Not only is reading a critical aspect of a child’s learning, but the use of proper speech is greatly influential as well. Often times people tend to lean towards the importance of encouraging reading, and forget about the impact their speech could have on their child as they get older. Let’s not forget, we all learn to speak through what we hear around us.
As children begin to write, they write in the same manner in which they speak. Following are some tips on how to strengthen your child’s speech; this will in turn strengthen the child’s ability to write.
Avoid the Use of Slang
We all do it: we shorten words, and use informal sentence formation while we converse. As a child grows hearing this constant atrocious display of grammar they will know no different when they begin to write. Having the habit of improper speech instilled in them at a young age increases the difficulty for the child to break the habit as they learn proper grammar. Simply avoiding slang and incomplete sentences could help your child learn the proper use of speech.
Introduce Vocabulary
As you speak avoid only using words your child already knows. Begin to add words in your daily speech that your child may not know. This not only introduces them to the meaning of the new word, but it also gives them a solid understanding of how to use the word in a sentence. If you have ever tried to learn vocabulary simply by reading the definition you probably know it’s difficult to retain the word, although once you know how to use the word in its proper context the word easily remains in your vocabulary.
Use Solid Descriptions
Again, as children learn to write they will be introduced to the idea of using the five senses to describe what they are writing. Children quickly pick up habits from their parents. If you begin to use more descriptive words, whether or not you or your child notice, your child will begin to do the same. This will in turn help the process of learning to write.
This article was written for you by Grace, one of the tutors with SchoolTutoring Academy.