Match your talking to your child’s level
What does ‘matching’ mean?
Matching means talking or communicating at the same level as your child. This is a great way of developing their communication skills.
If you do all the talking when you are playing or chatting with your child, then they don’t get a chance to practise talking or communicating themselves. But if you slow down and talk at your child’s level, it’s easier for them to understand what you are saying, and it also helps them join in with you.
What does matching your talking mean?
Matching your talking means talking at the same level as your child or one level higher.
If your child uses lots of actions and sounds, then you might use lots of actions and sounds yourself. You might also use a few simple words or phrases.
If your child uses lots of single words and two-word phrases, then you might talk in short phrases of two, three, or four words. Always match what you are saying to what they are looking at or doing at that time. For example, if your child is playing with a teddy, you could say things like, ‘it’s a teddy’ or ‘teddy’s sleeping’.
When should I use matching?
All the time! You can match your talking to your child’s level when you are playing together, getting dressed, on a walk outside, or sharing a book.
Always think about what level your child is talking at and match your talking to the same level or one step higher! Our short film above shows some examples of parents doing this with their child.
Looking for more ideas?
Have a look at some of our other advice pages for more ideas to support your child’s communication skills:
