Listening, watching and responding to your child is a great way to talk to them about the things that interest them, which will help them learn words more quickly.
One way to do this is to name things they see and hear when you're out and about, taking notice of what they’re most interested in and helping them to chat about them.
Watch how this mum and her daughter chat during their bus journey in the video below.
How listening, watching and responding helps your child learn
It helps your child to:
- Show you what interests them
- Keep the conversation going about something that interests them
- Link the words they hear with what you’re doing or looking at
There are so many interesting sights and sounds in everyday life and naming these things can help your child learn new words and how to communicate better.
You don't have to go far; even a bus journey can be a brilliant sensory experience and a fun time to chat.
