Speak Up, Parents! You've Got THIS!
- Rhonda Richmond
- Oct 16, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 16, 2024
I have a saying that goes like this:
“If you can think it, you can say it.
If you can say it, you can write it.
If you can write it, you can read it.
If you can read it, you can teach it.
If you can teach it, you will believe it.
If you believe it, you will achieve it.”
As a mom who has dealt with my own learning disabilities, I understand how intimidating it can feel to help your child with their learning, especially if you don’t feel super confident with your own literacy skills. You might even be asking yourself, “How can I guide my child when I have difficulties myself?” Trust me, I’ve asked myself this question more times than I can count!
I’ll be honest with you—communication has been one of the biggest challenges for me, especially when it comes to speaking out loud. I’ve struggled with everything from word formation (like creating new words with prefixes and suffixes) to phonics and vocabulary. Believe it or not, writing and reading were even harder for me! After multiple failed attempts at starting with reading or writing, I realized I needed to adjust my approach and focus on speaking first.
**If your child is non-verbal, please know that just because they aren’t communicating with words doesn’t mean they can’t understand you or find other ways to express themselves. Communication is about connection, and there are so many ways to connect!
Speaking Like Adults (Yes, Even to Kids!)
One thing I learned early on was that children mimic what we do, so “baby talk” was out of the question for me. Speaking in that way was teaching my kids to pronounce words incorrectly, so I made a point to talk to them like I would talk to another adult. You know what? It ended up being a great decision! Not only did it help my kids learn proper language skills, but it also helped me feel less lonely as a mom, especially on those days when I was craving adult conversation (I’m sure some of you know exactly what I mean—LOL!).
How We Started Our Lessons
So how did we begin? Well, it wasn’t fancy or complicated. I’d start by telling my child what we were going to do: “Today, I’m going to read a sentence, and I want you to follow along with me. Then we’ll talk about it.”
Once I explained the plan, I’d read the sentence:“The big black cat ran down the street.”
I’d use different voices—sometimes silly, sometimes serious—just to make it fun and grab my child’s attention. Then, I’d ask simple questions like:
What ran?
What color was it?
How did it go down the street?
Why do you think it ran?
The goal was to get us talking about the sentence, and as my kids got older, I’d ask them to continue the story. I’d say, “What do you think happened to the cat after it ran?” That way, we were building a story together, sparking their imagination while also working on communication.
Finding Opportunities Everywhere
I quickly realized that communication didn’t have to be limited to formal lessons. I started talking about everything! We’d chat about books, cereal boxes, and the items in our pantry. When we were driving, we’d talk about the weather, the people we saw, or the place we were heading to—how far it was, what we expected to do there, and so on.
I’d also talk through everyday tasks. If I was cooking in the kitchen, I’d describe what I was doing out loud with the kids in the room. I’d talk about the steps I was taking, celebrate my successes, and even laugh about my mistakes. I’d say things like, “Oops! I think I put too much salt in! What should I do to fix it?” And I’d encourage my kids to respond in whatever way they could—whether it was nodding, pointing, or even trying to communicate through gestures or their device.
The Key to It All: Just Keep Talking
Here’s the thing I want to share with every parent out there: it doesn’t matter if you’re a literacy expert or if you’re struggling yourself—what matters is that you keep communicating. Speak with your child about anything and everything. Whether they’re verbal or non-verbal, the goal is to connect with them, help them express themselves in their own way, and let them see that learning can be fun and flexible.
If I can do it—trust me—you can too! Just keep talking, laughing, and enjoying the process, and you’ll be amazed at how much progress your child will make along the way.
In ur next blog post, we will discuss more about the writing process.
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