Sentence Length
In order to be your child's language guide, you need to
speak just a little ahead of his/her language. If your sentences
are always shorter than your child's sentences, or even
if they are exactly the same as your child's, it could be
difficult for him/her to move on to longer sentences. If
you speak in long sentences, your child might have a hard
time understanding you and/or imitating those sentences.
Speaking in sentences that are too long for your child also
makes it difficult for him/her to learn new words and ways
of talking. If you pay attention to your sentences as you
have conversations with your child, and stay just a little
ahead, you will guide your child to the next level of talking.
Examples of Too Long
Child:
"throw ball!" (2 words)
Parent:
"Do you want me to throw the ball over the net now?"
(12 words)
Child:
"Me want cookie" (3 words)
Parent:
"You want a cookie that's up in the cupboard or the
one that I'm making here?" (17
words)
Child:
"airplane!" (3 words)
Parent:
"That airplane's going all the way to grandma's house"
(10 words)
Examples of Too Short
Child:
"throw ball!" (2 words)
Parent:
"ball" (1 word)
Child:
"Me want cookie" (3 words)
Parent:
"Cookie" (1 word)
Child:
"airplane!" (3 words)
Parent:
"oooh!" (1 word)
Examples of "Just Ahead"
Child:
"throw ball!" (2 words)
Parent:
"Mommy throw the ball" (4
words)
Child:
"Me want cookie" (3 words)
Parent:
"I want a cookie too" (5
words)
Child:
"airplane!" (3 words)
Parent:
"The airplane flies!" (3
words)
