Imitation is an important skill for speech and language development. Often children learn to imitate from a very young age and they will imitate actions, sounds and words. Some children take a little longer to learn this basic skill and may need your help. Here are some tips you can follow to help create a conducive environment for encouraging imitation.
- Create opportunities using things that interest them
Once you understand the things your child likes and dislikes, you can use them to create situations in which your child will be motivated to communicate. It is always best to use things such as food or toys that are most motivating to your child.
For instance, if your child likes playing with the car, you can roll it and make car noises. This will probably grab your child’s attention and make him look at you. After modelling the sound a few times, you can practice ‘waiting’, look at him in anticipation and use communication temptations. When you child does imitate, respond with great enthusiasm so that your child knows this is what you wanted.
- Imitate your child’s actions in play
Use two sets of identical toys and imitate your child playing with the particular toy. Try to imitate your child’s gestures, body movements or vocalisations during the play activity. Exaggerate these imitations so your child realises you are imitating him/ her. When your child notices you are copying him/her, it may encourage him/her to try new actions with the hope of getting you to copy him/her again.
For instance when your child throws a ball or looks at the mirror, you can copy that and exaggerate the action. Once you get your child’s attention, this will often encourage the child to try new actions or to even imitate the parent’s actions.
- Use song and dance
You can sing fun and engaging songs to encourage interaction and imitation. Using simple hand and dance movements, clap your hands or simply bang on the drum while singing a song. If your child starts moving his/her body to the song, imitate their body movements. For example, if your child starts banging on a drum with his/ her hand, you may use a drum stick and bang on the drum, and then pass the stick to the child. This will help your child imitate the action.
Also try to use food or toys that your child shows an interest in. This will set the stage for the development of imitation skills in your child.
These are just some ideas to try and encourage your child to imitate. The first step is to copy your child’s actions and follow their lead.
Written by Tasneem Abdul Samad, Speech Pathologist.
