Welcome to myÂ How to Help Your Child TalkÂ series. These posts are intended to give you simple tips to help you work with your child so YOU can be your childâ€™s best â€œspeech therapist.â€ You may want to try out a new tip/strategy for a week or so and then when you feel like youâ€™ve â€œgot itâ€ Â and it comes more naturally, move on to a new tip and incorporate that into your day for another week or two. For a list of Â all my tips, goÂ HERE.Â This post contains affiliate links to Amazon for yourÂ convenience.Â
I recently posted about the research regarding the importance of quantity and quality of the words we speak to our children in the first few years of life. We know that just the mere quantity of words spoken alone has a huge impact on our child’s speech and language skills. One way to get talking to help expose your child to lots of language, especially to children with limited communication skills (infants, toddlers and older children with delays) is to become a narrator during your daily activities and routines as well as during your child’s play Narrating allows your child to hear lots of language in a meaningful way. There are two main types of narrations: self talk and parallel talk.
Narrate Your Actions: Self Talk
The first type of narrating is called self-talk. This is when you are using short sentences to talk about or describeÂ what you are seeing, hearing or doing when you are with your child. For example, when you are making cookies you may say â€œMommy is making cookies! I am putting the chocolate chips in the batter! I am stirring. I am putting them in the ovenâ€ and so on. Have you ever been in the store and heard a person talking and talking to themselves until you realize that they have a baby strapped to their chest? (Or maybe you have been the one blabbering on to your infant in Target and gotten â€˜the looksâ€ from people thinking you are crazy? 😉 ) Thatâ€™s self talk! Now, this self talk for some people comesÂ naturallyÂ and for others, they need to make an effort to do it. Those of us who are generally more quiet natured may have a harder time with this skill, and that is ok! As I explain in a bit, you don’t have to do thisÂ all day long so you can ease into this strategy slowly if you find yourself uncomfortable talking about yourself all the time!
Narrate your Child’s Actions: Parallel Talk
The other type of narration is called parallel talk. Parallel talk is similar to self talk, except rather than talking about or describing whatÂ you are seeing, hearing or doingÂ you are talking about or describingÂ what yourÂ child is seeing, hearing or doing. This requires thoseÂ listening with our eyesÂ skills we learned a few weeks ago.Â So when your child is playing with blocks you might say â€œWow! You you are building a tower! Oh you have the blue block. You threw the red block!â€ This is much like sportscasting: You are watching the action and describing that action to your child. For an infant, this might sound like this: “You are holding a rattle! Shake shake! You are shaking the rattle!” or “You are crawling toward the basket! You are pulling the basket over!” and so on.
No Questions, No Expectations
Notice in self talk and parallel talk, you are notÂ asking questions of the childÂ nor are you expecting the child to imitate you. These strategies are intended toÂ expose your child to meaningful language, not to generate a response from him. If he DOES imitate you or respond, that is awesome! But, it is not the intent of the strategy.
When Should I Use These Strategies?
The best times to use these strategies are during regular routines and within your child’s play. Some examples include:
- Diaper changes
- Getting dressed
- Preparing meals
- Meal time
- Bath time
- Outdoor play (including the park)
- Outings like at the zoo or a museum
- PLAY TIME!
How Often Do I Do This?
You don’t want to do thisÂ constantly. It is very common for people toÂ over do these strategies in the beginning. Think of self talk and parallel talk like a conversation: There needs to be pauses and chances for turn taking. Even though your child may not be taking a turnÂ talkingÂ he does need the chance toÂ take a turn to listen and process what he is hearing. Narrate one or three actions, and then stop, wait and watch.
Have you used self talk or parallel talk yet with your child? Do you find it comes naturally, or do you find you struggle with these skills?
Next up, we are going to talk about expanding your child’s words, so check in soon. For a list of Â all my other tips, goÂ HERE.
Looking for more ways to help with your childâ€™s speech and language development? ? I highly recommend these two books:Â My Toddler Talks: Strategies and Activities to Promote Your Childâ€™s Language DevelopmentÂ by fellow SLP and friend Kim Scanlon andÂ It Takes Two To Talk: A Practical Guide For Parents of Children With Language DelaysÂ fromÂ The Hanen Centre.
Karibu kwenye mfululizo wangu wa Jinsi ya Kumsaidia Mtoto Wako Azungumze. "Kama unajua, kuna njia za kuandaa ""mfano"" wa mtoto wako, kwa hivyo unaweza kujaribu mbinu mpya kwa wiki moja au zaidi, na kisha unapohisi kama umepata na inakuja kwa asili zaidi, endelea na ncha mpya na uingize hiyo katika siku yako kwa wiki nyingine au mbili." Kwa maelezo ya ziada, tafadhali angalia hapa: Maelezo ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada ya ziada. Kwa mfano, idadi ya maneno unayosema inaweza kuwa na athari kubwa kwa uwezo wa mtoto wako wa kuzungumza. Njia moja ya kupata kuzungumza kusaidia mtoto wako kufunua lugha nyingi, hasa kwa watoto wenye ujuzi mdogo wa mawasiliano (watoto, watoto wadogo na watoto wakubwa wenye kuchelewa) ni kuwa msimuliaji wakati wa shughuli zako za kila siku na utaratibu, pamoja na wakati wa mchezo wa mtoto wako. Kuna aina kuu mbili za hadithi: mazungumzo ya kibinafsi na mazungumzo ya sambamba. "Kumbuka kuwa ""Self talk"" ni aina ya kwanza ya hadithi ambayo huitwa ""self talk.""" Hii ni wakati wewe ni kutumia sentensi fupi kuzungumza juu au kuelezea kile unachokiona, kusikia au kufanya wakati wewe ni na mtoto wako. Kwa mfano, unapofanya biskuti unaweza kusema, "Mama anafanya biskuti! Mimi nina kuweka chips chokoleti katika mchanganyiko! Mimi ni kuchochea. Mimi nina kuweka yao katika tanuri - na kadhalika. Je, umewahi kwenda dukani na kusikia mtu akizungumza na kujiambia mpaka unagundua kuwa ana mtoto amefungwa kwenye kifua chake? Au labda wewe ni mmoja blabbering juu ya mtoto wako katika Lengo na gotten € <unk> looks <unk> kutoka kwa watu kufikiri wewe ni wazimu? ️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ Sasa, hii self-mazungumzo kwa baadhi ya watu huja asili na kwa wengine, wanahitaji kufanya juhudi ya kufanya hivyo. Wale kati yetu ambao kwa ujumla ni wenye utulivu zaidi wanaweza kuwa na wakati mgumu zaidi na ustadi huu, na hiyo ni sawa! Kama mimi kueleza katika kidogo, huna kufanya hili siku nzima kwa muda mrefu hivyo unaweza kupunguza katika mkakati huu polepole kama wewe kupata mwenyewe wasiwasi kuzungumza juu ya mwenyewe wakati wote! Simulia Matendo ya Mtoto Wako: Mazungumzo ya Sambamba Aina nyingine ya kusimulia huitwa mazungumzo ya sambamba. Majadiliano ya sambamba ni sawa na mazungumzo ya kibinafsi, isipokuwa badala ya kuzungumza au kuelezea kile unachokiona, kusikia au kufanya, unazungumza au kuelezea kile mtoto wako anaona, kusikia au kufanya. "Hii inahitaji ""kusikiliza kwa macho"" ujuzi tuliojifunza wiki chache zilizopita. ""Kwa hivyo wakati mtoto wako anacheza na vitalu unaweza kusema ""Wow!" Wewe ni kujenga mnara! Oh una block ya bluu. "Kama vile ""mwisho wa mchezo"" ni kama mchezo wa michezo, unaangalia hatua na kuelezea hatua hiyo kwa mtoto wako." Kwa mtoto mchanga, hilo laweza kusikika hivi: <unk>Unashikilia kengele! Shake shake! Wewe ni kutikisa rattle! <unk> au <unk>Wewe ni crawling kuelekea kikapu! Wewe ni kuvuta kikapu juu! <unk> na kadhalika. Hakuna maswali, hakuna matarajio Angalia katika mazungumzo ya kibinafsi na mazungumzo ya sambamba, wewe si kuuliza maswali ya mtoto wala unatarajia mtoto kukuiga. Mikakati hii inakusudiwa kumfunua mtoto wako lugha yenye maana, si kumfanya ajibu. Ikiwa yeye HUAYE hukiga au kukujibu, hilo ni jambo lenye kuvutia sana! Lakini, hiyo si nia ya mkakati huo. Ni Wakati Gani Ninapopaswa Kutumia Mbinu Hizi? Wakati bora wa kutumia mbinu hizi ni wakati wa mazoezi ya kawaida na wakati wa kucheza kwa mtoto wako. Baadhi ya mifano ni pamoja na: - Mabadiliko ya diaper - Kupata mavazi - Kuandaa chakula - Wakati wa chakula - Wakati wa kuoga - Mchezo wa nje (ikiwa ni pamoja na bustani) - Matembezi kama zoo au makumbusho - Wakati wa kucheza! Mimi hufanya hivyo mara nyingi kadiri gani? Hutaki kufanya hivyo daima. Ni kawaida sana kwa watu kufanya juu ya kufanya mikakati hii katika mwanzo. Fikiria mazungumzo ya kibinafsi na mazungumzo ya sambamba kama mazungumzo: Kuna haja ya mapumziko na nafasi za kuchukua zamu. Hata kama mtoto wako hawezi kuzungumza, anahitaji nafasi ya kusikiliza na kuchanganua kile anachosikia. Simulia hatua moja au tatu, kisha usimame, subiri na uangalie. Je, umewahi kuzungumza na mtoto wako kwa njia ya kujieleza au kwa njia ya kuongea pamoja? Je, unaona ni jambo la kawaida kufanya hivyo, au unaona ni vigumu kufanya hivyo? Ifuatayo, tutazungumza juu ya kupanua maneno ya mtoto wako, kwa hivyo angalia hivi karibuni. Kwa orodha ya <unk> vidokezo vyangu vingine vyote, nenda hapa. Je, unajua njia za kusaidia mtoto wako katika maendeleo ya usemi na lugha? Je, ni kweli? "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika kitabu cha ""My Toddler Talks: Strategies and Activities to Promote Your Child's Language Development"" cha Kim Scanlon, ""It Takes Two to Talk: A Practical Guide for Parents of Children with Language Delays"" ni kitabu cha kwanza cha watoto wenye matatizo ya lugha."