• Speech and Language Tips for Parents

    child dad talking

    (Scroll down for Spanish description)

    • Talk about the here and now.
    • Talk about what is important to your child.
    • Talk out loud about what you are doing.
    • Talk about what your child is doing or seeing.
    • Expand your child’s remarks (e.g. Child: “Juice.” Parent: “You want juice.”)
    • Add a little more information to your child’s remarks. (e.g. Child:  Truck there.”  Parent:  “Yes, there’s a big red truck.”
    • Praise your child’s language attempts.
    • Use open-ended questions (e.g. “What next? What if?  What now?”).  Avoid questions that bombard or demand or questions that answer themselves (e.g. “What’s that? What’s that? What’s that?”  You want milk, don’t you?”)
    • Allow your child to make decisions by offering choices (e.g. “Do you want ______ or ______?”)                                                                                                                                                                                                             
    • Hable acerca de las cosas que usted hace.
    • Hable acerca de los sitios que ustedes visitan.
    • Conteste preguntas.
    • Escuche a su hijo/hija.
    • Lea y hable acerca de los libros.
    • Cuenten historias juntos.
    • Jueguen juegos con su hijo/hija.
    • Jueguen juegos de palabras juntos.
    • Pretenda con su hijo/hija.
    • Felicite a su niño/niña muy bien, me gusta lo que dices, bravo).