How can I help my child use more words?
When parents of young children are concerned their child is not yet using many words, one of the first things I like to ask is;
“What type of words are they using?!”
Yes, the number of words a child uses can tell a story but the types of words can be more important.
WORD TYPES:
📕Label words - important words to your child and help them express their direct needs i,.e., milk, shoes, dummy, apple, park, toy.
🏃 Action words - words that describe actions your child is likely to do, or notice others do, in their day i.e., go, stop, help, wash, eat, drink, cuddle, sleep
👋🏻 Social words - words which help children interact and engage with others i.e., mum, dad, nan, hi, bye, ta.
If your child mainly used “labelling words”, try to purposefully use different types of words. When we begin to focus on different words, like action words, children begin to display more powerful & meaningful messages & can then begin to join words together to make small phrases.
So, if this sounds like your child, try focusing on these action words during these daily activities,
🛁 Bath time - splash, wash, squirt, pour, tip, dry
🍏 Snack time - bite, cut, sip, drink, eat
☀️ Park time - swing, push, run, climb, hide, catch. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
About the writer:
Lauren is a speech pathologist who has over 15 years experience working with children and teenagers who present with a range of learning and communication difficulties. Lauren is passionate about helping others and loves to find simple and creative ways to make learning fun!
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