Tips for Talking with Kids

Language is critical to children’s social, emotional, and intellectual development. Language gives us labels to share our feelings, lets us find solutions to complex problems, and helps us establish relationships. It is the code that unlocks the world and orders our thinking.

For most children language develops rapidly, easily, and effortlessly. By the time most children enter school their communication abilities are quite sophisticated. For some children, however, the process isn’t so easy. For those children whose language is slower to develop, a greater responsibility falls on the family to help the process along. Here are some strategies you can use to help your child acquire the power of communication:

  1. Show an interest in what your child is attempting to communicate—not just how—get at her physical level so she knows you’re paying attention
    • Ignore “mistakes”
    • Repeat back or rephrase if you don’t understand
  2. Keep it simple—use language that’s just a little bit more sophisticated than what he is able to use
  3. Repeat what she says—it may be boring to you, but young children like (and need) lots of repetition
  4. Expand your child’s vocabulary and sentences by filling in the blanks and adding more information
    • Your child: “Dog eating”
    • You: “Yes, the dog is eating food”
  5. Provide a good model—talk slowly and clearly
  6. Have a conversation—talk with not at
  7. Read books together
    • Encourage your child to “join in,” naming pictures as you turn the pages
    • Talk about what happened, what might happen next, or what the characters might be thinking or feeling
  8. Wait and listen with anticipation—act as if you expect your child to respond to you
  9. Accept all attempts—words, sentences, signs, gestures, sounds—treat them as if they were truly communicative and intentional
  10. Follow your child’s lead—figure out what’s important to him and make that the topic of your conversation

© Margaret H. Briggs, PhD, 2005

Excerpted in part from Briggs and Associates Newsletter, Spring 2005

Close This Window