At some point your child understands the concept of conversation – one person speaks, then the
other then the first person speaks again and so forth. Verbal skills are vital for communication of
thoughts and ideas, so give your child the opportunity to hone this skill.
Spend time chatting with your child every day. If they are engaged with their toys they may not
have much to say, but talk anyway. Ask about the toy that your child is playing with. Many
times, children occupy themselves in the world of make belief. Their imaginations are very vivid
– talk about it – for instance, if your child is playing with two toy cars, ask where the cars are
going? Are they racing? Are the drivers known to each other? Are they on a mission? In which
city are they or which part of town they are in. Even if your child has not specifically thought
about these things, your bringing it up in conversation will prod them to think and talk about it.
With adults in the home, it’s not always possible for a child to get the opportunity to speak –
make time, and make place for these conversations to happen. Once your child starts going to
school, she will interact with children of her age, all of who are probably almost on the same
level conversation wise. This means working harder to converse with each other. But, the upside
is that she is also learning from others since she gets to speak more.
There will be mistakes, but it’s no cause for worry. They more children hear correct language,
the better they will pick up. Instead of correcting each and every mistake, just say the correct
words for your child to hear. For instance, if she says, “I eated my food with my friend,” you can
say, “Oh! Very nice. You ate your food with your friend!”
Play games that will encourage conversation. For instance, when you’re outdoors, ask your child
to close her eyes and tell you what she hears. So, she could hear