How Can a Caregiver Interact With Children Using Words?

Books

• One way to interact with a child verbally is by reading to him. Children learn through books by examining pictures, mimicking the sounds of the person reading and exploring the book independently. Reading helps a child learn to label objects and expands his vocabulary. When you read to a child, you're fostering bonding and learning experiences simultaneously. Popular classic books that children typically enjoy and that are on Scholastic's 100 Greatest Books for Kids list include "Goodnight Moon," by Margaret Wise Brown, "Green Eggs and Ham," by Dr. Seuss, and "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," by Eric Carle.

Role Play

• Role playing and doll play are great ways to verbally communicate with a child. To role play, you might play house, pretend to visit a post office or grocery store, and talk on play telephones, as these situations can encourage children to express feelings that they might otherwise keep inside. Children learn to trust caregivers through play and verbalization, notes the Earlychildhood NEWS website. Verbal communication is vital for child development and helps children understand and process their feelings. Children typically become less physically aggressive when they have verbal communication skills.

Songs

• Singing is another way to communicate with a child using words. From infancy, children are capable of recognizing rhythms. You might use hand motions that the child can mimic during the song, so even if she doesn't have language skills yet, she is still a part of the song. Songs keep your communication with a child upbeat and positive. Some popular songs that you might want to sing include, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."

Outdoor Exploration

• You can also use nature walks as a means to verbally communicate with a child. While walking, the National Association for the Education of Young Children suggests asking open-ended questions like, "What is your favorite part of being outside?̶1; You can also discuss what you see on your walk like flowers, colors, shapes of clouds and the numbers of trees. If you live in an urban environment, take the child to explore a nearby playground or community area and ask, ̶0;What do you like to do best in the playground?" or ̶0;Would you rather swing, or go down the slide?̶1; Conversations about the outing will likely continue to blossom even after you're home.