Children love to play and they are constantly learning while doing so. It’s the worst feeling in the world when you feel your child is behind in an area, and one of the more common areas is delayed speech.
Every child learns differently and at their own pace. Sometimes it takes different methods to figure out what works best for your child. However, every child plays and every child loves to have attention. Learning through play is a huge benefit in your child’s life. I understand life can get busy, but taking 15-20 minutes before bedtime or before dinner, to just play with your child goes a long way.
Create a routine and stick with it. Bring out all the toys and sit down with your child and make a special moment about it. Get them involved but make sure you stay involved, also. Make sure you are also talking to your child like you would any other adult. Do not baby talk them, it makes them unconfident in their words and they also start to feel as if that is how they should talk. Talking to them as any other adult will help them feel more confident and help them develop a better vocabulary.
There are a lot of games and toys you can introduce to your child to help with delayed speech. Here are just a few that I believe would be very beneficial for your child.
Toobaloo Auditory Feedback Phone
Some kids decide not to speak because they don’t want to sound silly, or just they don’t really hear themselves talking. This phone like tool will help your child hear themselves talk while pretending like they are talking on the phone with their friends or pretending to read a book to their family on the phone. The possibilities are endless, it helps with communication skills and self-confidence.
Microphone
What child doesn’t like to be loud and in charge? This microphone helps your child be loud and make sure to be heard. Singing, talking, yelling – no matter what they end up doing, they are practicing their vocal skills. Try to encourage your child by setting up a pretend stage and putting some music on. Allow them to put on a show for you or their friends. This will help their confidence and want to show off their vocal skills.
Talking Tom Plush Toy
Talking Tom is a very popular app on smartphones. Talking Tom encourages your kids to talk to him so he can repeat everything you say. I totally understand – you don’t want your child sitting on a phone all day. What is the next best thing? This awesome plush doll, Tom will still repeat everything your child says. This will help your child gain the well-deserved confidence they deserve. They won’t want to put Talking Tom down, they will want to say silly words and songs just to hear Tom repeat them. This can turn into hours of fun!
You can also use the toys you already have at home. Playing pretend with hot wheels or Barbie dolls, putting on musicals or plays, dancing or working out – seriously anything in your child’s room can be put to good use. It’s not about what toy it is, it’s about how you go about using them. Make sure to be patient, sound words out, use repetition, and praise them for their hard work. Practice makes perfect, and always remember, every child develops at their own pace.
