THE RULES OF TALKING

How to get the child's attention:

• Get down on the child's level, with your face close to his.

• Let your face and your voice tell your child that what you are doing is interesting and fun.

• Let the child actively participate. Language is best learned while doing.

• Tune into the child. Talk about what interests him.

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 What to talk about:

• Talk about the Here and Now.

• Talk about the obvious. Talk about what he is currently doing.

• At times, talk for the child. Put his actions or look of interest into words.

• Put the child's feelings into words (parallel talk)

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 How to talk to a child who doesn't yet have spoken words:

• Everything has a name. Use the name.

• Use short, simple sentences.

• When you use single words, put them back into a sentence.

• Use natural gestures when you talk.

• Tell, then show the child what you are doing.

• Use repetition. Say it again and again with varied intonation.

• Give the child a chance to show that he understands.

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 How to help a child use his voice to make sounds:

• Imitate the child’s repeated movement and add voiced sounds to go along with the movement.

• Vary the sounds you make to the child. Make it interesting for him to listen.

• Give the child a chance to use his voice. Be a listener as well as a talker.

• Imitate the sounds the child makes.

• Reward the child when he uses his voice by smiling, imitating him or physical contact.

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 How to talk when the child begins to use words:

• Reward the child when he attempts to say a word.

• Repeat the child's word and put it back into a short sentence.

• When the child uses telegraphic speech, repeat his thoughts in a sentence.

• Expand the child's vocabulary by adding new words.

• When the child uses incorrect speech, repeat it correctly.

• Let the child hear new sentence forms.

• When the child expresses an idea, expand his thoughts by adding new information