101 WAYS...

101 Ways to help your child develop strong speech, language, social, fine and gross motor skills.

1. Provide Eye Contact

Infants and parents often gaze at one another. These are the some of the first social communicative attempts a child makes. We often take these moments for granted. However, it is important to understand that eye contact is a foundation for speech and language development.

2. Moderate TV Watching

In 1999 the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement about television viewing for children. This policy delineated the benefits that TV can have as well as the developmental risks that it can pose to children, especially those under the age of two.

3. Read Books With Your Child - Actively

Reading books every day with your child can help with many areas of development such as speech and language acquisition, eye-hand coordination, cognitive-linguistic skills and more. However, to make the most of reading time - do more than simply read aloud while your child listens. Even if your child can't read yet, there is much he or she can do to engage further in the activity to enhance learning and development.

4. Encourage Dramatic Play

Play can facilitate all areas of development. It is an essential part of growth. When children are infants they engage in holding and banging toys - the rudiments of understanding cause and effect, emergence of motor skills, attention, and overall development. By the time a child is several years old play should become more advanced; that is, children begin to engage in dramatic play.

5. Sing Songs

Sing songs that include finger, hand and / or body movements with your child. This helps with speech and language development, intonation, and motor skills. Some great children's songs that include movement are:

6. Provide Good Nutrition

Plentiful research has been conducted on the effects of nutrition on child development and growth. Poor nutrition has been shown to negatively impact child development significantly. It is important to understand your child's nutritional needs, which can be difficult when there are many different views as to what constitutes a good diet.

7. Plenty of Sleep

Children require plenty of sleep to grow and develop. Sleep can be as important as nutrition and exercise. It can be difficult to know how much sleep children require. The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies has provided the following guidelines:

8. Talk, Talk, Talk

Simply talking to your child will expose him or her to language. This exposure goes a long way! Talk about the things around you, talk about what you are doing, talk about what your child is doing, and so on.

9. Explain Words

Often, children will ask, "What does that mean?" They seek definitions of words when they are exposed to new vocabulary. Defining words is helpful. However, to help your child remember new words it is great to use words they know as stepping stones. In other words (no pun intended), use synonyms (words that have similar meaning), or antonyms (opposites) when describing words or explaining meaning.

10. Kitchen Activities

Children love to help their parents create delicious foods in the kitchen. Baking and cooking projects help children learn to follow directions, and follow sequences. There are many children's cookbooks available - and some provide recipes that don't even require cooking. Simple quick projects can be filled with new vocabulary and challenge your child to listen carefully.

Speech, Language, Occupational and Physical Therapy

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