May day baskets, using objects from around the house have our child categorize objects in different baskets. For example one for food, one for bathroom items, one for toys. You can do this while you clean up as well.
Make leaves out of green paper and caterpillars out of yellow paper. On one leaf and one caterpillar write objects that go together, ie: paint and a paintbrush. Have your child help you think of 2 things that go
Play memory with the leaves and caterpillar.
Sidewalk chalk. Hopefully we are back to sunny days! Have your child follow directions with the sidewalk chalk. For example, make a square, put a line on the top and a circle on the bottom of the square.
Talk about the following:
What group is an object from? (food, animal, school)
What does it do? (eat it, cut with)
What does it look like? (small, large, rough)
What is it made of? (blue fabric)
What parts does it have? ( a lid, with a sippy spout)
Where do you find it? (in a tree, at the zoo)
Anything else you know about it!
These cues follow a program the Speech Team uses in the Elementary setting. You don’t have to do every one each time, but these clues will help them expand their expressive language.
This link is from the stuttering foundations.
It is called "Stuttering for kids by kids"
I recommend you watch it first as their parent and make sure you feel it is appropriate for your child.
May day baskets, you can cut out flowers, use colored cotton balls, or flowers from the dollar store, write a target word on each one. Throw them into a laundry basket while you practice each sound.
Make leaves out of green paper and write a target word on them. Also make caterpillars out of yellow paper, write the words on the caterpillar.
Play memory with the leaves and caterpillar you made. Have your child say each word as they turn them over.
The progression of speech sounds is:
Isolation
Consonant followed by a vowel, but not connected
Consonant vowel pair
Word
Phrase
Sentence
Conversation
If you find your child can’t say the word correctly, go down the hierarchy until they are successful.
Here is a great pdf file from the University of Nebraska on ways to increase joint attention!
https://www.unl.edu/asdnetwork/Joint%20Attention%20Activities.pdf
From early literacy and learning.org more great ideas!
http://www.earlyliteracylearning.org/cellpractices_rev/CELLpracT_JointAttn.pdf
https://mommyspeechtherapy.com/
This website has lots of free downloads. They have pictures for speech sounds so you can print them off for practice. They also have worksheets if you need more help.
Know the signs. Act early website from the CDC! Great resource for the milestones of development!
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/index.html
On you tube, find Peachie Speechie, she does a great demonstration of how sounds are made. You can find the sound your child is working on and she can explain on to help your child make the sound!
From Superduper.inc is a great resource called Handy Handouts. here is the link for no prep activities, something you can do on the spur of the moment
https://www.handyhandouts.com/search.aspx?searchstr=No-Prep%20Activities
From the Hanen Language Program:
Remain calm and positive
Smile, use a calm voice and remain relaxed
Focus on what they do right
Look for opportunities to support interaction
Keep it simple
Be on the same level as your child. This means you are on the same eye level or face to face
Don't make activities overly complicated.
Contact us if you are finding things aren't working.
Ms. Shannon: martinezmyers@cmsd12.org
Ms. Tonya: tjones@cmsd12.org
Many children are concrete thinkers, or they focus
on things that are real and tangible. We need to promote abstract thinking which is higher level thinking that allows us to make connections and see patterns. Here are 2 articles to promote abstract thinking.
https://www.miracle-recreation.com/blog/how-to-promote-abstract-thinking-in-young-children/
https://numberdyslexia.com/abstract-thinking-games-and-activities/