3.27.24
Hey oh-
As a pediatric speech-language pathologist, I answer many questions every day. There are, however, some questions that repeat over the decades, such as, “How in the world do I get my toddler/preschooler to sit still for an entire book?” That one is easy. You don’t. You use the time you have with them to take a “picture walk” through the book until they develop the attention span to sit and enjoy each page. Hence…Picture Books. For babies, look for books with flaps, sounds, and textures. During this bonding time, point out silly things, sad things, imaginative things, and basic vocabulary. Read with rhythm, use funny voices, growl, bark and generally put on a one-person show to demonstrate the power of imagination and the magic of colorful illustration. Don’t worry if they missed some pages, they’ll get there eventually. For now, make reading an experience every child should look forward to, especially right before bedtime.
Books are gifts to parents. They allow you to experience so much with your little one in such a simple and inexpensive way. They require no charging cords, no batteries, and make no annoying electronic sounds. Seriously, what is more snuggly than a sleepy child in their pj’s on your lap, reading about otters? Not much. So, grab some books at the library, thrift stores, yard sales…just read to those littles. And while you’re at it, here are my favorite ways to use literature to elicit more speech and language (of course, I had to get some therapy in there…)
Vocabulary – Between the ages of 1-5, children learn about 3 new words per day. Make sure they are good ones! While reading, ask the child to point to what you are naming or discussing. If they can’t form a point with their finger, have them slap the picture, kiss the image, or simply take your hand to it. I’ve even had kids “feed” the picture a pretzel to let me know they have the comprehension of this object. Any identification of what you are talking about is good enough at first. Once they have the receptive identification, move to expression (naming). Do this in different ways other than always asking “What’s this?” Try “Who is eating?” “Which animal in the barn is sleeping?” Exposure to new vocabulary is extremely important.
This brings me to the next important point: Wh-questions. We all know the basic Wh’s (who, what, where, when, why, etc.) which are crucial to the development of both comprehension and expression, but let’s not forget about “How does he/she feel?” (emotions), “What do you think she wants?” (inference), and “What do you think might happen next?” (prediction). These concepts are for children a bit older and more verbal (approx. 3+), but it is always a good idea to start early and see what sticks. You’d be surprised!
Don’t hate me but you need to read that same one again. Repetition is critical to memory in all domains, but it is vital to developing brains. There is a reason why books like “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” and “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” are literally in EVERY preschool. Kids love familiarity and repetitive books help them feel like they “own” the material…a wonderful thing. That ownership leads to interest in other books of the same style (who doesn’t also know “Panda Bear, Panda Bear...?”), and so on.
Hearing how words sound and how they fit together night after night will make for an easier articulation and syntactic road. Language and literacy are linked – children with speech and language difficulties are at a higher risk for reading and writing difficulties. When parents start reading to their children at an early age, the children start hearing the language and recognizing the phonemes and become more familiar with the sounds and rhythm of language. This doesn’t eliminate phonological difficulties which can occur in the most avid reader; however, it can help with self-awareness and motivation to communicate more effectively.
I promised no long blog posts, so I’ll cut myself off there. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out via the contact page.
Happy reading!
-Thérèse