Chatting with Young Children

Have you ever wondered how children learn to talk so early in life? Communication is part of human nature whether its verbal or physical, even newborns communicate with others. Babies love hearing their loved ones and favorite caregivers' voices; they become familiar and comforting. When you answer a child's sounds with sounds of your own, he/she learns that what they say has meaning and is important to you. From the very beginning children try to imitate the sounds that they hear the adults in their life make. Hearing you talk is the very first step in the development of language skills. Young children learn how and when to use language through observations of others. The more a child is spoken to and encouraged to communicate, the more meanings, sounds, rhythms, pitches and patterns the child will retain for use in the development of their own language skills. The following are simple ways in which you can extend the learning and language development within your classroom:

• Talk to the children often. Answer coos, gurgles and smiles. Talk, touch and smile back while looking directly at the child. Talk while feeding, diapering, preparing for an activity and playing on the floor. Any time is a good time to talk with a child.
• Sing to the children often using verses that have strong rhythms and repeated sounds.
• Play simple talking and touching games such as "Where's your nose?"
• Point to familiar objects and name them.
• Build the child's language by extending his/her words. Fill in missing words to make complete sentences. For example: If a child says, "car". You might say, "Yes, you are driving the red car on the carpet."
• Read, Read, Read to the children. Ensure that the books are appropriate for the age of children you are working with. Talk with the children while reading. Point to pictures and name them. Ask the children questions about the story and explore its contents together. Reading time should be a fun, relaxing time for everyone.
• Encourage the children to talk to you. Ask the children questions that will solicit more than a "yes" or "no" answer. When the children talk...Listen and respond appropriately. If a child asks a question, answer it in an appropriate amount of time.

Chatting with infants and toddlers throughout the day not only provides the foundation for the development of language skills but is just so much fun. Try talking with the children in your classroom and see what new and exciting things you all will learn.

If you'd like to learn more about interactions within the classroom or other Infant Toddler issues contact:

Special Projects Coordinator
Oklahoma Child Care Resource and Referral Assoc.
4200 Perimeter Center Dr. Suite 235
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
1-888-962-2772
birthtothree@oklahomachildcare.org