Communication Development
Strategies to support your child's communication development within their everyday routines and play.
On the Blog...
The Power of Modelling
Modelling is when you show your child the exact thing you would like them to say or do, and it’s a word Speech and Language Therapists say all the time....
Why you should teach 'more'
When your little one can sign or say "more", the world is their oyster. They'll be able to request more of anything: think food, toys, stories or cuddles, and you'll...
Speech Sound Strategy
Just a reminder that you don't have to point out the mistakes your child is making in their speech. It takes years and lots of practice to get perfect speech....
Learning to say the 'F' Sound
Most kids learn most sounds just by listening to you say them. We are our children's BEST teachers. Sometimes, for many reasons, children need an extra bit of help to...
Pointing out letters
You know that posh educational resources and toys with the alphabet on them don't teach your child, right?!I don't care if you have the most beautiful, carved wood letter puzzle...
If they're feeling too shy to answer questions
Even the most confident kids can suddenly become mute if they’re asked a question. This is a totally normal reaction.We have to step in as their parent so that there’s...
Supporting Behaviour: What to say
This one's a powerful one. We know from research that praising a child when they're doing the right thing is the BEST way to support their behaviour. Every time you...
Teaching Opportunities
YOU ARE YOUR CHILD'S BEST TEACHER. Read that again. Your child feels safest with you, most comfortable with you, they trust you more than anyone and they believe everything you...
What to say when they don't know how to refer to themselves
Do you all know that I promote talking in the first person - so saying “I’m hungry” instead of “Mum is hungry”. But even with the best modelling, kids...
Have Fun with Rhyming Words
If you've followed for a while then you know we sing ALL THE TIME. We sing kids songs and nursery rhymes all day and now August loves to sing to...
Fill them up with language: Describing Food
Is your little one using all of these words to describe their food? Would you say they'd understand all of these words? If the answer is 'no' then it's time...
Supporting Behaviour: What to say
It’s so simple - but changing up the way you pose questions to your little one can reduce frustration for the both of you. I posted about this in my...
Fix up their phrase
You really don't have to 'correct' your child to teach them the correct way to speak. MODELLING and REPETITION are incredibly powerful, and you can make a big impact by...
Have fun with sounds
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the SOUND a letter makes is so much more important to know than it’s name! Yes - the name is also...
Teach manners through modelling, not parroting
When you prompt your little one to “say please” or “say sorry”, they’re learning that they have to copy what you say to get what they want, but it’s unlikely...
Language Development Tip: Reading on Repeat
You don’t always need new books. Sure - it’s nice to have new stories to read but I already know that your little one likes their favourite books on repeat....
Speech errors kids make: Gliding
The /r/ and /l/ sounds are often quite hard to say for little ones. That’s why they often replace them for a /y/ or a /w/ sound instead. We’ve all...
Where did I come from? Photos from Language Development
Most kids LOVE to look at pictures of themselves when they were younger. I know the mums who went to SPACE class with me thought I was a little nuts...
Supporting Behaviour: What to say
Kids learn more though positive experiences. Praise is important - the more you can praise your child for doing the right thing, the more likely they are to do that...
Tempt them to communicate: Do the unexpected
If you were looking for permission to be really silly - here it is. Doing the unexpected is a wonderful way to spark your child's interest, get their attention and...
