Get Down to Your Child’s Level

How ?

- Get face-to-face with your child as much as possible. If they are playing on the floor, sit with
them.

Why ?

- Shows him/her that you are interested

- Higher quality interaction between child and adult

- Lets him/her see your face

- Easier for the child to hear and see your messages

- Better chance of having your child’s attention

 Follow Your Child’s Interests

How ?

Observe your child. What is he/she looking at, holding, playing with ? Attempt to
join in or play alongside them. You can copy their actions.

Why ?

- Shows him/her that you are interested

- Higher quality interaction between child and adult

- Better chance of having your child’s attention

- Your child will be more motivated to communicate about something of interest to

him/her
 Reduce Language Demands

How ?

- Reduce the number of questions you ask

- Do not ask your child to say words
- Make comments instead of asking questions (e.g. « A car ! » rather than « Is that
a car ? »)

Why ?

- Asking many questions or asking your child to say words takes the joy out of
communication.

- Children are more likely to communicate when there is less pressure to do so

 Wait!

How ?

- After you model a action/sound/word for your child, count silently to 5 before
speaking once again.

- Look expectantly (lean forward, eye contact, smile)

Why ?

- Pauses in interactions give your child an opportunity to imitate or communicate

- It takes children longer than adults to understand what is said, and then plan
what they want to say
 Model Many Types of Words

How ?

- Talk about people (e.g. mommy), objects (e.g. dog, juice), action words (e.g. jump,
run, dance), descriptive words (e.g. big/small, slow/fast, short/tall, colours),
location words (e.g. in, on, out, beside), and so on.

- Present one word at a time (e.g. dog) or short sentences (e.g. it’s a dog).

- Show what you are talking about by showing the object/person/picture,

demonstrating the action, etc.

- Repeat new words often !

Why ?

- This will help your child increase their overall vocabulary.

- It will be easier for your child to create meaningful sentences if they can express
words from various categories.
 Imitate

How ?

- When your child does an action (e.g. puts his/her arms up), imitate what he/she is
doing.

- When your child makes a sound, imitate what he/she has said.

- When your child says a word, imitate what he/she has said.

Why ?

- In order for your child to imitate your actions and words, he/she must learn how
to imitate.
- In order to learn to imitate, your child will learn from observing you !

- Show your child how to imitate by imitating him/her.

 Keep it Simple

How ?

- When speaking to your child, use short, clear utterances.

- Avoid telegraphic speech (e.g. baby eat banana), as this does not provide your
child with all the words necessary to speak grammatically, nor understand your
message.

Why ?

- In order for your child to imitate, you need to provide a model that is within his
range of ability or slightly above.

- By saying less and speaking in short utterances, your child can more easily focus
on the key items in the message.
 Interpret

How ?

Say what your child would say, if he/she could (e.g. « I see a bird ! », « I’m hungry »)

Why ?

- Your child may not have the vocabulary needed to say what they are
feeling/wanting/experiencing. This will expose him/her to a variety of words and
sentences.

- This will help your child understand pronouns (e.g. I/you)

 Add a Word or Two

How ?

- Repeat your child’s message (e.g. « dog ») and add a word or two (e.g. « big dog »,
« It’s a dog »)

- Present different ways of combining one word with others (e.g. « car » can
become « go car » or « fast car » or « my car »)

- Remember to wait 5 seconds after you model a word combination in order to

give your child an opportunity to imitate !

Why ?

- This will help your child increase the length of their sentences.

- When your child hears you combine 2-3 words, he/she may try to imitate what
you said.

- Your child will be able to convey more meaning and express more messages by
combining words.
 Give choices

How ?

Rather than predicting what your child wants and giving this to them, give them 2
choices from which to choose.

For example, « Do you want milk or juice ? » or « Ball or puzzle ? »

Why ?

- This can help your child answer a question or say a word, as it provides a model
of what he/she could say.

- This encourages your child to communicate in order to get what he/she wants
 Create Communication Opportunities

How ?

- Place something your child wants out of reach (e.g. on a shelf or counter, in a clear
container they are unable to open), and WAIT

- Give your child what they want, but piece by piece, and WAIT

- Give your child the wrong item so they have to ask for the correct item, and WAIT

- Create a situation where your child must ask for help (e.g. give them a granola bar they
are unable to open), and WAIT

- Give your child choices (e.g. « Do you want juice or water ? »), and WAIT

Why ?

Although you are skilled at anticipating your child’s needs, you want your child to
communicate with you intentionally. If you give them what they want/need without a
request, they will never have to communicate.