time, the continuation of sportscasting is just as vital as in the infant stage. Explaining what is happening as it is happening gives toddlers the ability to understand experiences in real time and offers them a chance to be more included in said experiences. They are also able to become active observers rather than passive ones; observing situations and being able to offer input or ask questions opens dialogue between toddlers and their caregivers that supports curiosity and learning in other areas. At this age, engaging your child in conversations is vital to their speech development. Children are learning how to socialize with others, and despite the fact that they may be otherwise chatty, conversational skills do not come naturally to us as human beings. Socialization is taught through experiences, so immersing your toddler in social settings, whether formal or informal, is important to teach them conversational skills (as well as social cues, confidence, and so many other important skills). As with infants, singing songs and reading to toddlers helps with the development of vocabulary, as well. Children generally gravitate towards music, especially in toddlerhood, so teaching them new words and ideas through song is extremely effective.
Preschool (ages four to five)
At this stage in their development, children should have a pretty well-established sense of grammar and conversation skills. They should be able to speak in well-developed sentences and explain complex ideas (memories, dreams, imagination, etc). Often we see children in preschool misusing pronouns or present/past/future tense, so continuing to model proper grammar and enunciating our own speech is one of the best ways to correct this. Rather than pointing out a child's mistake, it is more effective to simply model the desired manner of speaking. For example, a child may say, "her is so funny!" Our instinct may be to say, "you mean she is so funny." This style of correction can make the child feel bad, so to avoid that, it is recommended by many childcare professionals to instead repeat what the child said with the correct pronouns: "she is so funny, isn't she?" This is where regular conversations become even more important, so that our preschoolers can be as prepared as possible for kindergarten. Continuing to encourage their love for reading will only continue to benefit them, especially as they begin showing signs of reading readiness. Language is not only spoken, so learning to associate written words with spoken words increases their literacy and speech immensely.
Keep in mind that these milestones are just general guidelines, and all children blossom at their own pace. The best thing for us to do as caregivers when it comes to language development is to speak to them as often as possible, and read, read, read! If you believe that your child is delayed in their speech/language development, reach out to their teachers or pediatrician for further guidance.
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