Expressive language skill is the ability to use words, sentences and gestures to convey and communicate our messages, intentions and ideas to others.
With expressive language skills, we can tell stories, describe objects and concepts, answer questions and form correct sentences. Children who lack this skill will find the aforementioned abilities difficult to do.
Parents Role In Developing Expressive Language Skills
- Talk to your child: The importance of verbal communication with your child even as a baby cannot be overemphasized. The more words a child hear, the larger his vocabulary.
- Offer choices: Help your child label items by offering multiple options. For instance, hold an apple and onion and ask the child to choose an apple.
- Ask simple questions: You could ask simple questions about body parts and animal sounds. It is a great way to encourage the development of expressive language skills.
- Play games: Games such as ‘fill in the missing word’ in a rhyme and ‘name that object’ are great ideas
- Limit toddler screen time: When toddlers are not glued to a screen , it gives them enough time to interact with each other.
Signs of difficulty with expressive language skills
Difficulty with Express language skills may be expressed in the following ways:
- Difficulty describing or explaining something.
- Difficulty retelling a story
- Difficulty labelling objects or items
- Problem of fluency