Authentic Language
We love this quote from parent educator, author, and podcaster, Janet Lansbury, and this information about authentic language with kids shared by our friends at
Authentic Language is just real conversation with a child, similar in phrases used with a friend. You can still change your speed, tone, and simplify sentences to make comprehension easier for a child, but your phrases should be authentic.
For example, we don't typically look at our friends and say, “Use your words." Instead, we might say something like, "Can you repeat that for me?" or "Can you try to say that differently?" or "Can you show me what you mean?"
Think about phrases we use often with kids and how we might be able to reword them and use authentic language instead. This helps build their inner voice, letting them problem-solve and transfer skills across scenarios.
