Worried about delayed speech in children? Simple solutions

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Each developmental milestone of a child gives immense joy and satisfaction to the parents. They do not hesitate to celebrate when the baby gets their first tooth or takes their first step. Uttering the first word, too, is such a fabulous milestone in a child's growth and development. Kids typically start speaking by the age of three. However, in modern nuclear families, kids tend to show delayed speech skills, although it may not be the same in all cases.
There could be many reasons why your child hasn’t developed proper speech skills. Less verbal interactions with the child and increased screen time have been identified as some of the major reasons for this. Meanwhile, there are a few speech therapies or exercises that the parents can try at home to improve their child’s speaking and communication skills. These are the six simple and effective methods that could yield amazing results.
1) Proper verbal interactions
Gaze into your child’s eyes and speak slowly without worrying about how he/she would react or respond. Keep talking even if the child does not pay any attention. This helps the child understand what you are trying to say from your facial expressions. The child would learn to speak when you continuously interact with him.
2) Explain the words
The child may not be able to explain things or use proper words when they start speaking. Try to understand what they are saying and explain the words back to them. Keep repeating the correct words until the child picks them up. Repeating the words and phrases helps the child learn longer sentences. Besides, such conversations would introduce new words and ideas to the kids.
3) Sounds
Kids learn mostly through playing and try to imitate the sounds they hear. So, it would be helpful to use various sounds while playing with them and make meaningful words out of them. For instance, imitating the sounds of birds would help them learn those sounds as well as the names of the birds.
4) Using simple words and sentences
Kids learn to speak mostly from their parents' speaking style. So, try to use simple words and phrases that are easy for the kids to understand and then repeat. This method makes communication simple and effective.
5) Read with the child
Reading aloud books suitable for each age group is extremely helpful. The pictures and simple words in the book improve the child’s vocabulary. Besides, it develops a liking for reading at a young age while opening up the child's imagination. However, do not insist that the child should react to books in a positive manner in the beginning.
6) Let them choose
Kids speak when they need to communicate ideas. So, try to create situations where they develop ideas. Give him/her the chance to choose toys, food or even their own outfits. This enhances their decision-making skills and makes them self-sufficient too.