Parent Handbook on Early Language Development Produced by the SLP Department at the BC Centre for Ability

Did you know that talking to your child is really important? Talk to your child using the language you would use at home.

Speech Language Development  Did you know that a child typically hears 30 million words before age 4? Many parents focus on what their child  says  but  in  fact  the  amount  and  quality  of  language  input  is  equally  as  important.    How  much  your  child  understands will determine what your child will say.      Children typically:     √ Say their first word when they understand 100+ words  √ Use 2 word combinations when they can say 50+ words and understand 250 words  √ Use sentences when they can say 250 ‐350 words    So as a parent the #1 thing that you can do for your children is to talk to them throughout the day. That way your  child learns new words during daily experiences.    Watch your child’s eyes to see what your child is looking at – this is called joint attention.  Use the word or words  to label what you both see.  Talk about what your child is doing, or seeing, or thinking. If they are focused on you,  talk about what you are seeing or doing.    Read to your child, sing to your child, respond to your child – you do make a difference. The amount and quality of  language input from parents and caregivers influence children's learning and their futures in school and beyond.     Research shows that parents talking to their children does make a difference. The greater the number of words a  child hears from their parents or caregivers before they were 3, the higher the IQ and the better the child did in  school.  TV talk did not help, in fact it was detrimental.      Typical language learners often use a word after hearing it a few times but children with special needs or who are  slower  at  learning  language  may  need  more  repetitions  of  a  word  for  the  child  to  learn  and  to  use  the  word.  Hearing the word frequently throughout the day helps all children learn language, especially when you and your  child are both engaged in the activity. Language related to everyday activities or during family routines will make a  difference in helping your child learn now and in the future.    If you want to check your child’s communication skills Richmond Public Library has a nice interactive checklist.      Speak‐Read‐Succeed  http://www.yourlibrary.ca/kids/speakread.cfm   

Parent Handbook to Early Language Development. 

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What you will learn:   



You will understand how early language skills develop You will be able to identify your child’s current communication level You will have an understanding of how what you do affects your child’s communication o How to be a responsive communication partner o How to use child friendly language o How to increase expectations and provide focused stimulation o How to use everyday routines to help your child learn new ways of communicating You will have an opportunity to practice using the strategies with our child and receive coaching from the Speech-Language Pathologist

Contents: Section 1 – Getting to know your child 1. Initial Parent Questionnaire 2. A Map of Children’s Early Communication Section 2 – How children learn to communicate 3. What keeps children busy before they start talking? 4. They’ve got some words but do not talk yet Section 3 – How you can help your child communicate 5. Being a responsive communication partner 6. Using Child Friendly language 7. Increasing expectations 8. Using routines and songs Section 4 – Appendix Glossary:

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Section 1 – Getting to know your child 1. How does your child communicate most often? Please circle.  My child smiles, makes noises, or calms down when happy and comfortable and fusses, whines, or cries when uncomfortable or unhappy  My child doesn’t seem to communicate with me but I can tell what she/he wants because she/he tries to get things by herself/himself, or will whine or cry when not able to get something. For example, if she wants a drink she will go to the fridge and try to open, or sit next to it crying, but won’t pull me over with her.  My child uses some words, signs, or pictures to communicate, but still relies on gestures, vocalizing, and making eye contact. For example, if she wants more cookies, she can say “kuku” but when she wants to go outside, she points at the door and looks up at me. How many words (signs, pictures) does your child use?  How many words does your child understand?

2. Why does your child communicate? Please check all that apply.  To show comfort/discomfort.

 To ask for help.

 To show pleasure/displeasure.

 To get your attention.

 To request something.

 To initiate a game.

 To protest.

 To find out about something.

 To show you something interesting.

 Other _____________________

3. I can tell when my child is trying to communicate with me (choose from 1-4): 1

2

3

4

Never

Sometimes

Most of the time

Always

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4. I can tell what my child is trying to communicate to me: 1

2

3

4

Never

Sometimes

Most of the time

Always

5. I know how to respond when my child tries to communicate with me: 1

2

3

4

Never

Sometimes

Most of the time

Always

6. Generally, my feelings about my child’s communication are:  This is a strength.

 This is a challenge.

 My child seems to enjoy it.

 My child seems frustrated by it.

 We’re making progress.

 Are we getting anywhere?

 We’re going slow, but that’s ok.

 We’re going slow, it’s really stressful.

 I’m relaxed about it.

 I’m frustrated about it.

 I have some ideas about what to do.

 I don’t know what to do.

7. My biggest question/comment about my child’s language and communication is: ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________

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Section 2 – How children learn to communicate What keeps children busy before they start talking?

Before children learn to say words, they are discovering all kinds of things about language. They learn about the sounds, meaning, and use of language and communication. Understanding:  Hearing sounds & words: Very early on, children learn to distinguish the sounds in language. Throughout their first year, they are learning to distinguish words in speech around them.  Turning-taking: Children learn that communication involves taking turns. This starts when parents and children make faces or sounds at each other, or play routine games like “Pattycake.”  Gestures & Facial Expressions: Children learn that pointing and reaching indicates wanting or needing something, that shaking your head means “no”, that people wave goodbye when they leave. Children learn that people look at things they are interested in.  Word meaning: They learn this by hearing the same words along with the same experience over and over again. For example, they hear “Mommy” when mom is there, and whenever they point at the dog, their caregiver says “dog”.

Expressing:  Taking turning: Children learn to act as a “communication partner” by taking turns, making faces, vocalizing, or participating in a routine.  Using gestures & facial expressions: Children learn to use gestures that people can understand – pointing, waving goodbye, blowing kisses, shaking their head. Children learn that they can show interest by looking at something and looking back at their caregiver.  Making sounds: Children play with their voices and mouths and learn to make the sounds that adults do. Eventually, children start to pair vocalizations with gestures and facial expressions to get their message out.  Children learn to express their interest or curiosity (questions, comments), their needs and wants (demands), their dislikes (refusals), and their enjoyment, fear, and other feelings.

What are children learning when they use their first words? The shift from using babbling and gestures to the use of first words is a gradual process. Before first words emerge, children use a variety of speech sounds and conventional gestures to communicate. They also have an increased ability to understand the words that represent objects, actions, or concepts that are meaningful to them in their everyday life. The ability to understand the language they hear is an important skill that children have to learn before beginning to use words.

Understanding:  Familiar words: At first, language is understood by children in the context of a familiar environment or routine. Children understand single words and longer phrases such as “Sit down” and “Give me…”.  Turn-taking: Participation in turn-taking, highly ritualized routines with caregivers helps build the association between words and experience, creating a predictable event.  Repetition: Children repeatedly hear and remember a word as part of the routine, and it is the predictability in the routine that cues children to use early words.

Expression:  Joint attention: Children will gain your attention to comment on an object or event in which they are interested.  Gestures: Children use gestures to communicated with you, including: reaching (to request); coordinating pointing with vocalization (to direct attention); shaking head/nod (to indicate no/yes); and waving hi/bye (to greet).  Babbling & Words: Children at this stage continue to babble. First words are produced in very specific contexts. These contexts help us distinguish babbling from the use of early words.  Words: Initially, the acquisition of new words is a slow process. Children average 1 per week, but this is extremely variable. It is common for a child to lose a word at this stage.  The end of the first word stage occurs when children begin to learn words more rapidly, use a wider variety of speech sounds, and use two words together.

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Section 3 – How you can help your child communicate Being a Responsive Communication Partner

How to interact with your child to keep the “conversation” flowing.

Why is it important to watch your child, to give them time to “say” something, and to listen to what they have to say and how they do this? These are the first steps in becoming a responsive communication partner. It may sound simple but these strategies can be very difficult for adults to learn as it often requires that we change our interaction style with our children.

Strategy 1: Be face-to-face  You’ll see what your child is looking at.  You’ll see what captures your child’s attention.  You’ll see your child’s facial expression.  Your child will see your face as you speak with him. Strategy 2: Watch your child  You become more aware of how your child is communicating.  It allows you to focus on your interaction together rather than on an activity or toy.  It enables you to observe how your child responds to you differently when you try positioning him in different ways. Strategy 3: Give…him…time  It allows you take a break from being the “boss” and shows your child that you share his interests.  You become more aware of your child’s need to initiate communication  It tells your child that you want and are expecting him to communicate something to you.  You become more aware of how much your child is able to participate in an interaction.  You might realize that you are anticipating your child’s needs, so he doesn’t need to communicate these.  It makes your child feel that what he has to communicate is important.  It gives your child more control over what he does, thinks, or expresses

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Strategy 4: Listen and Interpret  You become aware that your child may need your undivided attention.  It may increase your awareness of other environmental sounds to which your child is reacting.  You may observe environmental distractions (e.g. TV, radio, construction) that make it difficult for you and your child to engage fully in an interaction.  This allows you to interpret your child’s sounds as meaningful communication. For example: Your child vocalizes “ah” when he sees a dog. You can then interpret this and model “Puppy, look a puppy!” Your child says “ba” while you’re walking past a park and he points to the children playing. You can then interpret this, stop and talk about the ball game you are watching.

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BCCFA Early Language Development Program: Being a Responsive Communication Partner

Coaching Session # 1 1. I know how to get down to my child’s level and face them during interactions. 1

2

3

4

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Most of the time

2. I know how to observe my child and give him/her time to communicate with me. 1

2

3

4

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Most of the time

3. I know how to interpret what my child is trying to ‘tell’ me as we play. 1

2

3

4

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Most of the time

4. The most useful thing I learned today was. . . _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

5. I would still like to know about. . . . _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

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Keep it Simple: Use Child Friendly Language Children who are Getting Ready to Talk and using their First Words benefit from hearing language that matches their level of abilities or is just above child’s language level. This helps them “crack the code” as they learn to understand language and communication, and provides a model that they are more able to imitate. 

Single Words: When your child is looking, pointing, or interested in something, give them the word that goes along.



Simple Sentences: Use simple sentences to talk about what’s happening right now. Try to stay with just 3-4 words. This helps children hear the words in the sentences and makes it simpler for them to understand. For example: Too Hard: “Guess what Jimmy, Mommy’s going to cook your dinner in just a second now.” Just Right: “Mommy’s cooking dinner.”



Repeat, Repeat, Repeat: Use the same words on their own and in combination with other words over and over and over. This is how children learn to match words with their meaning. For example: 1. Shoes! There are Susie’s shoes. 2. Susie’s shoes (point), Mommy’s shoes (point). 3. Let’s put on your shoes.



Add Clues: Gestures, Intonation, and facial expression can all be clues for a child who is trying to decide what the language you’re using means. o Exaggerate your intonation to emphasize the important words (e. g. Let’s put on your shoes.). o Point at what you’re labeling (e.g. There’s kitty!) o Show what you mean with a facial expression (e.g. scrunch up your face when you say “Ew, yucky bug.”).



Slow Down: Try to use a natural but slow rate of talking to give your child time to hear what you’re saying.



In addition to other strategies, this may be an effective way to engage your child in an interaction.

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BCCFA Early Language Development Program: Keep it Simple – Using Child Friendly Language

Coaching Session # 2 6. I know how to use simple words/sentences when talking with my child. 1

2

3

4

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Most of the time

7. I remember to repeat and slow down when communicating with my child. 1

2

3

4

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Most of the time

8. I know how and when to give help/clues when my child needs it (gestures, intonations, facial expressions). 1

2

3

4

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Most of the time

9. The most useful thing I learned today was. . . _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

10. I would still like to know about. . . . _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

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Increase Expectations: Help your child use more complex communication skills When can I expect my child to use a more complex communication skills? What you can expect form your child depends on the skills they have. If you know your child has a skill, it is fair to expect them to use it! If they don’t / haven’t demonstrated a skill, we need to provide lots of chances for them to continue learning. Here are some examples of when it would be reasonable to increase your expectations: Scenario 1: Your child points to ask for things and sometimes looks at you to communicate, but doesn’t put these two skills together. It would be reasonable to start expecting your child to combine these communication skills. Scenario 2: Your child says “cookie” when you give her a cookie, but is pointing at the cupboard and vocalizing to ask for one instead of using the word. It is fair to start expecting your child to use the word. Scenario 3: Your child uses words to ask for milk, juice, and cookies, but vocalizes and points when he’s asking for water. You’ve never heard him say the word “water. Since you’ve never heard him say the word, we can’t expect him to use the word to make a request.

How can I help my child to use a more complex communication skill? Once you’ve decided that it’s reasonable to expect your child to use a skill, there are a number of strategies you can use. Some of these are strategies we have talked about in previous lessons. 

Communicative temptations: These are “incentives” for children to communicate. Examples include leaving the lid of bubbles, leaving a toy in a bag, putting a juice box on a child’s highchair tray but not opening it. These types of gentle interference motivate a child to use their communication skills to get something they really want.



Prompts: We can give children clues about what we’re expecting. It is very important to start with only small clues, and then introduce bigger clues if needed. This way your child can do as much as he can independently. Here is a sequence of clues to help prompt your child:

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1. Waiting with an expectant look on your face. You may need to wait as long as 10 seconds. This can seem like forever, but don’t move on until step 2 until you’ve slowly counted to 10 2. Provide information with a gesture or a general question. You can show your child that you’re still waiting for them to communicate. For example, if you’re waiting for your child to look up at you, hold the object up near your face. If you’re waiting for your child to say a word, you could put your hands out with palms up in a “where/what?” gesture. Or, you could ask a general question such as “what do you need?” or “Want something?”. Now wait again 5-10 seconds. 3. Offer a choice. When waiting (for 10 long seconds!), providing more information and waiting again haven’t worked, you can offer a choice (e.g. Hold up each item and ask, “do you want milk or juice?). By offering a choice, you provide your child with another opportunity to communicate. What if it just isn’t working? Children are all individuals and progress at their own rate of development. All children take time to learn new skills, and show a lot of variability as they are learning. On some days, your child might seem to initiate all kids of communication. She might be pointing, vocalizing, and looking at you all at once. The next day it might be a challenge for your child to even point. Here are some suggestions:   



Keep trying, even when progress seem slow. This gives your child opportunities to practice and become more consistent If a situation just doesn’t seem to be working, brainstorm reasons why this might be. If there is something you can change, give it a try. Try using the same strategies in different situations. Mealtimes, bath-times, shopping expeditions, playtimes – all of these are opportunities to learn about communication. Your child might be more communicative in some activities compared to others. Give her the chance to show you what she can do in different situation. Typical language learners learn new words after a few exposures. Your child may need more frequent or intensive input of the word throughout the day to “help it stick”!

Give yourself a break! Sometimes all of life starts to feel like a speech therapy session. You need a rest from thinking about and working on your child’s communication and language. It’s ok to go for a walk and note talk, or enjoy a quiet meal. These breaks will help you be more able to help your child communicate in other situations.

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BCCFA Early Language Development Program: Increasing Expectations

Coaching Session # 3 1. I know how to set up a communication temptation in play with my child. 1

2

3

4

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Most of the time

2. I know how to wait expectantly for my child to communicate with me. 1

2

3

4

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Most of the time

3. I know how to offer my child a choice between two toys. 1

2

3

4

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Most of the time

4. I know how to identify 10 target words/signs or a target skill for my child to learn. 1

2

3

4

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Most of the time

5. I know how to model a target word/sign/skill at least 10 times during a routine at home. 1

2

3

4

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Most of the time

11. The most useful thing I learned today was. . . _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

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Focused Stimulation

My child already uses some words. How can I help him to use some new ones?

Focused Stimulation – What is this?

Focused Stimulation is a technique that helps increase your child’s language abilities by exposing him to repetitions of specific word target that is meaningful and communicatvie. Focused Stimulation involves you, your child, and a social interaction that you find mutually enjoyable. The focus of Focused Stimulation is the frequency of your language model and your child’s attention to you during this time rather than your child’s production of the target word. Do not worry if your child is still not saying the target word after you modeled it several times during an enjoyable activity together. Remember, children may need to hear a word several hundreds of times before attempting to say it.

How do I use Focused Stimulation with my child? 1. Select target words. You can do this by: Considering what is familiar to your child and what he is interested in. Choosing words that your child will likely hear often in your home. Considering the speech sounds your child can produce. Considering how your child is able to combine sounds when he says a word. For example, “ba” (consonant-vowel), “up” (vowel-consonant), “cat” (consonant-vowelconsonant). 2. Create an environment that engages your child with your and selected objects that support the use of the target word(s). 3. Create a method to track how many times you modeled a word durign one routine with your child, as well as if he produced the target word. Please see handout My Child’s Target Word List for an example of a tracking tool. 4. Provide a visual cue that represents the target word. For example, a gesture, sign, picture, or real object. 5. Try to model the target word a least 10 times during the routine.

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6. If your language model is more complex than a single word, emphasize the target word by using stress to highlight that word, or by placing the target word at the beginning or end of repeated phrase to draw his attention to the target. For example,

Using stress: Using a repeated phrase:

“The bus is leaving. Let’s wave bye-bye to the bus.” “Down goes the car. Down goes the bus…”

7. Planning word targets and routines to use Focused Stimulation with your child takes a lot of time, effort and focus on your part duing your busy day. Try to set limits to use Focused Stimulation with your child, for example, 10-15 minutes per day. 8. Your job is to say the word or phrase at the appropriate time not to get him to say it. Language input will help language output. 9. If your child does start using a word appropriately a few times, score that word off the list and add a new one.

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My Child’s Target Word List To choose good target words for my child, I have considered:  What is really interesting formy child? _____________________________  Which sounds does my child currently make? _________________________  What sound combination my child can produce? _______________________  What hand gestures my child can use? ______________________________

TARGET WORD

DATE TARGET SET

DATE TARGET ACHIEVED

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Think about natural times in your child’s day when you can give   Focused Stimulation.  Put up reminder stickies and ask everyone who interacts  with your child to do their part. Teach them how to do it. 

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Use Routines to Promote Language Development and Communication Why use routines?    

Routines are often repeated throughout your family’s day or occur at predicteable times. Routines allow you to engage with your children in situations tha tare nejoyable and motivating. During routines you often use vocabulary tha tis meaningful to your child. Therefore, you have regular opportunities to model this language to him. Through the repetition of routines, your child quickly learing what to expect.

You can use routines by: 



 

  

Expressing the routine name in a way your child will understand. For example, a word, sign, physical cue (e.g. rolling arms for “Roly Poly” song) or presenting an object (e.g. diaper for changing routine) are different ways to ehlp your child increase his understanding of the routine name. Simplifying the names of routines to help your child to understand the routine name and to encourage him express this. For example, “diaper” (change your diaper), bus (Wheels of the Bus), etc. Allowing your child to make choices. This provides an opportunity for your child to make a request as well as to have a turn at controlling the routine. Planning when and how your hcild will take a turn by: (pre-intentional communication stage) showing excitement, increasing breathing rate, widening eyes; (intentional/preverbal communication stage) reaching, pointing, body movement, vocalizing; or (first words stage) using a target word or sign. Pausing during the routine. This cues your child to take his turn by using a body movement, gesture, facial expression, vocalization, or word. Varying the routine. You may find tha tyour child is surprised and quite motivated to tell you what changed or what you did wrong. Being consistent with your language models and cues.

Use Music to facilitate development of your child’s language and communication skill.s o o o o o o o

Songs encourage physical contact between you and your child. Music encourage turn-taking between you and your child. Music help children learn and anticipate social routines. Get repeated and repeated to allow your child to learn the tune of the song and actions/gestures, etc. that can be expected. Children respond to rhythm and changes in intonation before they understand language. These are characteristics common to both music and language. It provides a fun an dmotivating opportunity to engage in vocal play and to practise producing specific speech sounds, words, and phrases. Enjoyment of music can be expressed without words (gestures, sign, actiona, facial expression, etc.) which allows every child the opportunity to participate in this social routine, and putting less emphasis on verbal output.

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BCCFA Early Language Development Program: Using Routines and Songs

Coaching Session #4 1. I learned new strategies that I will be able to use with my child. 1

2

3

4

Very much disagree 

Disagree

Agree

Very much agree 

2. I know how to plan the language I will use with my child during a motivating routine. 1

2

3

4

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Most of the Time

3. I know how to encourage my child to take a turn with me during a routine. 1

2

3

4

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Most of the Time

4. I know how to set up a communication temptation in a daily routine. 1

2

3

4

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Most of the Time

5. I know how to create a simple song based on my child’s favorite routine. 1

2

3

No idea

Some idea

Better idea

4 Yes – I’m going to use singing more

12. The most useful thing I learned today was. . . _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

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A quick check: where are you now?

13. I can tell when my child is trying to communicate with me: 1

2

3

4

Never

Sometimes

Most of the time

Always

14. I can tell what my child is trying to communicate to me: 1

2

3

4

Never

Sometimes

Most of the time

Always

15. I know how to respond when my child tries to communicate with me: 1

2

3

4

Never

Sometimes

Most of the time

Always

16. Generally, my feelings about my child’s communication are:  This is a strength.

 This is a challenge.

 My child seems to enjoy it.

 My child seems frustrated by it.

 We’re making progress.

 Are we getting anywhere?

 We’re going slow, but that’s ok.

 We’re going slow, it’s really stressful.

 I’m relaxed about it.

 I’m frustrated about it.

 I have some ideas about what to do.

 I don’t know what to do.

17. Do you feel that your knowledge or skills related to communicating with your child have changed? Please explain.

18. Do you feel that your child’s communication skills have changed? Please explain.

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Section 4 – Appendix

Glossary: Communication

Any means by which one conveys experiences, thoughts, wants, needs and feelings to another person. You can communicate in a variety of different ways including speech, sign language, gestures, writing, facial expression, pictures and body language.

Language

Is a learned code or the system of rules that enables us to communicate ideas and express wants and needs. Reading, writing, gesturing and speaking are all forms of language

Receptive Language

Communication through spoken words Understanding what is said, written or signed

Expressive Language

Communication through spoken words Expressing one’s ideas feelings, wishes and needs by speak, writing, signing or through pictures or technology

Speech

Communication through spoken words

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Strategies from I Talk You Talk Early Language Group    Strategy 

I feel confident in using the  strategy 

I need more practice to  become confident in using  the strategy 

Being a Responsive Communication Partner  Be face‐to‐face  Watch your child  Give…him…time  Listen and Interpret 

       

       

Keep it Simple: Use Child Friendly Language  Use simple words/sentences  Repeat  Add Clues  Slow Down  Increase Expectations  Communicative temptations  Prompts  1. Waiting  2. Provide Information  3. Offer choices  Model target words  Focused Stimulation  Select target words  Choose context (how you will use the  words)  Choose when and how often you will use  the words  Use Routines  Plan the language I will use during a  routine  Encourage my child to take a turn  Set up communication temptation in a  daily routine  Use Music  Create simple songs based on my child’s  favorite routine 

       

       

           

           

   

   

 

 

 

 

   

   

 

 

 

Parent Handbook to Early Language Development. 

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Parent Handbook to Early Language Development. 

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