January 23, 2024
Picture the scene…A pair of little, two-year-old hands stacking one block, two blocks, three blocks, four blocks. With each repetition “up” was modeled by his mom and me in our prospective homes via telehealth. When the block tower became too tall in all good fun the blocks tumbled to the ground with a modeled “ah boom” from the adults in the room. The overall intention of the interaction was for my little friend to use his voice to imitate and learn that his mom and other adults in his world are there to learn from.
The play continued “up, up, up, up, up” was modeled and “ah boom” was repeated by his mom and me. This interaction continued for 50+ repetitions when suddenly, my little friend looked at me and his mom as a little light bulb went off in his brain and his sweet voice uttered “ah boom”. An eruption of praise ensued with lots of clapping and cheering “bravo”. My little friend learned the power of using his voice and his mom learned the power of using repetition in a highly motivating fun activity to build language skills.
Why is repetition important? Repetition is a necessary ingredient for learning in young children and as busy adults we can forget it’s importance as we search for novelty in our own lives.
Repetition allows a child to practice and predict what comes next. Think about fun games like Peek-a-Boo that your child wants to play over and over again!
Repetition allows a child to feel mastery over a skill. Think about when your child started walking and how much time was put into the repetitive task of putting one foot in front of the other.
When your child is learning to talk and especially if your child is experiencing language delays, research indicates the importance of repetition. Mettler et al. (2023) through parent coaching encouraged parents to use a target set of 4 words modeling each word 9 times a minute for 7-8 minutes for each word in a 30-minute session using a variety of sentences in a low pressure environment. That’s 270 repetitions with each word repeated approximately 67 times!
About 90 percent of children produce at least 50 words and make word combinations by 24 months (https://www.asha.org/public/developmental-milestones/communication-milestones-19-to-24-months/). To learn more about how to use repetition with your child if you are concerned about language delays, go to Book Now to schedule a Meet and Greet. If not, here are some additional resources to help build your knowledge to help guide your child’s language learning.
Resources
https://www.hanen.org/Helpful-Info/Parent-Tips.aspx
https://teachmetotalk.com/category/parents/
https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/for-families/
References
Early and Bright. (2023). The first 50 words course: A step-by-step guide to first words. https://www.earlyandbrightslp.com/slpcourse
Mettler et. al. (2023). Vocabulary acquisition and usage for late talkers: The feasibility of a care-giver-implemented telehealth model. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research (66), 257-275.
Mize, L. (2023). The late talker workbook: Three plans to support early language development for toddlers and preschoolers who are late talkers. Teachmetotalk.com.