Responding to questions frequently causes difficulty for preschoolers with language delays, often resulting in them ignoring the question or answering it inappropriately. Asking the child basic questions throughout the day can help to aid understanding. For example, parents can elicit a response by asking the question "What's that?" about any object the child can name. Parents can use questions to offer the child choices. Even preschoolers who are not yet speaking can use these methods, by pointing or signing the answer.
Children who are nonverbal or not yet speaking may benefit from augmentative or alternative communication methods. This category encompasses gestures (such as sign language), visuals and computers with voice or visual outputs. The child is able to communicate by substituting spoken language for pictures or signs. Using these methods allows the preschooler learn sentence structure, tenses and word endings, and is particularly useful for those who begin speaking later.
Some language delays may be due to difficulty in articulating words. When a child suffers from this problem, both parents and teachers must ensure they listen clearly when the child is speaking. Likewise, adults communicating with the preschooler must speak clearly themselves, as the child will mimic what he hears. It is beneficial for adults to tell the child when they don't understand what he is saying, as well as to repeat the sentence or word for the child to copy correctly.
Problems with fluency can affect all preschoolers when they are beginning to learn to talk. However, prolonged issues (a period of more than six months) can indicate a language delay. In order to improve vocalization, the child needs to slow down -- which he can achieve by modeling his parents' rate of speech. Parents can help the child by speaking slowly and calmly and using many pauses. Keeping sentences simple and ensuring a relaxed and undemanding atmosphere can also help to encourage to the child.