The Role of Caregivers in the Speech Language Development of Children

She learns how to speak from you.

Your role as caregiver is crucial to your child's speech and language development. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, speech is verbal communication (including articulation and fluency) using language that designates the meaning of words and the use of word combinations to convey meaning. These interrelated elements of your child's growth are largely dependent on the verbal interactions with her primary caregiver. There are many ways to enhance or remediate speech language development in children, many of which center on the caregiver-child interaction.

Show Meaning

Wave goodbye.

Wave goodbye at the door when you say "bye-bye." Point to the cat and say, "The cat says meow." You are demonstrating the meaning behind your simple words for your child and enhancing his speech development. When you use actions to convey what your words are meant to express, your child can see the connection between the words and the object or task. This simple, instinctive parallel between leaving a room with a wave and "bye-bye" encourages your little boy to construct meaning from the paired language and action.

Narration

Talk to her at bathtime...and dinnertime...as much as possible.

Teachers know that a language-rich environment is beneficial to student speech and literacy. Talking about what you are doing is the hallmark of such an enriching atmosphere. By telling your child that you are running warm water in the tub to give her a bath not only gives her an understanding of step-by-step task completion but also communicates to her the name of what you are doing and its description. Without this daily story of her life, she will struggle to articulate commonplace things. She should, for example, name familiar objects and events by the age of 2, according to the Child Development Institute, provided that she has been talked to by her caregiver.

Reading

Talk about the pictures with him.

Reading with your child, whether speaking the words on the page or simply talking about the pictures as you look at the book together is highly nourishing to his speech language development. For example, "Look how big that black horse is. I bet he can run fast." Taking part in discussing the story helps him learn to have a conversation about reading. Listening to a story teaches him proper tone and expression for reading and also helps him to identify parts of pictures and stories.

Asking Questions

Pick one.

When you ask your child to clarify or describe what she wants, you are helping her learn to express herself clearly. If she says, "Need cracker," you can respond by saying that you have square crackers and goldfish-shaped crackers and ask which she wants. By offering her a choice, you are reinforcing her request by asking for a response. Ask her which shoes she wants to wear today or which book she wants to look at and require an answer. If she points to the one she wants, repeat the question, so she understands that she needs to give you a verbal response.

Rhymes and Songs

Humpty Dumpty can teach your child a lot.

One way caregivers strengthen speech skills is by repeating nursery rhymes or poems. Nursery rhymes are predictable and have the engaging singsong rhythm that captures your child's attention. Articulation of sounds and rhyme recognition are skills that benefit from singing rhymes with your child. Many children's songs and rhymes also include counting or the naming of colors or days of the week, so your child is gaining general preschool knowledge as well.

References

• ASLHA: What Is Language? What Is Speech?
• ASLHA: Activities to Encourage Speech and Language Development

Resources

• Child Development Institute: Language Development Chart