6 Tips for parents to help communication development in Preschool years up to Elementary age!

In August, I have been reminded of the importance of communication. It is one of our most important human skills, so I've decided to dedicate September's blog to communication. During the preschool years, children develop communication skills rapidly. Your child will go from babbling one week to almost forming sentences the next. Every phase is critical, and we must understand that mastering this skill is never-ending. I will go over 6 helpful tips on how you can support this development at each age up to school age.

1. Infants: Talk to your infant! You might seem silly and even crazy, but talk to them using real words. Hold them so that they can see your face as they start to develop those facial movements.

2. Toddlers: Overemphasize mouth movements when saying words; at this stage, they mimic everything! Encourage conversations even if they are babbling.

3. 3-year-olds: Help them form three-word sentences. If they come up to you and say, “Blue!” respond with, “Yes, this toy is blue.” Fill in the missing words with them. Play pretend phone with them to help practice opening words like "hello" and ending words like "goodbye."

4. PreK: Start asking questions! This is super fun! Engage in conversation, their answers are always enjoyable! Also, paint the picture with your words so they learn how to be descriptive with their language.

5. 6-year-olds should practice forming sentences and storytelling. When reading, point out sight words to make reading easier for them.

6. From ages 7 to 10, it's better to be specific when asking about their day. Instead of asking "How was your day?" try asking questions like "What game did you play in gym today?" or "What book did you pick up at the library and why?" Encouraging them to give you details not only gives you insight into how they are doing in school, but also helps them practice forming paragraphs which is beneficial in writing!

Hope these helpful helps as you never know who might need to hear exactly what you want to say to them!