Support and Advice for Parents/Carers

It is important to support your child to develop their speech and language skills, even before they start school. Knowing how to help and support your child can be daunting but here are few ways you introduce speech and language skills into their daily life:-

• Make time, every day, for you and your child to read and play with toys together.
• When playing with your child talk with them at the same time.  Use words to describe the toys they are playing with and discuss what game you are playing.
• Encourage alternative communication without words, eg using sounds and hand signals. 
• Try to use songs and poems in communication, making learning more fun.
• When out and about, encourage your child to listen out for different noises like animals, traffic and the weather and talk about what these sounds are.
• Always allow your child to finish speaking before answering and respond by adding to what they have already said, eg; if they say ‘a toy’, you could say ‘yes this is a toy, shall we play with the toy?’
• If your child says a word incorrectly, do not tell them it’s wrong but repeat the word back to them in the correct way, eg; ‘bascetti’ you could say ‘yummy, would you like spaghetti for dinner?’
• Always respond when your child speaks and talk about anything you can, introducing as many subjects and new words as you can.

All children learn and develop at different rates but if you are worried about your child you can speak to your GP or Health Visitor, who will be a happy to discuss any concerns you may have.
For more advice please visit the NHS – Caring for your Child website.