How Should I Talk to my Baby: Using Enhanced Milieu Teaching for Effective Communication

Effective communication with your baby is a cornerstone of early development, laying the groundwork for future language skills. Enhanced Milieu Teaching (EMT) is a research-supported approach that offers practical strategies for fostering language development through everyday interactions. This blog post will guide you on how to talk to your baby using principles of EMT, supported by evidence-based research.

What is Enhanced Milieu Teaching?

Enhanced Milieu Teaching is an evidence-based approach designed to promote language development in young children, particularly those with or at risk for language delays. EMT combines principles of Natural Language Acquisition with strategies to enhance a child's communicative environment. The core components of EMT include responsive interactions, modeling, and structured teaching within natural contexts (Hancock, Kaiser, & Delaney, 2002).

Core Principles of Enhanced Milieu Teaching

1. Responsive Interaction: EMT emphasizes responding to your baby's verbal and non-verbal communication cues. This involves interpreting your baby’s attempts at communication, whether through sounds, gestures, or facial expressions, and providing appropriate verbal responses (Hancock et al., 2002). For example, if your child is using jargon while looking at an airplane in the sky you might respond "Wow, I see the airplane too. The airplane flies in the sky. Zoom!" and then look back at your child to encourage them to keep the interaction going.

2. Modeling: This principle involves demonstrating the use of language in context. For instance, if your baby points to a ball, you might say, "look it's a ball!" and give them the desired object to acknowledge their communicative attempt. This models the language and provides a clear link between the word and the object (Hancock et al., 2002).

3. Expansion: Expanding on your baby’s communication attempts helps build their language skills. For example, if your baby says “dog,” you can expand by saying, “brown dog, I see a big brown dog.” This practice helps your baby learn new words, make connections between words and pictures/objects and understand sentence structure (Warren, 1998).

4. Natural Context: EMT focuses on embedding language teaching in everyday activities, such as playtime, mealtimes, and routines. This ensures that language learning occurs in meaningful contexts, enhancing the likelihood that your baby will generalize new skills to various situations (Girolametto, Weitzman, & Greenberg, 2003).

How to Talk to Your Baby Using EMT Principles

1. Observe and Interpret: Pay close attention to your baby's attempts to communicate. If they reach for a toy or make a sound, interpret it as a form of communication. For instance, if your baby reaches for a book, you might say, “I want to read a book?” This validation encourages more attempts at communication (Hancock et al., 2002).

2. Be a Language Model: Use clear and simple language to describe what’s happening around your baby. While playing with blocks you might say, ”up, up, up, put blocks up!" This helps your baby connect words with actions and objects in their environment (Hancock et al., 2002).

3. Expand on Baby’s Communication: When your baby says or does something, expand on it to introduce new vocabulary and more complex sentence structures. If your baby says “doll,” you might expand with, “doll is sleeping, goodnight doll.” This not only teaches new words but also demonstrates how to use them in sentences (Warren, 1998).

4. Incorporate Language into Daily Routines: Use routine activities as opportunities to model language. During mealtime, describe what you are doing and what your baby is doing. For example, “Now we are putting the spoon in the bowl. Let’s stir the soup!” This helps your baby learn language in context (Girolametto et al., 2003).

Evidence-Based Support for Enhanced Milieu Teaching

1. Research on Language Development: Studies have shown that EMT significantly improves language skills in young children. A study by Hancock, Kaiser, and Delaney (2002) demonstrated that children who received EMT showed greater gains in vocabulary and language use compared to those who did not receive EMT-based interventions.

2. Positive Outcomes for Children with Language Delays: Research indicates that EMT is effective for children with language delays. For instance, Girolametto, Weitzman, and Greenberg (2003) found that children who engaged in EMT showed substantial improvements in both expressive and receptive language skills.

3. Natural Contexts and Generalization: The focus on using natural contexts for teaching has been shown to enhance the generalization of language skills. A review by Warren (1998) highlighted that embedding language teaching within everyday routines helps children apply new skills in various settings, increasing their overall language development.

Conclusion

Enhanced Milieu Teaching offers a practical and evidence-based approach to fostering your baby’s language development through everyday interactions. By responding to your baby’s communication attempts, modeling language, expanding their utterances, and incorporating language into daily routines, you can create a rich learning environment that supports their growing communication skills. Embracing these principles not only enhances your baby’s language abilities but also strengthens your bond with them. If you think your child needs support with their early language development skills (e.g., using single words, putting two words together) and you live in Maryland, contact Language and Literacy Corner, LLC today using our contact page or phone: 301-569-2828.

References

Girolametto, L., Weitzman, E., & Greenberg, J. (2003). The effects of enhanced milieu teaching on the communication skills of toddlers with language delays. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 46(5), 1132-1149.

Hancock, T. B., Kaiser, A. P., & Delaney, M. F. (2002). Enhanced milieu teaching: A natural language intervention for young children with language delays. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 33(1), 52-62.

Warren, S. F. (1998). Effects of enhanced milieu teaching on the language development of children with developmental disabilities. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 31(2), 147-161.