Help Your Child Communicate – 5 tips by Montessori
- Have conversations with your baby. When your child makes sounds, respond as if he were speaking. His sounds will turn into babbling, his first efforts at communicating. Talk to him throughout the day and encourage caretakers and visitors to do the same.
- Speak clearly and directly. Explain the moment-to-moment routines he is experiencing. As important as it is to talk and read to him, it is also important to notice his efforts to vocalize and to acknowledge them with a touch or a smile, or to repeat what you heard.
- Use correct vocabulary, not only general words but also particular words, like ‘garlic press’ and ‘shower curtain’. Name items related to all the rooms of the house: kitchen words, bathroom words, bedroom words, etc. Don’t repeat mispronunciations or make them the family joke. By repeating the phrase with the correct word, you help him to gradually absorb the correct word and usage.
- Take turns telling stories. Tell stories from life, not only from books. Your child will love simple bedtime story that recounts the events of the day. “You woke up, got dressed with your yellow pants and dinosaur t-shirt, brushed your teeth, and….”
- Take time to listen. Have the patience to listen, even if you don’t understand what he is saying. Do not interrupt or suggest words, but allow time for him to finish. Your interest encourages him to continue to communicate.
