HOW YOU CAN PROMOTE EARLY LANGUAGE FOR YOUR CHILD (0-2YEAR OLD)

Language is regarded as one of the prime areas that underpin all other learning. Thus, it is very essential that you commence the support of your child’s language development from his/her earliest days. 

You must start talking to your baby from his earliest moment so that he could build his early language skills.

We need to talk and interact with babies from birth. Babies and toddlers need help to learn how to interact with other people, and children need to build this good store of knowledge in their earliest years when the brain is at its most receptive. Unfortunately, not every parents realizes this. Many parents feel silly speaking to their babies, as they couldn’t answer them. We must speak to our babies. Talking to babies helps their brains prepare for language learning.

The following activities are based on the psychology of child development that you can use to promote early language for your child under two years of age.

Face-to-Face 

         
You can help develop communication skills by using lots of fun face-to-face activities. It is important to bring your face close to a baby’s face – 20–30cms (8–12 inches) away – as this is where they see best. Another important thing is to exaggerate your facial expressions: make your smiles bigger and hold your surprised face a bit longer than you would with older children to give time for babies to take in what you are doing.

Using Rhymes 

Mom singing "Head to Toes" 

Music can lower stress and give a boost to learning. An upbeat rhyme can energize and signal play, whilst a slow tune can calm, reassure and create a reflective atmosphere.

One of these might be diaper changing, which is itself a great opportunity for face to face interaction. Singing a little rhyme you have created can be a good language learning opportunity. For example, say the child’s name and sing something like, “John, John take your diaper off; John, John take your diaper off” then “John, John put your diaper on, John, John put your diaper on”, you can do that to the tune of “Baa Baa Black Sheep” – it is a very simple idea but one that is effective. You can also invent little songs like this to develop an early form of awareness that there are words for putting socks, trousers, jumpers, dresses, coats and shoes on and off.

The Dance of Communication  

You can also try copying a child’s little playful movements such as head moving side to side and forward and back, and smiling, and the expressive hand movements and face touching. When your baby pats your cheeks, pat your face too, then pat your baby’s face gently to initiate a turn-taking game. Say in a song way, “Mary’s patting my face, patting my face”. Then pat your baby’s face gently saying, “I’m patting Mary’s face, patting Mary’s face”. Change the expression and tone of your voice to keep the baby’s interest in looking at you.

Making use of the activities suggested above will enhance your child language and communication development, alongside his cognitive and emotional growth, in a healthy way. You will observe as your child follows his interests and explores his environment in fun ways, while interacting with you through language learning activities. 

Bilingual Baby Boy

Girl Imitating Mother