Supporting Early Communication at Home
Communication is the foundation of learning, emotional expression, and meaningful social connection. As a parent, you play the most critical role in your child’s speech and language journey. Here are 10 practical strategies recommended by our speech and language therapists:
1. Talk Narratively Throughout the Day
Narrate what you are doing during ordinary routines: "I am slicing the red apple. Crunch! Now we put it on the blue plate." This surrounds your child with natural vocabulary and sentence structure.
2. Get Down to Physical Eye Level
When talking, sit on the floor or kneel so your child can watch your mouth, lips, and facial expressions. Seeing the mechanics of speech makes imitation significantly easier.
3. Expand on What Your Child Says
If your child points and says "Car!", expand with one or two words: "Yes, fast blue car!" This validates their communication while modeling richer grammatical forms.
4. Read Together Interactively Every Single Day
Point to pictures, ask engaging questions, and make silly animal sounds. Encourage your child to turn the pages and comment on what they see.
5. Pause and Give Them Time to Respond
Children often need 5 to 10 seconds to process spoken language and organize their speech muscles. Resist jumping in too quickly; give them space to reply.
6. Use Gestures and Visual Supports
Pair spoken words with natural gestures, pointing, or visual cards. Visual communication reduces anxiety and bridges the gap to spoken words.
7. Limit Screen Time During Key Interaction Windows
Real human conversation involves back-and-forth reciprocity that passive television or tablet watching cannot replicate.
8. Celebrate All Communication Attempts
Whether your child uses a gesture, a sound, or a word, respond with enthusiasm to reinforce that communication is powerful and joyful.
Need personalised support for your child?
Our London therapy team offers speech and language, occupational therapy, RDI, school-based therapy and SEN advocacy.