How to help your child expand their language

Have you heard of a “one-upper”? As an adult we often see this as a negative characteristic in others. A one-upper is someone who always has a better story to tell, or has been there, done that whenever you speak about a fun trip you took.
Well, I’m sorry but you’re going to become that person with your child, A “One-Upper”!

What exactly is a one-upper, and why do we want you to be one?

As you may remember from some earlier posts, the best way to model language for your child is to match their level of output. If you’re sitting down to play one-on-one and you want to model language for them to repeat, it’s important to use single words, or 2 and 3-word combinations depending on where they are in their language development.

This is where being a one-upper comes in! When you hear your child say a word, you get to “one-up” them by adding a word to it! That way you are modeling the next level of communication for them to repeat! Some ideas when one-upping your child’s language are to be aware of the type of word you add to theirs! Here’s some examples:

ADD AN ADJECTIVE

Child says:
Block

Adult says:
Blue block
Big block
Small block
Three blocks

USE A SYNONYM

Child says:
Small

Adult says:
Tiny
So little
Itty bitty

USE AN ANTONYM

Child says:
Small

Adult says:
It IS small, it’s not big
It’s so tiny, not huge at all

ADD AN ACTION WORD

Child says:
Truck

Adult says:
Push truck
Truck flying
Go truck
Truck says BEEP!

Next time you’re down on the floor or sitting at a table with your little one and listening closely to their speech, you know just what to do. One up that kid and let them know you’re there to support their communication growth and that you truly hear them. Being an active listener as a parent is jump started when you expand on their words.