Last March I had the opportunity to travel to Koh Tao in Thailand on holiday, while there I ended up teaching English to my neighbour’s children. I enjoyed meeting the children and helping them in my way. From my studies and experience, these are some of the key ways to interact with children.
Children’s language development.
Studies have shown that children who are read and spoken to a great deal during early childhood will have larger vocabularies and better grammar skills than those who aren’t. Here are some simple ways to nurture the children´s language development:
Talk with the children even if you think they are not listening or do not understand you. Their brain is working 24 hours a day
Read It’s never too early to read to the children. You can start with simple books and graduate to picture books and longer stories as the child gets older. Story times at the local library or bookstore can also help a preschooler develop a love of books.
Enjoy music together. Young children love music and movement. When they listen to lively songs, like “Old McDonald Had a Farm,” they learn about the world around them and the rhythm and flow of a language.
Tell stories. Make up elaborate stories with characters, conflict, adventure, and a happy ending. Be sure that the stories fit your child’s interests and aren’t too scary for his or her liking.
Follow your child’s lead. If your little one seems interested in a particular picture in a book, keep talking about it. If they seem intrigued by a boat, show them more boats and talk about them, too. Repeat her babbles back to her, ask questions, and interact with her. You can even try recording your child on a tape recorder and playing it back.
Never criticize your child’s articulation or speech patterns. Instead, repeat his statements back to him with the correct pronunciation or word usage. Give your child lots of praise for his efforts.
English sessions were fun and interesting, concentrating on concepts. Through easy games such as ´´look and guess´´ the kids can learn new words, and communication and develop thinking skills too. For example, a game I like to use when interacting with young children is to draw an object on a piece of paper, show the kids around me and the first kid who guesses what the object is to get the turn to draw the next picture.
It’s a fun and natural way to encourage a child’s language skills!
