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.
Watch the video below to see how this dad describes what’s happening as his daughter washes her hands.
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
Everyday activities like hand washing are a great time for you and your child to chat, and they can learn related words such as ‘wash’, 'splash' and 'rub'.
Talk through each step, describing all the actions and naming all the objects, so your child hears all the words that relate to what you’re doing.
Repeating words as you do an activity with your child will help them to link the words to their meanings.
