Language strategies: Giving time

How does giving time work?

Language difficulties are nobody’s fault but changing the way you talk can really help your child.

• When you play with your child, leave plenty of time and gaps for them to say something or to respond to your language.
• Before you have the next turn in the conversation, try to wait longer than you usually would.
• Count to 10 in your head before you say something else.
• Don’t worry if it feels like a very long pause!
• Keep your attention and focus on what your child is doing to maintain your shared activity.
• Before ‘jumping in’ with an answer, give a few extra moments to see if your child wants to respond.
• Your child may respond with looking, using gesture, making a vocalisation or trying to say a word.

Why use this strategy?

• Children with language difficulties need more time to respond to questions or comments.
• Your child may need more time to process what has been said, to find the right words to respond, or both!
• Children will often know the answer and they are more likely to communicate if they have a little more time to respond before someone speaks again.
• Giving time helps children to understand it is their turn to communicate, if they want to.

Top tip

Leaving a longer pause can help to reduce the demands on your child’s language system and create a relaxed and unhurried talking situation.