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1. I speak to him from birth
Just because your baby isn’t talking doesn’t mean you shouldn’t talk to her. Rely on the everyday life situations : changing, bathing, meals, walks. Tell him what you are doing or comment on his actions, naming the objects around him. Above all, always take care of yourself to live up to it and catch his eye. “Language alone is useless,” recalls Françoise Garcia, speech therapist *. “What matters is communication. »Smiles, hugs, massages, all means are good for developing interactions.
2. I sing to my baby!
To introduce toddlers to speech, nothing like songs. At the same time short, simple and rhythmic, they first help the child to decipher the sounds and the syllables which form the words and thus to better articulate. They also gradually familiarize him with the grammatical structure of the language, enrich his vocabulary … while doing work on your memory in a totally fun way ! Are you not a music lover? Opt for rhymes, making sure to vary the intonations as much as possible. Do not hesitate to combine words and actions and involve them. While miming, he goes develop coordination and learn to discover your body.
3. I adopt the “speak nurse”
Forget the “wow wow” and the “tuture”! Even if it is often a reflex, simplify words or using onomatopoeias do not push him to progress! “To be able to say a word correctly, the child needs to hear the right model”, insists Caroline Bouilhol, speech therapist in Isère. So use the “Speak nanny”. Slow speech, musical in intonation, which allows the child to understand more easily. When he is 2 years old, you will be able to adopt a more elaborate language.
4. I play with my baby
“The primary driver of language acquisition is shared pleasure,” insists Françoise Garcia. So have fun! To make him memorize, casually, new words, you can in particular play with him games of dominos, lotto and other memory. The opportunity at the same time for him to” learn to count, to take turns, to respect a rule. Between 3 and 4 years old, build a wooden or Lego tower together. “Manipulating concrete objects will then help him to access more easily the abstraction of thought and language,” underlines Caroline Bouilhol. Offer to play the dinette or the vendor. Imitation games are ideal for putting words and making sense of scenes from everyday life.
What is the “mama”?
Some parents use a special, higher and more accentuated intonation, short sentences and a slow flow: they speak the
mom. This prosody makes it easier for babies 0 to 12 months to break down sentences to identify words. For the older ones, we avoid simplifying so as not to slow down their progress.
Your toddler doesn’t even have to say he’s tired anymore. By force, you know the signs by heart: he yawns, rubs his eyes, scratches his ear. Except that to progress in language learning, he has to get used to expressing his feelings. From where the importance of not confining it to the family universe. “From the age of 2, it is advisable to put him in regular contact with other children to encourage him to be in communication,” says Dr. Jean-Paul Blanc, pediatrician in Saint-Étienne. When he hears other little ones talking, he will want to imitate them. Doesn’t he go to the nursery? No problem. Regular outings to kindergarten, visits to cousins… there are plenty of other opportunities to socialize him!
6. I cultivate silence
With a little one, there is no question of leaving the radio plugged in all day long. “If there is too much noise, it will be difficult to isolate the sounds and reproduce them, insists Françoise Garcia. Don’t be afraid of silence. It is not a synonym of boredom, but on the contrary a real space to think. »It is in fact in moments of calm that your child will be able to hear a bird singing, a door slam … In short, listen to what is going on around him. To avoid slowing down its development, also avoid exposing it to screens before 3 years, whether computers, tablets, smartphones or television. Zou, Princess Sofia, it’s cute… But not very educational! “In front of the station, the child is totally passive,” explains Dr. Jean-Paul Blanc. However, to build itself, the first years, it really needs mobilize your five senses, observe, smell, manipulate objects and interact with the adults around him. Later, you can let go of a little ballast! Provided set limits. Otherwise, his ability to concentrate and his creativity may quickly deteriorate. “A word of advice: never turn on the TV at the table,” recommends Dr. Blanc. Meals are often the only times of the day when we can share with family. “
7. I tell him stories
Does he spend his time rummaging in drawers, pulling up your green plants, sticking his fingers all over the place? So much the better, because he’s curious! To awaken him a little more to the world around him, put it in contact with the books. Start with the picture books, which allow him both to put words to everyday objects and to discover new universes: the farm, the zoo… As soon as boredom looms, move on to stories. Valuable supports to help them structure their thinking, develop their imagination… and develop a taste for reading.
8. I encourage him!
Your child is no longer happy to put two terms together. He makes real sentences. Congratulate him! Tell him that you are really proud of him! “By your reactions of wonder, your smiles, your positive words, you will encourage him to continue his acquisitions”, insists Caroline Bouilhol. The more you show him that you believe in him, the more he will want to go beyond his limits. But don’t be in the performance! If he makes small syntax errors or misuses the conditional, rephrase using the correct word or sentence… Without making a big deal. A humiliating or guilty remark may be enough to block it. So always be kind. the * Françoise Garcia, vice-president of the National Federation of Speech-Language Pathologists, in charge of prevention and health promotion