How to teach my child to speak: 6 tips

Several keys to create the most conducive situations for the little ones to develop.

Creating the right situations for a child to learn to speak is one of the basic concerns and goals of many parents, especially if they are first-time parents. is one of the basic concerns and objectives of many parents, especially if they are first-time parents. This is normal, since language is one of the basic psychological competencies; thanks to it, little ones can create abstract concepts that are logically articulated with each other, so that they begin to have a relatively realistic understanding of nature, society and themselves. Without language, intelligence does not develop.

While as parents and guardians we cannot guarantee that a child will learn to speak perfectly in 100% of cases, it is usually possible to create the right conditions for them to internalize the necessary skills to do so and to practice it. For knowing how to teach a son or daughter to talk We must adapt to his or her way of thinking, but also be clear that we have limited power to influence it.

How to teach my child to speak?

Below we will see several key ideas to do everything possible to generate an effective language learning in our sons or daughters. However, we must keep in mind that Each case is unique and so are the conditions in which each child grows up..

On the other hand, whatever happens, we cannot blame the little ones if we perceive that they are not progressing at the desired pace. In extreme cases, it is even possible that this slowdown is due to neurological alterations, so that learning can only serve to avoid further delay. In any case, these are exceptional cases.

1. Make them the protagonists

Forget the format of master classes in which the learner is silent and listens and the teacher speaks transmitting the information that the other must internalize and memorize. Language is something that develops in contexts of real interaction, and that is why, in order to teach children to speak, you have to generate these dynamics, even if it is by resorting to fictitious characters who talk about them and tell stories.

In practice, this means that we should not just expose our children to language. We have to involve them in it, both by listening and by saying things.. Thus, by helping them to talk to us, even if only by interrupting, we will make them increasingly motivated to use language to understand the world and the interesting stories it holds.

2. Don't describe, narrate

To capture the interest of the little ones about an aspect of reality that they will learn about through language, it is much better to do it through stories and narratives than through descriptions. These narratives attract more attention because they have a beginning, a middle and an end.The latter are more attention-grabbing because they have a beginning, a middle and an end, and promise a resolution to a situation, whereas descriptions refer to static realities which, while they can also be instructive, are less powerful in engaging children's interest.

3. Use words that they use in their daily lives.

Centuries of formal education have caused some parents to adopt an overly formal mentality when teaching their children to speak, as if it were a traditional school set in the home. But in the early stages of childhood, learning should take the form of a game. A challenging one, but a game nonetheless, based on real interaction situations with real people (regardless of whether they embody characters that are not real).

Therefore, we must use concepts and references that the child uses in his or her daily life. For example, if the child likes animals, make animals the protagonists of a narrative that we use to make them feel appealed by a story in which they can participate by asking questions and questioning the protagonists.

4. Do not set abstract goals

When faced with the question "how to teach my child to speak", some parents tend to stick too closely to a way of reasoning that is more appropriate for adults than for children. In such early stages of childhood development, certain milestones in language acquisition should be taken as a reference, but it is not good to be too rigid about it. In the first months and years of life, it is difficult for young children to understand what is happening in terms of a learning process and the expectations it generates in their families. and the expectations that this generates in their families..

Therefore, we must stimulate them with concrete situations, but we should not talk to them in do not speak to them in abstract terms, referring to goals that go beyond the here and now.. For example, asking them to increase their vocabulary by looking at the words used by adults is not advisable, nor is asking them to learn to use the conjugations of verbs. Doing so would create frustrating situations.

5. Ask

If you ask questions from time to time about the conclusions drawn from what has been explained, you create a mechanism for the little ones to put all five senses in the situation of interaction through language. This makes it easier for them to learn more in less time. Moreover, in this way not only listening, but also speaking..

6. Congratulate them on their progress

Another way to get our sons and daughters to learn to speak is to show signs of joy when they make progress. In the very early stages of childhood this already works by the simple fact of creating sounds associated with positive emotions, and when a sophisticated conception of the world and the self has already begun to develop, it reinforces self-esteem and favors involvement in learning.