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I find it so boring to go on talking to my little baby boy when he doesn't reply. What should I do?
You, and the adults that care for him, provide him with language to imitate. Learning to say words takes time as a baby's tongue, lips and mouth box have to develop. If you don't talk to him, he
can't find out how to make sounds. Look into his eyes and you'll see he is already 'talking' to you. As he gets older, he will respond to your soft way of talking by babbling and sometimes laughing.
Every little dialogue he hears is a learning opportunity,
so go on talking to him and he will respond in his own way.
My two-year old daughter calls all four-legged animals 'cats'. Does it matter?
She is working out her own classification, and in her mind all four-legged animals belong to the same group and are probably not confused with other animals like birds. This stage in early classification is quite normal. Your daughter will correct herself when she is ready. Let her carry on, making sure you say animal names as you point to them, such as 'an elephant', 'a brown dog'. As she matures and with experience she will adjust her classification and four-legged animals will be given their proper names.(The questions and answers above were taken from "First Words", Opal Dunn, Nursery World, 1 April 2004.)
My son's speech is hard to understand - should I correct him?
Children's speech becomes clearer the more they practise and the more they hear good examples of speech. For children under two, it is better if you simply model sentences correctly and encourage your child to listen rather than force him to say words properly. You need to be patient and attentive to stop him becoming frustrated and inhibited about expressing himself.
- Do give him plenty of time to say what he has to say and give him your full attention. Let him know that you understand, and repeat it back to give him a clear example of how to say it.
- Do help his listening by exaggerating your voice, saying LISTEN and pointing to your ear when you want to hold his attention.
- Do read stories and sing songs and rhymes that draw his attention to listening to sounds.
- Don't tell him he is wrong and ask him to say whatever he said again - he won't know what you are trying to get him to do.
- Don't copy his speech or laugh at him.
- Don't break up the words into individual sounds "m-i-l-k" and get him to copy them. This is unlikely to make much sense to a two year old.
- Don't insist on correct grammar.
My daughter's hearing was fine when she was tested at birth but is there a way I can keep a check on it during her first year?
Your baby will have a second hearing test check at around seven months but the following signs will reassure you that she is hearing normally.
Shortly after birth - she is startled by a sudden loud noise such as a hand clap or a door slamming.
By 1 month - she pauses and listens to prolonged sounds such as the noise of a vacuum cleaner.
By 4 months - she quietens or smiles at the sound of your voice even when she cannot see you. She may turn her head or eyes towards you if you approach quietly from behind and speak to her from the side.
By 7 months - she turns to very quiet noises made on either side of her if she is not too absorbed with her toys.
By 9 months - she listens attentively to everyday sounds and searches for very quiet sounds made out of sight. She shows pleasure in babbling loudly and tunefully.
By 12 months - she now shows a response to several familar words. She may respond to "no" and "bye-bye", even when there is no accompanying gesture.
How can we help our active little daughter to pay attention and improve her ability to listen?
High levels of background noise make it difficult for young children to "tune in" to language, so make sure that the television and radio are turned off when no one is actively listening. Give her your full attention when she talks - it's quite possible to discourage children from listening by not listening to them. Try games that focus her listening. "Sound lotto" uses a tape of different noises, such as a tap dripping and plane taking off, and matching picture cards. You can buy one or make your own - try including the voices and photographs of your family members.
How can I help my shy child?
Many children are shy and find social interaction difficult. Often it is simply because they are reluctant to communicate with people they don't know well. A child who, for example, has a close-knit family life until she starts nursery or school may not have the same confidence as another who has been in daycare from an early age. You can help by giving your child plenty of practice in talking to family members and using some of the following tips.
- Build her self-esteem. Praise and encourage her, especially when she is trying something new, acting independently or playing sociably with a friend.
- If she finds it difficult to manage new situations, give her plenty of preparation by reading books about children in a similar situation.
- Don't get into the habit of speaking for your child. Encourage her to ask for things herself in shops. Act as an interpreter if she finds other people hard to understand. Don't tell everyone that "she's just shy" - it reinforces the idea.
- If your child hasrealised that she can have a considerable effect on others by not speaking, try not to overract or become exasperated.
How can we make sure our twin girls develop speech normally?
Twins are often late talkers, partly because they are usually premature or low birthweight babies but also because their parents may have less time for individual language activities than parents of single children. It's not uncommon for twins to develop their own language or "idioglossia" understood only by each other. To avoid problems, try to find opportunities for your twins to speak and act individually. Arrange separate outings, and encourage turn-taking in your conversations with them both. Be careful to direct your questions and answers to just one child at a time.
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(The questions and answers above were taken from Everyday babycare: Learning to Talk (2004) witten by Professor James Law for Dorling Kindersley and Johnson's) |
What is 'parentese'?
When talking to children, people all over the world tend to use a softer, high-pitched, affectionate voice known as 'parentese'. When using 'parentese' an adult's face is in front of the baby so the baby can observe eye movements, facial language and lip movements used to form the sounds of words. The adult speaks more slowly, uses greater facial expression, shorter phrases (e.g. "Yes. That's a dog") and stresses the most important word.
This form of spoken language will grab your baby's interest in communication and the soft, affectionate tone of your voice will help her to feel safe, secure and loved. |
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