You’ve probably been working with your child to develop their language since they were a baby. As they begin preschool, you might wonder how to strengthen these skills.
At this point, your child can probably understand basic prepositions and nouns. They might be beginning to speak in full sentences of 5 to 6 words. While they will learn language skills during preschool hours, you should continue to work with them at home.
There are tons of ways to help your child with language development. At the preschool level, you want to make sure you are using fun and engaging activities to keep them focused. You can read books to them, sing songs with them, encourage imaginative play, narrate your actions, and ask them to repeat after you.
How to Encourage Language Development in Preschoolers:7 Easy Ways
When you had a baby or toddler, you probably encouraged language development by using speech sounds, asking them to say “mama,” or “dada,” and teaching them words for animals and foods. Once they reach preschool age, language development becomes a bit more complex. They will need communication skills to help them interact with their teachers and peers during the day.
7 easy and fun ways to encourage language development in preschoolers and early childhood include:
1. Reading
The best way to expand their vocabulary is to read books out loud. Pick books that challenge their vocabulary while keeping them interested. Look for ones with colorful illustrations, repetitive text, and interactive elements.
Examples of good books to read preschoolers for speech and language development include:
- Goodnight Moon
- Charlotte’s Web
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- A Bad Case of Stripes
- Dragons Love Tacos
2. Singing
Singing songs together is a great way to develop new speech and language skills. It helps children learn new words and concepts in a fun manner. They are more likely to remember the words they sing because it is an engaging and fun activity.
3. Encouraging Play
Playing pretend with your child is a good way to develop their communication and language. They will have to use their words to describe what they are acting out. Encourage them to come up with new characters to play and ask them to explain everything with their words.
You can also model these descriptions to your child by using colorful, simple words and explaining what they mean. This will help them connect new words to actions, making it easier to remember what they mean.
4. Repetition
Repetition is a good way to support language development in children. When you say something to your child, ask them to repeat it after you. Your child will repeat your words and then you can ask them if they understand what it means.
For example, if you are feeding your child fruit for a snack, say, “We are about to eat apples, bananas, and grapes. Can you repeat that after me?” Once they repeat it, show them which fruits are which.
This will help them learn new words for items or actions that they see in their daily life.
5. Narrating
As you are going about your day, try narrating your actions. Whether you are completing chores at home or running errands around town, this will help your child match new words to behaviors. They might be able to learn what a laundry machine is, the name of your local grocery store, and other important words.
Talking to your child is an easy way to help them develop your language. It is something you already do every day, so incorporating some learning during this time allows you to maximize the amount of time you are spending helping your child develop skills.
6. Using Open-Ended Questions
You should stay away from asking your child yes and no questions as much as possible. When you ask them open-ended questions, it gives them a chance to thoroughly explain their response. This could even lead to a full-blown conversation, giving you a good idea of where your child is at with their language skills and whether they can create complex sentences.
7. Following Directions
Being able to follow directions is a type of receptive language. Young children need to know how to understand spoken and written language before they go off to kindergarten and elementary school.
To develop this skill, you should engage in activities that require directions with your child. This could include baking cookies, playing classic games like Simon Says, or creating a scavenger hunt for them to complete.
Get Connected to a Top-Rated Preschool
If you are considering enrolling your child in a preschool, you’ve come to the right place. At New Horizons Country Day School, we believe in the importance of early childhood education. Our preschool provides your child with a chance to develop the educational and social skills they need to be successful in kindergarten and elementary school.
New Horizons Country Day School, through a balanced program, strives to develop effective communicators, self-directed learners, complex thinkers, quality producers, collaborative workers, and community contributors. We do this by offering a warm, safe, and familiar environment that promotes risk-taking, exploration, and experimentation. In support of a holistic philosophy, we used a balanced literature-based interdisciplinary program where learning is kept whole, purposeful, social, and meaningful.
Contact us today for more information on our preschool programs.
