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Tips for Talking with Children
- Use your normal language style. You don't have to simplify your vocabulary when talking with a young child. Babies will soon catch on to the meaning of new words and add the words to her or his own vocabulary.
- Recognize a child's mistakes as signs of progress. Children often make mistakes in grammar and pronunciation because they are constructing their own knowledge about language. They may have figured out a rule, but don't know all the exceptions. When responding to children, simply restate the words in standard format.
For example, if the child says "I goed to the shoe store yesterday", respond with, "What did you do when you went to the shoe store?"
- Keep the conversation going. Respond to children's phrases and simple sentences by answering in longer sentence patterns.
For example, Jacey said, "I like pizza." Mr. Luis responded, "I like pizza too. My favorite part of the pizza is the melted cheese on top. What do you like best about pizza?"
- Be a patient listener. It's typical for young children to ramble while telling a story or sharing an idea.
- Give children something to talk about. Provide interesting experiences in as many environments as possible, and as often as possible. Take a walk in the neighborhood. Catch snowflakes on your tongues. Examine a mysterious object.
- Dress up as a familiar character. Play a guessing game with your child. Ask questions such as: "What do I do?" "Where do I live?" "Who do I play with?" "Who am I?"
 Tips by Topic:
 Creating Literacy-Rich Classrooms
Early Literacy
Encouraging Family Involvement
Encouraging Struggling Readers
Motivating Kids to Write
Motivating Students to Read
Preventing Summer Reading Loss
Readers with Special Needs
Reading Aloud
Reading to Learn
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