Tips for families
Children learn to use a talking app the way they learn to talk: by seeing and hearing the people around them use it, every day, long before they use it themselves.
Model, don't test
Modelling means tapping words on the device while you talk. You say "Let's go out", and tap go and out.
- Model a word or two at a time; you don't have to tap every word you say.
- Don't ask the child to copy you, and don't quiz them ("Show me cup"). Just use it.
- Use Modelling mode (in the grown-up controls) so your taps aren't counted as the child's words, and so you can see hidden words too.
Start small
- Pick one routine: snack time, bath time, play. Model the same few words every time ("more", "stop", "go", "all done").
- Word of the week in Daily coaching helps the whole family model the same words.
- Show new words only after you've modelled them many times. See Words and folders.
Wait
After you model, pause for about ten seconds and look at the child expectantly. Give them time to answer, with the device, a sound, a gesture or a word. Every way of communicating counts.
Keep it with the child
The device is the child's voice. Keep it within reach all day: at meals, in the car, in the garden. Lock the settings, never the voice.
Use every language
Speak your home language with the child, and switch the board to it with one tap. Children whose device didn't work in their home language used it far less. Every word is in the same place in every language, so switching doesn't mean learning the board again.
Everyone, the same way
Show grandparents, babysitters and friends how the child uses the app; a two-minute demonstration in person helps more than any leaflet. Agree who changes the board, and tell each other: surprises in where words are confuse the child.
Common worries
Will this stop my child from learning to talk? No. Research shows that tools like this don't hold back speech, and may even help. They're a bridge to talking, not a replacement.
Is my child too young? There is no minimum age. Using pictures, gestures and speech together early on supports development.
Does my child need to be "ready" first? No test of readiness is needed. It works best when grown-ups keep it simple, always available, and use it themselves.
Why so few pictures of things? About 25 words make up most of a toddler's talk, and about 200 core words cover most everyday speech. Keeping them in fixed places builds the child's motor memory.
You'll find these answers, with the research, under Why this helps in the grown-up controls.
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