It's hard enough to imagine a toddler teaching themselves to read. Yet, those same toddlers might also develop an incredibly deep interest in other languages and alphabets. As you probably already know, hyperlexia certainly keeps parents on their toes!
Now, I know it might seem daunting at first to try and keep up when your hyperlexic child is speaking a language you don't know or speak, but we have so much technology right at our fingertips that makes it so much easier to keep up. (Seriously, thank goodness for Google Translate!)
So, how can you support your hyperlexic child's interest in foreign languages when their interest and skill level is beyond yours? How can you keep up when they're teaching themselves not one, not two, not three, but four different languages?
Well, let's look at some simple ways to encourage this passion and interest in languages, even if you don't speak or know these languages yourself.
How to Support Your Hyperlexic Child's Interest in Foreign Languages
First things first, take a deep breath. Because guess what? You don't need to be fluent in these languages to support your child, nor do you need to sit down and give them lessons. Instead, your role is to feed their interest, create an environment that's rich in text, and provide them with tools to help them further their self-directed, independent exploration and learning.
Whether your hyperlexic child is teaching themselves Russian, Greek, or Japanese, here are some practical tips, strategies, and low-cost ideas to consider to support their love of languages:
1. Try a language learning app, such as Duolingo or Mango.
- Pro tip: Check your local library because they might offer free access! For instance, we can get access to Mango and Little Pim for free through our library.
2. Put up labels or signs around the house that have both their main language and their language(s) of interest.
3. Provide bilingual flashcards, books, or toys.
4. Use subtitles or captions while watching foreign language videos or switch the captions' language to their language of interest when watching other videos.
5. Read books and watch videos in their language(s) of interest.
- If your hyperlexic child is currently into learning French, try these French music videos.
6. Print off alphabet posters for their language(s) of interest.
- For example, you could grab the free ASL alphabet poster and matching cards.
7. Give them a set of letter toys in their language(s) of interest, if available.
- You could always make your own if you can't find any physical toys.
8. Add foreign language keyboards on a tablet or computer so they can type in their favorite languages.
9. Use Google Translate to type, scan, and listen to words and phrases in their language(s) of interest.
- The camera function is really awesome! I relied on this quite a lot when my boys were in French Immersion and their abilities surpassed my French skills.
10. Provide them with a bilingual illustrated visual dictionary.
- Try these DK Bilingual Visual Dictionaries
11. Keep any bilingual or multilingual instruction manuals for any household products on hand to share with them.
12. Make your own printables, worksheets, games, and books in their language(s) of interest.
- For instance, I've made some bilingual Scrabble Math sheets for the days of the week and months of the year.
- Use tools like Google Translate to help you translate what you need if you don't speak the language yourself.
Obviously, this list of tips isn't exhaustive. There are lots of different ways to support your child's love of languages. You just might have to get a bit creative.
Either way, which of these tips or suggestions are you going to try first?
