Contents

1 Eye Contact 2 Joint Attending 3 Child Led Learning Experiences 4 Limit Directive Language 5 Other Tips

[Edit]1 Eye Contact

Eye contact with your child is essential. The importance of eye contact is obvious when using sign language, but it is equally important for auditory communication or a combination of the two. The child must be aware that you are communicating with him or her in order to learn from your use of language.

[Edit]2 Joint Attending

Children learn vocabulary best when they are discussing something shared with the communication partner, such as an object both can see or an event both experience. This type of interaction is called ‘joint attention,’ since they are attending to the same object or event. Early language learning focuses on naming objects, so make sure your child is looking at the object by pointing to the object or, preferably, placing your hand on the object. Once joint attention has been established, you can go on to discuss the name and characteristics of the object. Joint attention continues to be important as children learn more sophisticated words such as verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions. For example, you might say “I saw you put the book on the table” to describe the child’s actions using a preposition.

[Edit]3 Child Led Learning Experiences

As much as possible, follow your child’s lead. Discuss what the child is looking at or doing already. Although sometimes it’s necessary to draw attention to other objects or actions, it is much easier, and more effective for language development, to focus on what the child is attending to at that moment.

[Edit]4 Limit Directive Language

Try to limit instructions or directions when interacting if your purpose is to develop language. Of course, these statements, called directives, are frequently needed for behavior management. However, if a large proportion of your interaction with the child consists of directives, you are losing the language-learning value of joint attention. Research suggests that a consistently high percentage of directives will slow the development of vocabulary in particular and language skills in general.

[Edit]5 Other Tips

• Keep your hands away from your face - to enable the child to see all of your face, especially your lips

• Reduce background noise by turning off the television or radio

• Be sure that you are in a well-lit place, and that light is not shining into the eyes of the child with whom you are communicating

• If you are not making yourself understood, finding a different way of saying the same thing

• Be aware that the child who has impaired hearing may have difficulty understanding speech even with a hearing aid or cochlear implant.

You don’t have to be a speech pathologist or a specialist in hearing habilitation to help your deaf child learn language! By employing the guidelines above, you will increase the amount of time you and your child spend discussing shared experiences, and as a result your child’s language skills will improve steadily.

Last changed: 16.03.2008 23:24 by Editor -