How to Encourage your Child to Communicate at Home

November 18, 2020

Communicating with your child at home is a great way to improve their speech.

encouraging communication

Communicating with your child at home is a great way to improve their speaking skills. Below are some examples of easy ways to help your child communicate while at home.

Model: Provide models of the words you think your child is wanting to say. For example, if they are looking at the cabinet, say “Do you want a snack,” Or if they are looking at a cat say, “Look! It’s a cat! Meow.”

Repeat: Let the child know that you heard the words they use by repeating what they said. For example, if your child says “baby,” you can say, “Yes, baby!” 

Expand: Repeat what your child said but include more words to model a longer phrase. For example, if they say “milk,” you can say “I want milk please,” 


Choice Making: Give your child two options to choose from to encourage choice making. If your child points to the item they want, provide the name of their choice. If they point to a truck you can model “You want the truck!”

Following these tips will help make sure your child continues to communicate and grow their vocabulary!

Morgan Barton SLP

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