What could be more exciting than hearing your baby’s first word? As that first word grows into a sentence and later into conversation, you will be watching a miracle—the miracle of language development.
As a parent, you are your child’s first teacher. When you take time to listen, talk, read, sing, and play games with your child, you help teach important language skills that last a lifetime.
Age 0 to 6 months
Nurture your child’s language skills
• When babies babble, gurgle, and coo, respond with the same sounds.
• Talk with infants when you feed, dress, or play with them.
• Sing songs.
• Play soft music.
Age 6 to 12 months
Nurture your child’s language skills
• Teach babies their names and names of familiar objects.
• Talk to them about what you are doing: “Now I am getting Sara’s socks.”
• Play peek-a-boo.
• Hold babies in your lap and show them pictures in magazines and books.
• Sing simple songs.
Age 12 to 18 months
Nurture your child’s language skills
• Teach your child names of people, body parts, and objects.
• Teach sounds that different things make.
• Read simple stories.
• Make a scrapbook with bright pictures of familiar objects such as people, flowers, houses, and animals to “read.”
• Speak clearly and simply; “baby talk” confuses children who are learning to talk.
Age 18 months to 2 years
Nurture your child’s language skills
• Read at least one book to your child every day.
• Encourage your child to repeat short sentences.
• Give simple instructions. (“Give the book to Jon.”)
• Read rhymes with interesting sounds, especially those accompanied by actions or pictures.
Age 2 to 3 years
Nurture your child’s language skills
• Play word games like “This Little Piggy” or “High as a House.”
• Listen, talk, and read with your child every day.
• Teach your child simple songs and nursery rhymes.
Age 3 to 4 years
Nurture your child’s language skills
• Include your child in everyday conversation. Talk about what you are going to do, ask questions, listen.
• Play simple games that teach concepts like over, under, on, and in.
• Read books with poems, songs, and rhymes.
• Encourage your children to repeat favorite stories.
• Give children a few books of their own and show them how to take good care of them.
Age 4 to 5 years
Nurture your child’s language skills
• Visit the public library regularly.
• Play games that encourage counting and color naming.
• Encourage children to tell you stories.
• Help children create their own story books with magazine pictures or post cards.
• Read books with poems and songs.
• Take turns telling jokes.
• Record your child telling a story or singing a song.
Age 5 to 6
Nurture your child’s language skills
• Read books with your child every day.
• Encourage pretend play. Help children create props from old sheets, cardboard boxes, and household items. Show children how to label their creations with simple signs like “Shoe Store” or “Tickets.”
• Encourage children to put on simple plays and shows.
• Let children help you sort coupons and cut ads out of the newspaper.
• Ask your child to help you locate and find grocery items in the grocery store.
• Check how many store signs your child can identify when you are out running errands.
Try fingerplays and songs
Can’t carry a tune? Don’t have a piano? That’s not a problem with young children. Kids love to sing! You may not realize it but you probably know quite a few songs from your own childhood. Some familiar songs you might know are:
• “Hokey Pokey”
• “Farmer in the Dell”
• “Mulberry Bush”
• “Hush Little Baby”
• “Eensy, Weensy Spider”
• “If You’re Happy and You Know It”
• “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”
Children also delight in fingerplays like “This little piggy” and “Eensy, weensy spider.” You also might like to try the following.
Old Owl
An owl sat alone on the branch of a tree (use arm as a branch, raise thumb for owl)
She was quiet as quiet as quiet could be
T'was night and her eyes were wide open like this (circle eyes with fingers and look around)
She looked all around; not a thing did she miss.
Some little birds perched on the branch of the tree, (fingers of other hand fly on tree)
And sat there as quiet as quiet could be
The solemn old owl said
“Whoo-whooo-whooo,” (wave hand away, fluttering fingers behind back)
And jumped at the birds and away they flew.
If you would like to learn more songs and fingerplays check with your local library for children’s records and audio-cassette tapes.
Read more about it!
For more information about children and families, ask for the following publications from your county extension office.
Understanding Children—Kindergarten Ahead, PM 1529n
Understanding Children—Learning to read and write, PM 1529e
Child’s Play - Fingerplays Plus, PM_1770b (cost)
So Alive—Three to Five, PM 1431a–f (cost)
Books for Children
The Listening Walk, Paul Showers
The Snowman, Raymond Briggs
Baby’s Favorite Things, Marsha Cohen
My First Look at Colors, Stephen Oliver
Gobble, Growl, Grunt, Peter Spier
Push -Pull, Empty -Full, Tana Hoban
Are You My Mother? P. Eastman
Rosie’s Walk, Pat Hutchins
Caps for Sale, Esphyr Slobodkina
(Written by Lesia Oesterreich, extension family life specialist.)
