Follow your child’s lead
Why should I follow my child’s lead?
Young children learn best when they hear words that match what they are looking at or doing at that time. For example, it’s easier for them to learn the word ‘ball’ while they are playing with a ball.
If you start talking about something different, your child might find it hard to shift their attention and they might tune out from what you are saying.
How do I follow my child’s lead?
Here are some ways that you can follow your child’s lead:
If your child is on the floor, get down to their level and join them.
If your child is banging puzzle pieces together, you could say “bang, bang… you’re banging the puzzle”.
Young children learn best if they are doing something that interests them. Watch what your child is interested in and join in with that. If they want to drive cars around the walls instead of on the toy road, that’s okay! Join in, do the same with your cars, and talk about what you are doing saying words like “drive, drive… we’re driving on the walls…”.
Don’t worry about reading all the pages in order or reading all the words. Just follow their lead and talk about what they can see on the pages as they turn them.
If your child looks towards you, points, or shows you something- say the words you think they need. For example, if your child points to a car reversing from the driveway, you can say ‘Reverse! The car is reversing’.
What else can I do to help my child’s communication skills?
For more ideas, have a look at our advice pages:
