Experts talk tips for supporting childhood language development

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- According to experts, the pandemic has led to an increase in "late talkers" among children due to disruptions in routines, limited social interactions and increased screen time.

Megan Fanani of The Goddard School of Pleasant Prairie and Amanda Townsend of Simply Spoken Therapy joined us on Wednesday, May 29 to discuss strategies to support language development.

They believe parents can help their children by doing activities such as conversing while reading stories, pointing out objects and asking questions about the story are effective techniques. Other techniques include singing and dancing, that can allow children to enjoy using words while being active.

Also, fingerplays and rhymes like "Itsy Bitsy Spider" promote language use and laughter, playing games and finishing puzzles together encourages children to describe actions and identify pieces and decreasing screen time can also improve language skills. Parents are also encouraged to face their children and wait for responses during interactions.