Your child’s speech: From 1 to 3 years is the period in which your child will discover his world and say his first words and short sentences. Your child gets your attention by pulling you along, pointing and asking, “is this?” or “is that?” because he cannot yet put it into words and cannot say all the sounds properly. As a parent or educator you can make a great contribution to this. Your child is eager to learn, is exploring and you can read below how you can encourage this.
Prior to
Around the age of 3, a child knows an average of 900 words and speaks in short sentences. Learning to talk is just like learning to walk, very different for every child: one child learns faster than the other and it takes trial and error.
From 1 to 2 years old, the first word is spoken and more and more words are spoken. The first words are those he hears every day, so your stimulation is very important.
- For example, when a child says: ,eat, he may mean: ,I eat fruit,. ,I want to eat because I’m hungry., ,This is an apple, you can eat it.,
From 2 to 3 years old (the 3 to 5 word stage) your child will start saying short sentences, but here too it can have different meanings.
- For example, if your child says: ,Mama’s book,, he may mean: ,This is Mama’s book,, ,Mama has a book,, Mama, look; a book!,, ,Mom, I want to read a book,.
What can parents do to encourage talking?
- Give your child enough attention and time to say something.
- A child starts talking because he enjoys it and he learns to express himself using language, so offer your child the opportunity.
- Your child learns to speak by what he hears around him every day. You are a speaking example for your child and can help your child by:
- to make short but good sentences
- to speak very calmly and clearly
- so no children’s language (no matter how funny it is). instead of woofwoof you say: ,dog,
- Connect the spoken language to what your child can already understand: short sentences and words that your child already knows
- It is of course important that your child masters the Dutch language. After all, the education your child will receive will be in Dutch, so also use short Dutch sentences.
- Children are capable of learning two languages at the same time, provided both languages are used equally.
Advice for families where more than one language is spoken: when a family is together, it is best to speak the language that everyone understands. When a parent is alone with the child, Dutch can be spoken, for example. The balance is important: having as much native language as Dutch is best for language development in bilingual families. If you cannot speak Dutch well yourself, I advise you to work on your own Dutch through additional training. Children’s TV programs such as Sesame Street are also very stimulating.
- Talk about what a child is seeing or doing at that moment. Make it a habit to use language in all actions when you are working with your child, e.g. ,Are you going to take a bath with us? Have a nice wash, back, stomach, legs, done!,
- Also have your child complete sentences to a story he or she has heard before.
- This is a…child says: ,cat,. ,The cat drinks…., Child says: ,milk,.
- Sing simple songs and nursery rhymes. Certain movements make memorization easier
Tips for parents of children aged 2 and 3; children who can make two-word sentences
- Don’t be too quick to settle for just gestures. Teach your child to express what he wants, feels and does.
- Listen to what your child has to say. Try to understand your child, give answers and ask questions, so that you can have a conversation together:
- e.g. pop away! Yes, the doll is gone. Do you know where the doll is? Kitten here! There’s the cat. What does the cat do?
- Sometimes your child says something that is not correct, so repeat it in good form:
- e.g. mom book. Yes, that’s my book. Dog not! Yes, that’s right, there’s no dog here
- Sing songs with your child and encourage him to sing along. For example, let your child complete the last word. Accompanying movements make memorization easier.
- Look at pictures and books with your child and tell simple stories:
- eg This is a cat. Meow, says the cat. I’m hungry, what do you think the cat wants to eat?
- Talk to your child about the things you do or see together. Make your child aware of things:
- eg Look, a flower! Shhh, do you hear that bird?
- Don’t speak too fast or your child won’t be able to follow you.
- Don’t laugh at your child if he says something wrong. Making mistakes is part of learning.
Problems speaking?
If there are any noticeable issues or questions about your child’s speech, you can always contact the doctor at the child health clinic. They can then give advice. If necessary, they will refer you to a speech therapist. The first consultation with the speech therapist is usually reimbursed by your health insurance. (the following [if necessary] depends on the type of insurance you have)
Read aloud, why?
Reading is always good. It is also fun and in a familiar environment your child will learn new words, sentences, but also other situations and worlds. Moreover, he or she will learn to concentrate, sit still and listen. Your child will often ask to read the same book again. Do this again and again: your child will start to recognize sentences and sometimes want to tell parts of the story himself. This is how speech starts. Read a short and simple story, retell it, ask the child to retell something from it.
Play together:
Cutting, pasting, drawing, painting (finger paint), with sand and water, with clay. These types of activities are very good for developing the imagination, which in turn is good for the development of language and thinking.
Puppet show, shop, cars, farm animals, crockery, kitchen, etc. Your child has to come up with a lot of these toys and use his imagination. Worthless materials, old clothes, boxes, etc. are also important to stimulate the imagination.
Lotto, domino, memory. About the pictures of these games you can talk: ,what is it?, ,what color is it?, ,Is it round, square, cold, warm, hard, soft?, etc.