Young children need many opportunities to have conversations in order to develop a rich vocabulary, an understanding of language, and discussion skills that help them learn from others and share their ideas. Caregivers can create opportunities for children to engage in meaningful conversation throughout the day.
- Use everyday activities as opportunities for rich conversational talk (e.g., walks, mealtimes, story time, during quiet or outdoor play).
- Be mindful of spaces at home that encourage children to talk and share ideas (e.g., spaces with less distractions and/or competing noise)
- Ask open-ended questions to challenge children to “go deeper” as they express ideas Ask questions that require deeper thinking and more language to answer. (e.g., Ask, “Why do you think that happened?” rather than “Did you think that would happen?”).
