Speech and Language Development

Your child might be a real chatterbox or more quiet and thoughtful. Either way, being able to communicate is very important. You can help your child to develop his or her language skills by:

• Not using 'baby talk'. Teach children the right names for things and speak clearly and plainly to them.
• Talking about her day. Try to set aside a short time each night to ask her about the things she did that day.
• Saying nursery rhymes and singing songs together.
• Describing things to your child and asking him to describe things to you. Ask things like: Is the tree short or tall? Is the material soft or scratchy? Is this thing hard or soft? Is it hot or cold?
• Telling stories to your child, and asking her to tell you the ending, or to describe a scene.