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Development Parenting and Childcare

Introducing your Child to the World of Writing

Writing is a skill. Parents are always looking for ways to help their kids learn to write. Though it takes time and patience to master the art of writing, it is never a difficult task to accomplish. Some children have it in their blood and for a few others need these skills to be incorporated in their daily routine.

There are a lot of methods starting from daily reading and writing sessions to fun-filled activities to improve a child’s writing skills. These will help a child build on his or her skills in no time. 

Create an alphabet book

This can be a fun way of getting your child’s alphabet learning started. Alphabet books can be created with one alphabet on a page along with the picture of an item starting with that letter for a child’s visual aid. Children will love drawing items and gradually become familiar with alphabets and letters.

Make children write their books

Encourage children to write their storybooks and get them compiled in the form of a book. Once completed, help them correct it and add them to your bookshelf. Finding a book written by them in the book-shelf will create in them a sense of pride.

Create writing worksheets

For small children just beginning to write, try creating a worksheet where they can trace out letters and words. You can also create a connect-the-dots game by engaging your child tracing along the dotted line and finally finding out the letter which comes up. 

Encourage reading

Regular reading helps expand a child’s vocabulary and shows them different ways of using a particular word. This would make it easier for them to use these words on their piece while writing. 

Encourage your child’s love for reading as they grow. This can be accomplished in smaller children by ensuring that you too read along with them daily. Start Reading early. Those children who devour books, grow up to become strong writers themselves.

Write to faraway friend and relatives

Writing to friends and relatives who they don’t get to see very often would increase your child’s love for writing. They will be enthusiastic to tell about what they have been up to and would love it, even more, when they get a response back.

Creativity can also be encouraged by assigning writing tasks like making pen pals or writing a letter to each other at home and hiding them around the house to find.

Encourage journaling

Creating a journal would be a great milestone in improving your child’s writing skills. This is a great way to express your thoughts and ideas on a particular topic. Encourage your child to write in as much as possible and make it a part of his or her daily routine. 

Create a writing space

Dedicate an area of your home solely for writing purposes. Space should be completely devoted to writing. This will help your child to stay away from all distractions and he can focus on practicing writing skills regularly. 

Connect your child’s interest

Think about your kid’s favorite book series or a comic character or whatever your child is fascinated about. Connect his or her area of interest to writing. If your child is interested in dinosaurs, encourage him to write a series on them, or to describe their features in an article. 

Create story prompts

Suppose your child is obsessed with Pokemon. Encourage your child to write a new short story about Pokemon or ask him to create an entire series of Pokemon. This will add on to his creative writing skills and imagination, prompting him to write more and more. 

Make apt use of Technology 

Use technology to your advantage by promoting your child to create a blog. Engaging in such online updates would help improve their writing skills by encouraging frequent writing habits and creative skills. 

Invest your time

Make yourself available to help your child in proofreading and spellings whenever your child requires it. This will make him confident in what he/she is writing to help him improve more.

Praise your child’s work

Appreciate your child when they show interest in writing any piece. This appreciation will be an inspiration for him to write more and develop their skills. 

As parents, encourage them to write at schools, participate in competitions and try bringing out the best in them by your constant guidance and support. Give these techniques a try and along with some fun, you can see your children sparkling with pens.

Categories
Development Parenting and Childcare

Speech and Language Development in Children

Speech and language development are some of the most crucial parts of a child’s overall development. It determines the capability of an infant to communicate with the outside world. It also facilitates your child’s ability to speak and express his feelings, to understand and exchange information in a meaningful way with others.

Crucial developmental period

The most intensive period in a child’s life is considered to be the first three years to develop speech and language skills. It is at this time when the brain is maturing and growing that these skills develop the most. During this period the child’s brain is best in absorbing any language. You must provide him/her with good exposure to sounds, sights and continuous interaction with others speaking.

Parent’s role

Parents play a prominent role in helping their little ones develop the skill of speaking. From the beginning, you can respond to small sounds and gestures that your baby makes. Introduce him to the world around, the creatures, sounds and all that you see and touch.

Engage your child in conversation

Whenever your baby says something, keep adding on to it. Keep talking to your baby whenever you are with him. Asking him questions would prompt the child to speak and you need to listen to the answer patiently. You need to engage him listening to your stories, poems or rhymes. Make your child get familiar with your language. Encourage him to speak and mingle with others.

Age-appropriate milestone

You can identify children with difficulties and their speaking habits at certain points of time.

For this, you must be aware of the time by which your child should start interactions in various forms depending on his/her age.

By the end of 3 months
  • Make cooing sounds
  • Recognizes your face
  • Smiles when you appear
  • Cries differently for different needs
By the end of 6 months
  • Responds to changes in tone of your voice
  • Pays attention to music
  • Makes varieties of sounds and babble
  • Moves their eyes in the direction of sounds
  • Identifies the sounds of toys
By the end of 12 months
  • Tries imitating speech sounds
  • Start saying a few words like Amma, Dada etc.
  • Understands simple instructions like come here
By the end of 18 months
  • Though non verbally, answers simple questions
  • Recognize the names and faces of familiar people and body parts
  • Tries imitating simple words
By the end of 24 months
  • Combining words like more milk, go tata, etc
  • Speak well enough to be understood by at least parents
  • Begins to use pronouns like mine
By the end of 3 years
  • Answers simple questions
  • Speech becomes more accurate but strangers might not be able to understand what they speak completely
  • Uses descriptive words like ‘big’, ‘happy’, ‘small’
  • Uses questions to ask for something such as ‘my ball?’
  • Asks a lot of questions

By 4 years he must be able to describe events as they have happened and can tell a simple story all by himself.

By the age of 2 or 3, if your child doesn’t start speaking, it should be taken seriously.

When to check with the doctor

If a child’s speech or language appears to be delayed, immediate measures have to be taken.

Approach a speech-language pathologist and share your concern about your child’s communication skills. The doctor will evaluate your child based on hearing tests and special spoken tests. Depending on the test reports, doctors will suggest activities to be performed at home to stimulate the development of a child’s speech.

Always keep in mind that your little one is always keenly listening to you and is going to speak by imitating you. Talk to your child whenever you are with them. These techniques can encourage your child’s speech and language development.