Top Ten Tips for Parents/Guardians
Infants to First Class
- Listen to what your child is saying /trying to say and respond to contributions.
- Make and maintain eye contact while talking with your child. He also needs to maintain eye contact when speaking to you.
- Explain the meaning of words.
- Talk through activities.
- Talk through everyday experiences.
- Involve your child in discussions / plans.
- Ask / Answer questions.
- Teach your child nursery rhymes /songs / poems/ raps.
- Develop your child’s receptive language by asking him/her to follow simple instructions.
- Assist your child to express ideas in an orderly fluent way.
- Read to your child each night.
Second Class to Fourth Class
- Set aside 10-15 minutes to discuss the day’s happenings.
- Encourage your child to express and justify opinions.
- Involve your child in adult conversation when appropriate.
- Talk about the child’s favourite T.V programme.
- Play language games which focus on words i.e. Scrabble, crosswords.
- Encourage your child to talk about experiences with a wide range of people, peers, relations and other adults.
- Listen carefully and clarify meaning, ‘Do you mean/or is this what you mean?’
- Encourage your child to give reasons for decisions.
- Encourage your child to listen courteously to the opinions of others.
- Talk about school topics and assignments.
Fifth and Sixth Class
- Encourage your child to develop a positive attitude to speaking / listening.
- Discuss your child’s school work successes/concerns/interests.
- Respect your child’s opinions and feelings.
- Involve your child in adult conversations.
- When appropriate, help your child to extend his range of words in specialised subjects.
- Encourage your child to listen and respond courteously to others.
- Watch and discuss T.V. news / current affairs programmes together.
- Assist your child to locate information in local library and internet.
- Talk about school topics and assignments.
- Play commercial games that focus on word building.