Keeping up conversation

Did you know children need to have around 10,000 words spoken to them each day in order to flourish?

That’s a staggeringly large number and it sounds daunting but there are numerous studies to show that children who start school with wide and varied vocabulary will achieve success. The best gift you can give your child is to talk to them. Share a conversation with them. You are gift ing your words and ideas and laying the foundation for future success.

There’s a big difference between saying ‘‘Breakfast is ready.’’ and saying ‘‘Here’s your breakfast, come to the table and eat it. You have cereal which is very crunchy and milk, which comes from the cows.’’

And it’s not just being talked at that helps our children flourish but it’s the back and forth turn-taking conversations that make a big difference. Have you had a conversation with your child today?

– Catherine Campbell is a speech and language therapist at Nelson Tasman Kindergartens