HELPING your child with speech starts from birth.

Speaking to your baby and singing to them will begin to help your baby’s brain development.

Conversations with babies are slightly different than with another adult. Pick a time when your child is wide awake and well fed. Make eye contact and give your baby time to respond to you; they might give you a smile or a coo. When your baby quietens respond to them and again wait a couple of seconds for their response.

As your child grows and can speak and have a conversation with you, help to increase their vocabulary by talking with them about the world around them.

Listen not only with your ears but employ active listening techniques by making eye contact and nodding appropriately to let your child know what they are saying is important to you.

If your child mispronounces something, avoid the temptation to correct them. In order to keep their confidence high, merely repeat the word the way it should be pronounced. Language is learnt through listening and repeating. If your child says 'sgetti' rather than 'spaghetti' you can help them by saying something like 'yes, we will be having spaghetti for tea'. This will reinforce the correct way to pronounce the word.

Dummies have their uses in order to soothe your baby but they are not there to keep a toddler quiet. If you use a dummy, try to reduce the times when your child has it in their mouth. Dummies can delay speech and can have an adverse effect on teeth.

See: www.parentcoach.co.uk

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