Each day find a time where they lead you that can be to choose a game or a creative task they have made up themselves. Ensure you follow their lead. This can be so empowering for them.

Leave more silence than you would normally. Be inquisitive and watch your child and their incredible skills unfold.

Don't be afraid of that silence as it's valuable space for your child to process what they are doing.

Carl Sagan “Every kid starts out as a natural-born scientist, and then we beat it out of them. A few trickle through the system with their wonder and enthusiasm for science intact.”

Often we talk to them when they are busy working things out. Like some adults multitasking can be tricky so even more so for a child so ensure they have finished what they are in the middle of before you talk to them about what you need them to do or respond to. This is showing them how to be respectful to others as they will observe you do this and then learn from you. They need time, patience and space to process your language, formulate their answer and then they are busy organising the language and speech sounds before they finally say the words.

There's more to speaking than people realise.

Anna