Create conducive situations for a child to learn to speak It is one of the basic concerns and objectives of many parents, especially if they are first-time parents. It is normal, given that language is one of the basic psychological skills; Thanks to it, children can create abstract concepts logically articulated among themselves, so that they begin to have a relatively realistic understanding of nature, society and themselves. Without language, intelligence does not develop.
Although as parents and guardians we cannot guarantee that a child learns to speak perfectly in 100% of cases, it is normally possible to create the appropriate conditions for them to internalize the skills necessary to do so and practice it. For know how to teach a son or daughter to speak We must adapt to their way of thinking, but also be clear that we have limited power to influence it.
Below we will see several key ideas to do everything possible to generate effective language learning in our sons or daughters. However, it must be taken into account that Each case is unique and the conditions in which each boy or girl grows up are also unique
On the other hand, no matter what happens, we cannot blame the little ones if we perceive that they are not advancing at the desired pace. In extreme cases, it is even possible that this slowing is due to neurological alterations, so that learning can only serve to avoid further delay. In any case, these are exceptional cases.
Forget the format of master classes in which the learner remains silent and listens and the teacher speaks, transmitting the information that the other must internalize and memorize. Language is something that develops in contexts of real interaction, and therefore, to teach children to speak, these dynamics must be generated, even if it is by resorting to fictional characters who talk about them and tell stories.
In practice, this means that we should not limit ourselves to exposing our children to language. You have to make them participate in it, both listening and saying things Thus, by helping them talk to us, even if it is by interrupting, we will make them feel more and more motivated to use language to understand the world and the interesting stories it entails.
2. Don’t describe, narrate
To capture the interest of children about an aspect of reality that they are going to learn about through language, it is much better to do so through stories and narrations than through descriptions. These stories attract more attention because they have a beginning, a middle and an end, and promise the resolution of a situation, while descriptions refer to static realities that, although they can also be instructive, have less power when it comes to claiming the interest of the users. children.
3. Use words that you use in your daily life
Centuries of formal education have caused some parents to adopt an overly formal mentality when teaching their little ones to speak, as if it were a traditional school implemented at home. But in the early stages of childhood, learning should take the form of play. One that involves certain challenges, but a game nonetheless, based on real interaction situations with real people (regardless of whether they embody characters that are not).
Therefore, we must use concepts and references that the child uses in his or her daily life. For example, if you like animals, make animals the protagonists of a narrative that we use to make them feel attracted by a story in which they can participate by asking questions and questioning the protagonists.
4. Don’t set abstract goals
When asked “how to teach my child to speak?”, some parents err on the side of sticking too closely to a way of reasoning typical of adults, and not of children. In such early stages of childhood development, certain milestones in language acquisition that are common must be taken as a reference, but it is not good to be too rigid with it. In the first months and years of life, it is difficult for children to understand what is happening in terms of a learning process and the expectations that this generates in their families
So, you have to stimulate them with concrete situations, but We do not have to talk to them arguing in abstract terms referring to goals that go beyond the here and now For example, asking them to increase their vocabulary by focusing on the words that adults use is not recommended, nor is asking them to learn to use the conjugations of verbs. Doing so would create frustrating situations.
5. Question
If you ask from time to time about conclusions that emerge from what has been explained, you create a mechanism for the little ones to put their five senses into the interaction situation through language. That makes it easier for them to learn more in less time. Furthermore, in this way It helps them not only listen, but also speak
Another way to make our sons and daughters learn to speak is to show signs of joy at their progress. In the very early stages of childhood this already works by the simple fact of creating sounds associated with positive emotions, and when a sophisticated conception of the world and one’s own Self has already begun to develop, it reinforces self-esteem and favors involvement in the environment. learning.
