Thinking of Play as the Avenue to Grow Speech and Language
Playing is one of the most important ways for children to learn and this is no different in early language development. In addition to supporting language and communication development, play also has a plethora of other positives; it also shapes growth with social skills, cognition, problem solving and reasoning, and flexible or imaginative thinking. Before children ever learn how to hold a conversation, have a friend, pick up a paper and pencil, or read a book, they know how to play…and this is their key to learning.
By recognizing the value of play, as parents, we can strategically enhance our children’s early language development by making sure they have the right types of play opportunities. Here are some ideas of how to play with your little ones in ways that enhance learning and how to shape early language development.
