The best way to improve receptive and expressive language in young students is through READING!
Improving literacy skills will improve language skills and improving language skills will also improve literacy skills.
Here are some ways to increase literacy and language skills with your child:
1. Read to your child every night, or as often as possible.
2. Stop after every page and TALK!
3. Use our helpful sentence strips! See bottom of the page.
4. Read through the file at the bottom of this page to find helpful hints on improving language skills during everyday situations.
What do I talk about?
- TALK about what is happening and what is going to happen.
- ASK QUESTIONS: For additional practice of WH-questions, see bottom of the page.
Expressive: Ask your child who, what, where, when and why questions. Encourage your child to form a complete sentence using 3-5 words. If they have difficulty forming a sentence or using the appropriate grammar, model it for them and have them repeat what you say.
Receptive: Ask your child who, what, where, when and why questions. Have them point to the appropriate pictures.
- Improve VOCABULARY:
Expressive: Name everything you see in the pictures.
Receptive: Have your child point to things you name.
*See bottom of the page
- Improve understanding of CONCEPTS/DESCRIBING skills:
Expressive: Choose a word to describe, especially if it is a new word or one that your child is not familiar with. Describe the color, shape and size. Describe the feel and function (what does it do? or what do we do with it?). Describe where we find it and what parts it has.
Receptive: Describe a word or object (from the pictures) to your child, and have them point to the word/object you described.
*See bottom of the page
- Talk to your child about everything you see and hear in your environment. Bring your child’s attention to textures (e.g., the way things feel—smooth, bumpy, soft).
- Expand the words you use when you describe things. For example, instead of using the word “big” just because you know your child understands it, use the word “huge” to expose your child to new words.
- When talking about spatial relationships and positions (where things are), try not to show your child by pointing or gesturing. Use more descriptive words such as “below,” “behind,” “on top of,” “in front of,” and “above.”
- Use and encourage “Wh” questions and answers. “Wh” questions often encourage the use of basic concepts in response. For example, “where” encourages a response that uses spatial relationships and positions (behind, under) and directions (across, through). “When” encourages a response that uses time concepts (before, later).
- Play "I Spy"! For example, "I see a book. Where is it?" When the child finds or points to it, you can respond with, "The book is on the shelf...in the book bag...under the table...by the bed...above the table...beside the chair." Have your child practice saying these words as well!
- Act out words! Ask your child to "act out" different comparative words such as happy, happier and happiest or slow, fast, faster.
- Draw Pictures! Have your student draw pictures of an object that is big, bigger then the biggest. Draw pictures of things that are cold, long, deep, etc.
- Collect objects from your home and compare them! Talk about which are soft, hard, large, little, colorful, thick, thin, etc.
- Give your child a concept word and have them go around the room and identify something that fits the description. To make it more difficult, have them try to find an object that is the opposite of the given concept word. Use words like; heavy/light, soft/hard, big/small, long/short, narrow/wide, on/off, new/old etc.
- Let your child help putting the dishes away by telling them where to put each item. Use words like; under, next to, beside, in front, first, last, above, under, etc.
- Read a book together and ask as many "where" questions as you can. Have your child describe locations of various objects pictured in the book.
- Go outside and talk about where plants/flowers/trees are in your yard. Use as many descriptive location words as you can.
What if my child has difficulty with these tasks?
- Start with the receptive activities first. These are often easier than expressive activities.
- Have your child look at the pictures to help find the answer.
- Give your child a choice between 2 answers and see if they can choose the correct answer.
- Model the correct answer for your child and have them repeat what you say.
**Watch for grammar errors and model the correct sentence for your child. For example:
Child: "Her is walking."
You: "That's right, She is walking."