Although it might feel natural to ask your child questions, they might not always have the words to answer. Describing what your child is doing is a great way to help them understand how the words they hear are linked to their actions.
Routines like bathtime are a chance to give this a go, as in the video below.
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
Routines like bathtime give you plenty to talk about. Try describing all of the actions, sights and sounds they experience.
Simply by talking as you go, you're teaching your child how to connect words with objects and actions. By describing, you're modelling the words they need to know, as opposed to asking questions they might struggle to answer.
