Early communicators (around 7 to 12 months)- communicate using babbling and crying in relationship to the world around them.
Need to Know:
- Remember that it is never “too early” to start reading to your kids. Newborn babies love to feel the warmth of your body and the cadence of your voice as you read to them.
- At 3 months an infant begins to notice colors and shapes and starts to focus briefly on pictures.
- Between 6 and 8 months, babies will begin to explore a book by touching, turning, and tasting pages.
- Choose books that are made of cloth, vinyl, or sturdy cardboard.
- Share books with bright, colorful and realistic pictures of people, everyday objects and daily activities.
- Don’t forget about early nursery rhymes and finger plays, such as Patty Cake.
Reading Techniques:
- Early communicators are just beginning to learn that words have meaning, so read slowly.
- Point to pictures as you read the words.
- Repeat and highlight the words you want your child to learn by rising the pitch of your voice.
- Pause frequently, giving your child a chance to explore the book and pictures. Pausing also allows your child time to make a sound or point to a picture in the book.
Books to Love:
- Books with repetitive lines and rhymes- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, The Very Busy Spider and my son’s favorite, From Head to Toe by Eric Carle, Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell, and Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
- Interactive Lift and See flaps- Where’s Spot? series by Eric Hill
- Pages with textures- Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt, Where’s Baby’s Belly Button? by Karen Katz and Peek-A-Who? by Nina Laden
- Books about everyday activities (bathing, dressing, eating and sleeping)- Bath Time! by Sandra Boynton, Baby: Bathtime! by DK Publishing, How Many Kisses Do You Want Tonight? by Varsha Bajaj
A few minutes of reading a day with your child can make a difference that will last forever. Be sure to check out tomorrow’s post on book reading with toddlers.
Upcoming Weeks on Mommy Minute Monday:
• Did you know May is Better Hearing and Speech Month? Over the next 3 weeks I will be dedicating each Monday to a various communication disorder in the So You Think Your Kid series. Each week I’ll be focusing on speech, language, and feeding red flags that may indicate your child should be evaluated by a Speech-Language-Pathologist.
• I’ll be wrapping up the series with my very first vlog where I’ll break down what to except during a speech and language evaluation.
• IPad apps that can be useful in growing a child’s speech and language skills.
{ 2 trackbacks }