As you play games with your child, you might be tempted to ask lots of questions about what they're doing. However, they may not always have the answers at this stage.
It's often better to describe what they’re doing as they play, so they hear the words and link them to their actions.
See how you can do this when playing the washing up game with your little one.
How asking fewer questions and describing actions helps children to learn
It helps them to:
- Enjoy chatting without the pressure of lots of questions
- Link your words to their actions and learn new words more quickly
- Learn the language they need to talk about what they’re doing
Instead of asking your little one lots of questions as you play, try describing what they're doing using lots of action words like 'washing', 'scrubbing', and 'cleaning' and describe the items they’re using like 'yellow bowl'.
Talk about what you're doing. For example, 'daddy is adding the washing up liquid' and encourage your child to repeat the action.
