Babies express themselves from birth, whether by smiling, nodding or saying their first words, but a year and a half after the outbreak of the Corona epidemic and there is no clear end in sight, some families are wondering whether the continued use of face masks by caregivers “nursery” and teachers is what Pre-school and other adults may adversely affect the speech and language development of their children.
While this is a natural concern, there is no known evidence that the use of face masks interferes with the development of speech and language or social communication. What the site posted healthychildren“.
How do children learn to communicate?
From day one, children observe the faces of their loved ones and the movements of their mouths. They listen to them talking (to families who use spoken language), and they make attempts to interact with their parents and caregivers.
Parents and other family members encourage this development by talking, singing, playing, reading, and engaging their child in many other ways every day. And playing with them outside, the child’s communication skills are likely to be better.
Does mask use delay speech and language development?
An essential part of learning to communicate for a child is watching the faces, mouths, and expressions of the people closest to them. Babies and young children study faces with interest, so the concern about face masks is understandable, but there are no known studies that use a face mask negatively affects speech development. The language of the child.
Tips for communicating better with children while wearing a face mask:
Here are some of the ways that people who wear face masks can help when they interact with your child:
Draw the child’s attention before speaking
Facing the child directly and making sure that nothing obstructs the child’s vision
Speak slowly and a little louder (no screaming)
Use eyes, hands, body language, and changes in tone of voice to add information to speech
Ask the child if he understood; Repeat words and sentences as necessary
– Reduce noise and reduce distractions
How to enhance your child’s communication skills with continued use of face masks
Babies and young children learn more from their families Families can help develop speech, language and social communication by spending time at home with family members who are not wearing masks, by providing dedicated time to talk to your child without screens or other interruptions – for example, at Bath time and dinner time.
