Chapter 4 - Talk That Teaches

Introduction

You can teach language as you have conversations with your child. The language that you use can help your child learn more if it is not too far above what he/she can use. You can use specific vocabulary or words that teach that will help your child learn more words and more kinds of words. And your child will learn more language if you are involved in positive conversations more often. For more on having positive conversations with your child, visit Chapter 3 - Encouraging Conversations.

This chapter will provide you with ways to use your talking, or your language, to help your child learn more language. The following topics are included in Chapter 4

• How to be a "language guide" for your child
  • Sentence Length
  • Using "target" language (language that your child needs to learn next)
• Knowing parts of language so that you can make "targets"
  • Labels (nouns)
  • Action words (verbs)
  • Description words (adjectives and adverbs)
  • Location words (prepositions)