Proper pragmatic skills are important for socialization.
A child who has difficulty using language appropriately in social situations may have a pragmatic language problem. Parents and teachers can assist in pragmatic language development through games, role playing and modeling.
Taking Turns
Knowing take turns during a conversation is an important pragmatic skill. A child should not talk over another person, or leave long silences.
Body Language
Appropriate facial expressions, eye contact, posture and distance between speakers can be taught through games.
Settings
Speech should be adjusted to match the setting, formal or casual; and the speaking partner, adult or child. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association recommends a child be given a specific task, such as teaching the rules of a game, to practice speaking in different settings.
Topic
Storytelling, using visuals such as pictures or puppets, can teach a child to stay on topic.
Questions
The words "who," "what," "when," "where," "why" and "how" should be recognized as the beginning of a question, requiring an answer.
Tags: pragmatic language, through games