Language

It is important for children having difficulty with language to have good experiences while learning.  The following tips can help parents respond to their child in positive ways.  This approach can encourage learning, boost self-confidence, and make the learning experience fun.

1. Be an Active Listener - Let your child know that you are listening.  Show your sincere interest.

2. Let your child talk without interruptions.

3. Give your child enough time to respond to you.  Children with language problems often need extra time to process what you say.

4. Talk, Talk, Talk, to your child.  Talk about things you see when you're on a walk or in the car.  Talk to your child about experiences you have had together, ex) going to the zoo, or even the grocery store.  Talk about the characters or events in the books you read with your children.  The possibility of things to talk about is endless!

5. Singing songs with your child is a great way to foster more complex language skills.

6. Set a good example for your child.  Model correct speech!

Is My Child's Speech or Language Delayed? 

Speech skills are different from language skills.  Language refers to the use of words and sentences to convey ideas.  Speech is the production of sounds that make up the words and sentences.  Using the general developmental milestones, such as those listed below, you can compare your child's development with that of other children the same age.

-Around 12 months of age, the first true words appear( they are often people or nouns).

-Around 18 months of age, children use about 10-20 words, including names.  They can also request needs verbally such as ("more, and up") point, gesture, and follow simple commands.

-At 2 years of age, children understand simple questions and commands, follow directions to put objects "on, or in, put two words together, label pictures, and has a vocabulary of about 300 words.

-Between the ages of three and five, children learn to carry on a conversation, ask and answer questions, name colors, follow and give more complex directions, and speak alone in the presence of a group.  These skills are important to success in kindergarten.

-After age five, sentences become increasingly complex.  Children begin using words like "when", "while", and "since" to relate two or more ideas in a single sentence.  The language level used by teachers and textbooks assumes that children have this skill by the age of seven or eight.

-As a rule, children use understandable speech by age four and use all speech sounds correctly by age five to seven.

*****See "Speech Delay.com" under Links for more information on developmental milestones.