• Home
  • About
  • Shop
  • Sign Up For My Newsletter
  • Contact

Parenting From The Heart

a place for parents who aren't perfect but are trying their best

  • Pregnancy & Babies
  • Parenting Toddlers
  • Young Children
  • Tweens and Beyond
  • Education
You are here: Home / Positive Parenting Strategies / Tips to Develop Language While Reading

December 12, 2016 By Alana Pace 8 Comments

Tips to Develop Language While Reading

 

I’m pretty sure that when it comes to the language development of their children, parents fall into one of three categories. We are either confident with our child’s ability, unsure if we should be worried, or are worried. Even if you think your child will likely catch up in her own time, it’s still hard navigating it all. For one, it is very difficult to have a young child who isn’t talking when all of the toddlers around him are stringing sentences together. Seeing your bright, competent child struggle to communicate leaves parents feeling vulnerable. It can be just as frustrating to constantly have to translate their child’s words. You know what they’re saying. You can see they’re trying so hard. And yet, your extended family and friends don’t at all. It’s disheartening.

If you suspect your child has a speech delay or disorder, it is helpful to review a resource on speech development, talk to your family doctor, and look into getting a speech assessment for your child. You can get help through publically funded centres or use private resources.

No matter if your child is linguistically advanced, average, or having some difficulties, there a lot you can do to facilitate their language development. No surprise, reading is one of them. Below you will find very simple tips to develop language while reading. They take little effort on your part and can be hugely helpful for your child no matter their level of language.

 

Tips to Develop Language While Reading to Your Child

When your child is speaking or isn't speaking much it can be quite difficult. Even if your toddler is speaking well, having strategies to continue to increase language development are worthwhile. Fortunately, reading (which is so basic) is arguably the best way to promote language develop. Here are 6 valuable tips to develop language while reading. Check them out! Early literacy, emergent literacy, language development, speech development.

 

Read often.

This one may seem redundant but reading to your child daily increases his or her exposure to language and increases vocabulary. Reading teaches children enunciation skills, better communication, and greater mastery of language overall. Additionally, most books for young children contain repetitive language. These repetitions make it much easier to retain language.

 

Ask questions.

A lot. For children younger than two, it works really well to ask them where things are. That way, they can answer by pointing. Increase the difficulty by asking open-ended questions such as, “What does the cow say?” As they grow older ask them to name colours, count animals or objects, identify characters’ feelings and more.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. The price you pay is the same. However, I receive a small commission. 

Incorporate pregnant pauses into your reading.

For young toddlers, this tip to develop language while reading can start even before you start reading. If your child tosses a book in your lap, refuse to proceed until he or she has “asked you to read.” Asking can be an approximation for book (for instance, “Buh”), a sign for book, or any other form of language that goes beyond dropping the book in your lap. As your child becomes more skilled at communicating, pause when the text becomes predictable. For instance, in the book I’ll Love You Forever, the line “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.” For children around the age of two, omitting the word baby and waiting for your child to chime in is a great strategy. As your child develops further, omit more and more of the repetitive text and wait for them to chime in.

 

Make associations between ideas, words, and pictures.

While this strategy digresses from the storyline a little bit, pausing to make associations will help your child with word retrieval. Older toddlers may be more linguistic, but seemingly lack the words to get their ideas out fluidly. When we stop and identify things on the page and associate them with other things the child knows, we make retrieval easier. For example, you can identify that a cow and zebra are both black and white. Or, you can ask if a butterfly and an ant are both bugs. By categorising, linking, and elaborating on concepts, we will slowly make it easier for our child to identify what they want to say.


 

Leave books out for them to “read”

From you reading to them, children learn that text moves from left to right and to turn the pages. Leaving books out, you’ll eventually find your little one babbling through pages. Then, he or she will approximate words. And soon, your child will be re-telling their version of the story!

 

There is no better activity to develop language than reading. Feel free to check out all of the books above. Not only are they wonderful ways to develop language while reading, they are also great reads!

 

 

 

Filed Under: Positive Parenting Strategies, Posts Tagged With: develop language while reading, early literacy, emergent literacy, language development

Subscribe to get the latest

free goodies straight to your inbox

Previous Post: « 3 Simple DIY Reindeer Ornaments
Next Post: Peppermint Scented Christmas Sensory Bin »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. shelahmoss says

    December 13, 2016 at 2:31 am

    Early literacy and language skills are so important. It effects every way that a child learns in the future. If they are behind they can catch up and using your strategies will truly help any child, whatever level thy are at.

    Reply
    • Alana says

      December 13, 2016 at 3:20 pm

      Thank you so much for your insight and comment on developing language while reading. I couldn’t agree more <3

      Reply
  2. Alyssa from The Sparkly Life says

    December 14, 2016 at 2:01 am

    I love this post. I read to my kids every night, but I want to start to incorporate more of these techniques. I really want to try the pregnant pause one!

    Reply
    • Alana says

      December 14, 2016 at 2:07 am

      Thanks so much Alyssa. The simplest reading techniques can hold huge linguistic possibility. Thanks again <3

      Reply
  3. workingmommagic says

    December 13, 2016 at 10:28 pm

    Awesome tips here, I am excited since I already do a few of these things! 🙂

    Reply
  4. Stephanie (@wifemommyme) says

    December 14, 2016 at 3:20 am

    I find that if we stick to the same 5-10 books that my son tends to be able to remember the storyline and I find him “reading” it more than listening. It really excites me to see/hear his interest in reading.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar


Hi! I'm Alana. When I'm not nursing cold, stale coffee, I usually can be found with the baby on my hip, barefoot, and racing after my two older kids. Thanks to a degree in psychology and a free-range childhood backing onto an expansive evergreen forest, positive parenting and play-based learning are my passions. Read more here.

Stay up to date

Join me on Instagram

parentfromheart

Alana-Parenting From The Heart
Me to my 5yo: stay still I want to take your pictu Me to my 5yo: stay still I want to take your picture.
My 5yo:
A beautiful reminder to find little ways to connec A beautiful reminder to find little ways to connect with our children ❤️❤️❤️
Often people fear responsive parenting will create Often people fear responsive parenting will create needy kids. 

Developmental research suggests otherwise. 

The more reliably and compassionately that we respond to our children’s needs, the more secure and assured they feel to venture out into the world.

Attachment & independence aren’t two opposite sides of a spectrum but two sides of the same coin.
😍Yep - Absolutely love this. via @Angela Anagno 😍Yep - Absolutely love this.
via @Angela Anagnost-Repke, Writer
Every. single. time I see this I laugh out loud 🤣🤣🤣
I can't think of anything more true.
via https://twitter.com/amydillon
Yes 👏👏👏 via @DissociativeDiaries Yes 👏👏👏
via @DissociativeDiaries
Every. Day. Via Matt Beaudreau Every. Day.

Via Matt Beaudreau
I remember in my earlier days of parenting when I I remember in my earlier days of parenting when I had two under two so much of my life was spent thinking I’ll be happy when…

I’ll be happy when they sleep through the night.

I’ll be happy when my husband doesn’t have to work such late hours.

I’ll be happy when I look and feel like myself again and not a feeding troth 😬😬😬

As it turns out this struggle with finding happiness isn’t unique to me or parenting. 

Collectively our mental health is suffering, but there are many research backed ways to improve happiness. (Link in bio to read more).
♥️♥️ via Heather Shumaker ♥️♥️

via Heather Shumaker
THIS. 🙌🙌 (Follow Maryfairy Boberry) THIS. 🙌🙌 (Follow Maryfairy Boberry)
👣 via @creativechildmag 👣

via @creativechildmag
via Happy as a Mother 🙂❤ via Happy as a Mother 🙂❤
Though there are countless people who understand t Though there are countless people who understand the importance of positive, responsive parenting, the idea that young children should self-soothe remains a prevalent belief.

Though this ideology is well-intentioned, it actually goes against what we know about human development.

Babies come into the world highly dependent on responsive caregiving not only for nurturance and protection but also to foster social and emotional development.

While it may seem that leaving a child to cry will help her learn to cope, it actually floods her brain with cortisol. She doesn’t learn to self-soothe but instead to shut down.

Though it may seem counterintuitive to some, independence is fostered through responsive care. The less stressed a child feels, the safer he feels to explore his world. The less stressed he feels, the more appropriate his emotional responses become.

This is first seen in late infancy but pervades through childhood and adulthood.

Have any questions about these findings? Feel free to comment below or send me a message!
❤️❤️❤️❤️ Teach Through Love ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Teach Through Love
via @unconditional_parenting. via @unconditional_parenting.
via The Outnumbered Mother via The Outnumbered Mother
❤❤❤ ❤❤❤
😂 😂
So often independence and attachment are thought t So often independence and attachment are thought to be mutually exclusive.
However, research shows that in order for children (and adults) to be independent, they need to feel safe and secure within their closest relationships. In childhood, this means having caregivers who respond to distress and both emotional and physical needs.
In adulthood, people who have responsive and caring partners feel more stable and comfortable being independent.
So hold and comfort those babies.
Hug and respond to your kids.
Love and hold space for the adults you are closest to.
Attachment fosters independence.
Absolutely this. Via Living FULL Absolutely this. Via Living FULL
Load More… Follow on Instagram

Footer

Privacy policy

Terms | Conditions | Privacy Policy

Let’s Connect

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Looking for something?

Copyright © 2023 · Market Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Infinus

39 shares