Do children who speak late have low IQs?

Generally speaking, when a child is about one year old, he or she will start to speak. At this time, the child will make some simple sounds. As the baby grows up, the ability will become stronger and stronger. But some parents will find that their children start speaking relatively late. At this time, they will be very anxious, fearing that there is something wrong with the baby. In fact, children start speaking early or late, and it is normal to speak later. So do children who speak late have lower IQs?

Do children who speak late have low IQs?

Most babies nowadays are only children. They usually either follow their mothers or their grandmothers. There are fewer people to talk to, and the environment is not stimulating enough, which leads to late speech. In the past, adults were busy making a living and seldom took care of children so carefully. As long as the children didn’t start talking too late, most parents probably wouldn’t care that much. Unlike parents today, who would become extremely nervous if their children showed the slightest sign of abnormality, fearing that there was something wrong with their children.

In fact, many times adults worry too much. Individual differences among children determine that everyone's development speed is different. Some are fast, some are slow, some walk early and talk early... Take the language development we have just talked about. Very few of these children who speak late are finally diagnosed with mental retardation or other serious problems. The vast majority of children can eventually learn to speak smoothly, and after a period of time their language level can reach the level of children of the same age, and their IQ is no lower than others.

Below are several methods of training slow-talking children to speak carefully summarized by a Chinese father living in Australia who accompanied his child to study at a language training institution. You may want to refer to them.

1. Speak only one language at home and don’t speak dialects.

2. Keep it simple, short, repetitive, exaggerated, and emphasize key words.

3. When the child looks at you with his eyes, you are communicating with him. Help him express what he wants to say.

4. Whether the child can point to objects (this is a very important point). When you take the child to get something for him, help him say: I want milk.

5. Children learn and absorb while playing. You should get down on your feet and play with your child at eye level. Teach him verbs while playing, for example: push, push the train, push, push, push very well.

6. Play according to the child’s interests. Don’t drag him to learn numbers just because he wants to play ball.

7. Say the verb while performing the action, for example: open, open the door…

8. Don’t ask a lot of questions. Just tell him, this is a sheep, bleating~

9. Don’t let him watch too much TV or give him a cell phone.

10. Learn interactively while bathing every day, body parts, face, eyes, water temperature, hot and cold, verbs to wash, rub, soap, bubbles, etc.

11. Teach your children everyday language, not their ABCs.

12. Using singing method can arouse children’s interest.