“The tongue has no bone, but it can break bone.” This old proverb reminds us of the power of words. So, how can you help your first grader develop fluent and confident speaking skills? Let’s explore the secrets in this article!
Starting from the Basics: Listening and Speaking from an Early Age
Create a Comfortable Talking Environment
Imagine a child growing up in a family environment with little conversation and interaction. Clearly, their communication skills will be limited. Conversely, a child whose parents and grandparents regularly talk to them, tell stories, and read books will develop language naturally and easily.
Tell Stories to Your Child Every Day
Make time every day to tell engaging stories to your child. Choose stories that are age-appropriate, with simple and easy-to-understand language. Storytelling not only helps children absorb knowledge but also stimulates imagination, develops language, and trains listening skills.
Supporting Your Child’s Speaking Confidence
Encourage Self-Expression
Encourage your child to participate in communication activities such as storytelling, reciting poetry, and acting in front of friends and teachers.
Practice Standard Pronunciation
Standard pronunciation is the foundation for fluent and confident speaking. Parents can buy flashcard sets about letters and syllables and practice with their children.
Practice Conversational Skills
Create hypothetical situations for your child to practice conversational skills. For example, you can play the role of a salesperson and your child plays the role of a customer, or vice versa.
Making Speaking Fun Through Games
“Storytelling with Pictures” Game
Prepare some simple pictures illustrating familiar stories. Ask your child to tell stories based on the pictures, then you can add more details or guide your child to retell the story in a different way.
“Riddle” Game
Play riddle games with your child. Choose simple, easy-to-understand questions that are appropriate for your child’s age.
Expert Tips
According to preschool teacher Pham Thi Thu Thao, author of the book “Tips for Teaching Children to Speak Well”: “Developing speaking skills for young children is a process that requires patience, regularity, and consistency from parents. Create a fun and comfortable environment for your child to confidently express themselves.”
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I know if my child has good speaking skills?
You can assess your child’s speaking skills based on these criteria:
- Your child can communicate with adults and friends naturally.
- Your child can express their ideas and thoughts clearly.
- Your child can use language accurately and appropriately for the context.
- Your child can tell stories, recite poetry, act, etc., confidently.
2. When should I start developing my child’s speaking skills?
You can start developing your child’s speaking skills from a very young age, even before they can speak. Parents can use simple methods such as talking to their child, telling them stories, and singing lullabies to stimulate their language ability.
Increase Interaction With Your Child:
Please share your experiences in developing your child’s speaking skills! Parents can leave comments, share this article, and participate in online courses on effective communication skills on the SOFT SKILLS website.