17 Tips For Stimulating Language In Children

Children acquire language naturally from a very young age, thanks to social interactions with their surroundings. Sometimes, however, one has to stimulate language in the event of, for example, a lack of vocabulary or pronunciation problems.

All children’s language acquisition follows its own rhythm. Not all children are the same, nor do they adopt languages ​​of the same age. It is important to understand that each child develops at his or her own pace.

Proper pronunciation and articulation depends a lot on the child’s parents, unless the child suffers from a physical problem, of course. So, what responsibility do parents have? We must be good role models when it comes to correct pronunciation. Therefore, we want to offer 17 tips to stimulate language in your child.

Tips for stimulating language in children

Talk to your children often

You can ask your children what they like, friends, favorite activities, the clothes they wear, etc.… There are endless topics to talk about to promote language acquisition!

Stimulate conversations

With visual support of books and photos, you can look at basic concepts with your children.

Build their vocabulary

Show your children different objects and tell the name of each one. Also describe the objects by stating their properties, shape, color, etc.

Tell stories

This is very motivating for children. You can make sounds, gestures, etc. when reading fairy tales to them. And when you are done reading, ask simple questions about their content.

Take advantage of every opportunity

All occasions are an excellent opportunity to promote the development of language in children. A trip, household chores, going through your child’s wardrobe or looking at the furniture in his or her room, the colors of different objects… And always remember to go down to your child’s level when talking.

Play games to stimulate language in children

You can stimulate oral expression through simple games. Or you can organize a treasure hunt by hiding objects around the house and giving clues so your child can find them. Every game you can find where your child needs to produce or process languages ​​is beneficial.

Express joy and enthusiasm

It is important to point out that even if things do not always go well, the children’s efforts are the most important. Make sure you are happy and proud of your children.

Do not be overprotective

If you are overprotective of your children, do not let their personality develop properly. Let them be independent and let them control their own activities as much as possible.

Always make sure to listen to your children

To stimulate language in children, it is important that you listen attentively and try to answer questions. In this way, you encourage your child to keep talking, and you make communication a pleasant experience.

Games where you blow

Games like inflating balloons, blowing through straws, blowing whistles or imitating sounds and animal sounds all help to train the movements of the mouth.

More tips to stimulate language in children

Imitation to learn pronunciation

Children learn a lot through imitation. Therefore, talk to them slowly, use the correct pronunciation and avoid shouting. Do not ignore your children when they want to talk to you, and make sure that you do not reinforce the mistakes they make when they express themselves.

Reward your children when they express themselves correctly

It is important to correct your children when they make mistakes, but be careful not to criticize them, laugh at them or get angry. At the same time, avoid comparing with other children, siblings, cousins, classmates, etc.

Do not interrupt while talking

It is never good to interrupt children while they are talking and ask them to start over.

Do not use baby language when talking to your children

Children use infantile language because they are still at an early stage in language development. If you imitate them , you will delay and slow down the process that will eventually lead to the correct pronunciation.

Do not answer for your children

When asking your children questions, it is important to do so in a way that requires more than just “yes” or “no” in response. For example, do not just ask your children if they want a banana. You can instead ask, “Do you want a banana or an orange?”

Do not imitate your child

Even if you think your little one’s way of talking is entertaining , do not imitate their pronunciation errors. You only reinforce the habit.

Do not swallow the end of the words

Be sure to end all your words without shortening them. And if you hear your children do it, be sure to correct them so that they learn correctly.

Final thoughts on stimulating language in children

These are just a few ways to stimulate language in children. If you apply them, you will see improvements in their language development – unless your child has a physical problem that makes correct pronunciation difficult.

The tips are not intended to replace a speech therapist if your child needs one. It depends on each child’s specific situation and what problems he or she has.