SPEECH and LANGUAGE

• Ask open ended questions while reading books (questions that can't be answered with yes or no)

• Get your child to retell a story or book in their words

• Encourage your child to tell stories about pictures/photos - made up or real

• Play 'I Spy' - start with colours "I spy something that is green" and then move on to sounds "I spy something that starts with the sound 't' "

• Recite a variety of nursery rhymes

• Describe what they can see in pictures (also known as a picture talk)

• Encourage imaginative play

• Build your child's vocabulary through play, stories, exploring the world around them and talking to them

• Verbally label/name animals, places and things

• Encourage your child to follow two- and three- step instructions

• Sequence different events with your child

• Explain and use basic concepts in everyday life - over/under/middle, front/back, up/down, above/below/beside/next to, in front/behind, closed/open, first/next/last, in/out, backward/forward, top/bottom, before/after, high/low, big/little, largest/smallest, tall/short, wide/narrow, long/short, same/different, fast/slow

Please refer to Communication Milestone Posters below and in the resources section to find a list of things your child should be doing by age 3,4 and 5. If you feel they may not be meeting these milestones or have any concerns about your child's speech or language development please seek the advice of a Speech Pathologist for further assessment. For more information on where to go please see the fact sheets in the resources section.