Do you remember what onomatopoeia is? ‘Psss’ (snake), ‘Chu- chu’ (train), ‘Brrr’ (cold), and ‘Moo’ (cow) these sounds can be a great way to introduce children to language and help develop their first sounds. Using them in daily life, stories, rhymes, and conversations can help children become familiar with the sounds of language and increase their understanding of the meanings of words.
At Nurture Steps we strongly recommend the use of sounds mostly for children with developmental delays who are non-verbal or non-vocal.
You can also use sound effects to show children how to pronounce words and help them distinguish between sounds. Children will make their own sounds that represent objects and actions. This will help them become more creative and expressive. With the help of these techniques, children can build a strong language foundation and become more confident and comfortable with language development.
So next time, instead of long sentences or too many words you can try one word followed by a sound.
You can also stick with the same sounds for the same word. For example
if a favourite toy is a fire engine you say, “here is your neenaw – fire truck”
At home, if a child wants you to open something but it’s too hard for them to say open you can try “OO – open”
When you are out and about, something is bound to go – bang bang or yum yum.
