5 Tips to increase your child’s vocabulary at an early age.

Even before your child is born, you have started communicating with your child. You talk to your child while your child is still in the womb. You read to your child, sing to your child, and speak with your child. 

When your child is born, you continue to read to your child, sing to your child, and talk with your child. Additionally, you change your child’s diaper, feed your child, bathe your child, and put your child to sleep. You have put in a lot of effort to connect with your child, and you hope that your child will respond to you. You can’t wait to hear your child call out to you, calling you “papa” or “mama.” You can’t wait for your child to talk to you and tell you what is going on with your child. You are waiting for your child to develop their language so you can communicate with your child better. 

Language development is an integral part of child development. Language development also supports other aspects of development, such as brain development, cognitive development, and social development. 

Children who have developed their language skills can express and understand feelings, improve their thinking skills and ability to learn, increase their problem-solving skills, and build relationships. Children who have developed their language skills also read better and faster. 

Helping your child develop language skills is incredibly important in the early years (0-8). Here are five tips to help your child develop their language skills: 

Tip #1: Talk to your child a lot. 

In 2013, research from Stanford psychologists, Weisleder and Anne Fernald showed that by talking more to toddlers, parents help their child learn to process language more quickly, which accelerates vocabulary growth. Children exposed to child-directed speech, where caregivers and adults speak directly to the child, have larger vocabularies. 

This means that children who receive direct communication from their parents can comprehend more words than children who overhear conversations or watch TV. The more vocabulary a child has, the more likely they will form meaningful connections with those around them. 

So talk to your child. Tell your child what you are doing and thinking and what you think of them. You can also share what you are feeling with your child. Talk to your child a lot. Some parents shy away from talking to their children because they don’t know what to say. You can begin by telling your child about your day or what you had for breakfast. Simple dialogues can help you start sharing more about yourself, giving your child more opportunity to comprehend words, which is better for their language development. 

Tip #2 Don’t just tell; describe. 

Talking to your child is a good start in helping them develop their language skills. If you want to be more effective in helping them develop their vocabulary and oral skills, use different words and different contexts. It is even better when you use a word and describe it. 

Children are learning the meaning of words, so describe them rather than tell them the words. 

For example, you can tell your child that you are feeding them some pasta noodles, and noodles are made out of flour, and the color of the noodle. You cook the noodle in water, which is soft enough to eat. By describing the word and what is happening, you help your child learn the meaning of the term and how the terms work. As a result, they can comprehend better and learn the language more quickly. 

Tip #3 Repeat and Build 

Everyone needs encouragement to try something new. Same with your child. Your child needs encouragement to practice communicating with you. They want to be validated. They would like you to acknowledge their effort and confirm what they said. A way to affirm their effort is to repeat what your child has said and build on it. 

For example, if your child asks for water, you can say, “do you want your water in a cup?” It might be weird to ask such a ridiculous question, but your child now knows that water goes into a cup. So take the time to repeat what they say and build on what they have said. 

You can do the same thing when your child starts to speak in sentences. When your child said, “I want an apple.” You can say, “do you want to pick up an apple, and I can cut it up for you to eat?” When you pay attention to your child and what they say, they gain the confidence to speak even more. 

Tip #4 Read with your child 

Reading books helps your child know the words and how the words are put together into a story. It allows your child to see how the terms are connected, and they are exposed to many different dishes. If you can connect the book with the child’s life, reading becomes more relevant, and thus more vocabulary can be gained in everyday conversation. 

You can read aloud to your child. You can ask your child what they see in the book. You can have your child tell the story to you. If your child is beginning to pick up the skill of reading, have them read to you. Spending time reading to your child can help them develop their language skills. 

Tip #5 Play with your child 

There is a whole body of research on the importance of play in childhood. The benefit of play is that the child is experimenting in a safe and forgiving environment. Since it is play, mistakes can be made without consequences. So when you play with your child, your child likes to take language risks. They will make up words, name different objects, and practice the words they heard you use. They might make mistakes, but let it go. Don’t try to correct them while they play. Just go with it. 

Bring different materials into their play so they can engage in different vocabulary as they play. Talk to your child when you play. Use their words, and build on their stories. You will be amazed at how creative your child is and how much your child knows. 

Parents play a huge role in their child’s language development, which influences the child’s ability to read and comprehend written texts when they enter school. So use these tips to help your child develop their language. 

Here is a bonus tip for bilingual parents: play, read, and speak to your child in your native language. Your child can discern different languages. Their language production might be confusing at first, but over time, they will be able to differentiate the language. Language needs to be practiced and used to be effective. So speak your native language and watch your child pick up the language over time. Don’t be afraid to play with your child in your language. Show your child that language is nothing to be scared of and is meant to be used to communicate and connect. 

Parents of young children have a significant influence on their children’s development. You can help your child comprehend words and develop their language skills. You will feel closer and more connected with your child as they grow older.