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Modelling
- 1-5 Years
- 5-11 Years
- Speech, language and communication
Children learn new words and sounds by hearing other people say them. This is known as modelling. For example, if a child picks up a toy tiger, you can say “tiger” to help them learn the word.
You can use this idea to teach any kind of word. For example, in maths you might use words like “isosceles triangle.”
It also helps to explain a new word by talking about it in different ways and linking it to other words the child already knows.
Parents and carers can use this information at home to support their child. Education staff can also use this information with children in their school or setting.
Please try these ideas and advice before making a referral to the Speech and Language Therapy Service.
Explore the topics on this page:
Different types of modelling
- Self-talk: This is talking about what you are doing whilst you are doing it. Research has shown that parents who talk as they go about their everyday activities, expose their child to 1000 to 2000 words per hour.
- Parallel talk: This is taking about what the child is doing. For example, in an art lesson, you might say, “That’s an impressive sunset, I like how you have used pastels and blended the colours together”.
- Expanding: This is repeating what the child says and adding more detail. For example, if they say “tiger”, you can say “stripy tiger” or “scary tiger”.
- Recasting: This is repeating what the child says to model the correct version. For example, the child says “tiger stripy” and you say “the tiger is stripy”.
Strategies for modelling language
- Say what you see: Name what the child is doing or the object they are interested in. For example, “you’re painting” or “car”. If they are older you may wish to use more complex vocabulary, for example, “you’re painting a forest scene”, or “that looks like a sleek car”.
- Accept all attempts at communication then model the words that you would like the child to use instead. For example, the child might point to request something, and you could say “you want the banana”. They might bring you their open shoelaces, and you could say “help please," or "help with shoelaces”.
- Use different types of words: Use nouns which are the names of objects, people or places, verbs which are doing words and adjectives which are describing words.
- Model functional language: Use words that will help the child express their wants, needs, thoughts and ideas, including:
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- “more”, “go”, “stop”, “yes”, “no”, “help”, “want”, “open”
- names of foods and drinks
- names of toys
- names of family members and pets
- verbs, such as, “walk”, “eat”, “kick” and “sleep”
- prepositions, such as, “behind”, “under”, “high”
Do not introduce academic language, like letters, numbers, colours and shapes, until the child is using functional language to communicate.
- Use modelling to extend the child’s vocabulary: You can provide different words for “hot”, such as “warm” and “roasting”.
- Name specific items rather than using empty language: Try saying “put the cup on the table” instead of “put that over there”.
- Speak clearly and slowly using short sentences.
- Repeat yourself: Children need to hear words and sentences over and over again to understand and be able to use them. Introducing a word once will often not be enough for them to remember that word.
- Allow the child time to copy or respond if they choose to: Avoid asking the child to repeat back what you have said, or repeatedly telling them to "say…".
- Wait until the child has finished communicating: Modelling after they have communicated avoids interrupting the natural flow of conversation
Last reviewed: 24 November, 2025
