Radio Commentary
Children with strong language skills tend to do better in school than those who are weak in that area. Language skills come in handy in a variety of ways, and they help with almost every other subject a student studies in school.
For this reason, it’s important to do all we can to help children strengthen these skills. Here are some ways you can help your child develop them:
• Buy or make hand puppets. Then help your child put on a puppet show of a favorite story or make one up from scratch. The act of conveying a message helps strengthen language skills.
• Talk as often as you can about familiar items in your home to help children learn that things have names. For example, mention the bed, chair, door, sink, and cabinet as you do work around the house.
If your child seems interested, try making labels to show that the names can be written down as words.
• It also helps to limit TV viewing. Children who are watching television are not playing outside, thinking, being creative, or using language skills of their own.
When your children do watch TV, try to watch along with them. Talk about what you’ve just seen. Relate it to your child’s life and family setting. Use rich vocabulary at a level your child can understand.
All these activities can help strengthen language skills.
