Until your child can speak properly, he has to overcome some hurdles. The dwarf language can help you with your communication and thus make your everyday life together easier. Here you can find out how your baby’s language development takes place and how dwarf language works.
Your baby wants to understand you from birth and be understood himself. But since the correct and understandable words do not immediately tumble out of his mouth, he has to find another form of communication. Instead of words, your child communicates via body language, using the so-called dwarf language. If you can interpret it correctly, it is just as communicative and informative as the language of words. Your baby can express the full range of his feelings: love and joy, but also fear, sadness or anger.
How does your child say what they want?
Your baby has a large repertoire of ways to express what he wants or needs. For example, it communicates with:
- Loud: it cheers, cooes, babbles, whimpers or cries
- Facial expressions: it can use different facial expressions
- Gestures: it uses different postures
- Motor skills: it varies in its movements
How does language develop in your child?
Language is created by internal and developmental factors. External conditions also influence the development of your child. Thus, every healthy newborn has the physical and mental abilities to learn to speak. If the circumstances in his environment are right, nothing stands in the way of a healthy language development of your child. You are responsible for this: Try to talk to your baby as often and tenderly as possible. In conjunction with your body language, it understands what you want to say to it and it feels included. The loving atmosphere creates a foundation in which your baby feels comfortable and secure. As a result, it learns to speak quickly and happily.
Learning the language is done step by step. As it learns what the words mean, the child’s oral motor skills develop. Don’t be surprised if other children start talking faster or slower. The development of each child proceeds at a different pace.
What is the dwarven language?
A preliminary stage of the spoken word are gestures, signs and gestures. They are part of your baby’s body language and enable communication between you. Your baby can bridge the period of speechlessness through dwarf language. With the help of these signs, your child can articulate his needs and desires without words and you can react to them. This will make the baby’s everyday life easier and your interaction with each other more pleasant.
Do something with a show of hands and say the appropriate word out loud. When your baby wants to express a wish, he remembers the corresponding sign and uses it.
The baby signs not only show what your child wants, but also what is going on in his head. So you get insights into his innermost.
What you should consider when teaching the dwarf language
- Your baby determines the timing himself: Allow him his own speed. Every child is unique in their learning pace
- Pay attention to whether your baby is receptive. If they’re tired, in a bad mood, or busy, wait for a more opportune moment.
- Repeat the characters and keywords regularly and frequently. The more often you do this, the better your child memorizes the signs.
- Make the use of signs an integral part of your everyday life. This is the most effective way for your child to learn.
- Don’t teach your baby too many signs at once. Otherwise it feels overwhelmed and is quickly frustrated.
- Start with the beginner’s signs, such as eating, drinking, or ball. The motivation is increased and your baby has more joy to learn the new signs.
- Parallel to the character, pronounce a sentence that uses the new character.
- Don’t expect your child to use signs perfectly.
Food as an example of a baby sign
- Place the fingertips of the index finger and thumb of one hand together
- Bring your fingertips to your mouth as if you wanted to put something small between your lips.
- Accompany the sign with an appropriate sentence: “Would you like to eat something?
- If your baby performs this sign, it means he is hungry and wants to eat something or he has seen something edible and would like to have it.
When your baby starts talking and can express himself with words, the baby signs fade into the background.
