Advice for parents
The development of your child's listening, understanding and talking skills is a crucial first step in their ability to think and learn. Developing a firm grounding in these skills in their early years means they have the best chance of making the most of the learning they are exposed to when they start school. They will also be equipped with the skills necessary to make friends and to grow up to be happy, successful individuals who realise their full potentials.
Learning to talk seems to happen effortlessly for most children, however it does take a lot of input from those in the child's environment to help develop these skills, and you as a parent, are the most important person in your child's environment. Children need to be exposed to hearing language being spoken to them in order to develop the ability to talk. They develop their own talking skills by listening to you and watching you talk to them, and then practicing this for themselves.
Children develop at different rates but if you are concerned about your child's communication skills, don't be afraid to seek advice from your Health Visitor. If your child does not appear to be developing communication skills at the rate or in the way you were expecting them to, contact a Speech & Language Therapist for support.
Learning to talk seems to happen effortlessly for most children, however it does take a lot of input from those in the child's environment to help develop these skills, and you as a parent, are the most important person in your child's environment. Children need to be exposed to hearing language being spoken to them in order to develop the ability to talk. They develop their own talking skills by listening to you and watching you talk to them, and then practicing this for themselves.
Children develop at different rates but if you are concerned about your child's communication skills, don't be afraid to seek advice from your Health Visitor. If your child does not appear to be developing communication skills at the rate or in the way you were expecting them to, contact a Speech & Language Therapist for support.