Child Speech Development
Cara Tyrell with Core4 Parenting provides parents with a toolkit of information they need to be their child’s first and best teacher with speech development. Cara completed studies in American Sign Language, linguistics, education and reading working with young children. She began to notice that many of the children who came to her were not prepared for the social emotional and interpersonal needs required in preschool and kindergarten. Feeling that her skills were not being fully utilized in the education setting she left the classroom to become a nanny for children. She wanted to be able to help them develop their whole person from birth so they would be ready socially and emotionally to enter preschool or kindergarten.
Using the four core communication techniques:
- mutual honesty
- trust
- open communication
- respect
with children she began helping them to develop their interpersonal, physical, social, emotional, and cognitive skills.
By the age of 5 approximately 85% of a child’s foundational brain growth is complete.
By intervening early in your child’s development, you are able to set children up to be more resilient and successful when they enter kindergarten. Ask yourself what qualities and characteristics you want to instill in your child. This can reframe the conversation from what you want a child to be to who you want your child to be.
The first step in beginning to cultivate the whole child speech development:
- is to not only speak to them in full sentences
- but to narrate what the parent is doing or feeling.
Even as young as three months old a baby’s brain is developing architecturally by hearing complex and complete speech. Speak to them not only about what you are doing but also how you are feeling or want to feel. Cara gives the example in the podcast is for parents to narrate while making a cup of tea, the reason behind needing or wanting a cup of tea and how they will drink the tea. “Wow, today was really a hard day for me. I’m going to make a cup of tea. Then I will sit, and we will play together.”
The second thing parents can do to help their baby build communication skills:
- is to use sign language with their child.
By giving a voice through sign language you will find that communication is easier and helps to avoid frustration before a child can use words to communicate. Children get frustrated because while they can understand what you are saying to them, they are not yet able to use their expressive language skills to tell you what they need, feel or want. By using sign language, it will give your child the ability to communicate their needs, wants and feelings.
If your children are older, Cara mentions that it’s not too late to teach your teens about emotional control. When we notice our older children are angry or upset, many parents try to stop their child’s feelings of anger, sadness, frustration. Instead of helping them channel their feelings into an appropriate outlet. It is more helpful for you to realize that it’s your child’s job to try to discharge their feelings in a way that is okay. While you help them develop the tools to feel like they can solve their own problem once they have calmed down.
Cara’s online courses help parents through all the stages of child speech development from birth through five. She has created a virtual village with education courses, support groups and professional advice that has helped countless parents and families begin the journey of teaching their children how to effectively communicate in the world. If you are interested in booking a free 15-minute consultation with Cara follow this link https://tinyurl.com/47akru5e.
Cara also offers a free webinar on her website at
FREE Webinar Part1 — Home with Core4
Other blog posts you may enjoy:
Online Speech Therapy for Kids
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