Sometimes your child might talk to you using the wrong words or unexpected language, but it can still be helpful to listen out for and respond to these communication attempts. You might find that your child repeats words or sentences they have heard before, but from a different situation, and it makes you wonder what the connection is.
It’s great if you can pick up on your child’s nonverbal cues and clues from the situation itself, and narrate what’s happening.
Mummy get it off.
If your child is leading you somewhere, try giving them the words they need.
Go over there?
Pick me up.
Pick me up.
This can help them connect the phrases to their actions. If you spot your child repeating the same word or phrases over and over, the best way to respond is keep your own language simple.
Say short phrases related to the situation and avoid asking questions.
Well, that’s fast.
If your child uses a phrase which seems out of context, or a word which is not quite the right label, try not to correct them, but give them the phrase that they’re looking for.
Kick!
You want me to kick the ball?
If they say, ‘Once upon a time,’ when they want a story, say, ‘Can I have a story?’ Or, ‘story time.’ Then show you have understood their request and read the story.
Let’s go on to this page.
It can be hard to know how to respond to your child’s early communication attempts, but offering simple examples that connect to the world around them means that they will hear and start to understand what certain words link to and how andwhen to use them.
Jump!
