Oral Language

Super Shadows.  Place a large sheet over a table so that it hangs down around the table. Show your child how to use a flashlight safely. Invite him to go into his cave under the table to make shadows. Use words like “dark”, “light”, “bright”, “night”, “shine”, and “shadow”. Notice words that rhyme like “light, night, and bright”. Add small objects and encourage him to make shadow shapes in his cave. Notice words that start with the same sound like “shine”, “shape”, and “shadow”. 

Making Boats. Your child can use any recycled materials to make boats. Collect items like foam trays, small pieces of cloth, toothpicks, craft sticks, tape, bottle caps, paper, and crayons.  Help your child think about how she can use these materials to make a boat. “What will you use for the bottom of the boat?” “Will you make a sail?” Then, help her to make the boat. Later, she can use it in water. “Do you think it will float?” 

Reading Corner. Make a small reading corner for your child using pillows, blankets or any other soft and cozy items.  Add some of your child’s favorite books, or some new books, for him to look at. Ask him to choose a book, look at the pictures, and tell you the story in his own words. Give him lots of encouragement for looking at books.  

Pretend Party. Children love to play pretend. Invite your child to have a pretend party. Provide paper and markers or crayons so she can make the invitations. “Who will you invite?” Write down the names of the friends she wants to invite. She can copy these names onto the invitations. Then decide on the menu. Explain that the menu means a list of food she will have at the party. “What will you wear to the party?” If possible, let her dress up. Then have a special snack and a party for two! 

Scrubbing bubbles. Older children can help with washing dishes. Provide a stool for your child at the sink. Give him the dish soap and read the label together. For example, one phrase may be “Avoid contact with eyes.” Explain what that means. Then, tell him and show him the steps for washing a dish (remove breakable items). For example: 1) Put water in the sink; 2) Add dish soap; 3) Scrub the dish; 4) Rinse the soap off; and 5) Place the dish in the drainer. Later, during a family conversation, encourage him to explain the steps for washing dishes. 

Sorting Socks. While you fold laundry, put your child in charge of matching the socks. “Now you can match the socks in pairs.” Invite him to make a plan to do it. “How do you think we should start?” Tell him and show him how to separate different colors and sort them into piles. Next, tell him and show him how to put socks together that look the same. Remind him to compare the size and the design of each sock as he puts them together. 

Make a Book. Give your child some paper and markers or crayons. Invite her to write a story about a favorite activity, for example, playing at the park. First, talk with her about what she did. “First you played on the swings. Then we looked at trees and collected leaves.” Then help her put each activity into the story. Use words like “begin” and “end”. “How will you begin the story?”, “What will happen at the end?”. When she is finished encourage her to number the pages and decorate the cover. Help her to write her name on the cover using the words autor and illustrator. 

Mealtime can be a time for families to come together.  However, life can sometimes feel too busy to sit down at the table. If you can’t sit for the whole meal, try to sit and talk with your child for a short time. Remember to use the times preparing the meal, and cleaning up, for conversations too.  

I Can Help. Put your child’s highchair in a place where he can see you as you fix the meal. As you prepare the food, talk to your child about what you are doing.  “I’m cutting the banana up into little tiny pieces for the fruit salad. Now I’m putting the grapes in.” Wash your toddler’s hands and invite him to help. Tell him and show him what you want him to do. “Will you rip the lettuce up into big pieces like this for the salad? Please put the pieces in the bowl like this.”  

How Does it Taste? As you feed your child, talk about the food’s color, size, feel, and taste. “These grapes are round and smooth. Taste how sweet they are!” Talk about the flavors of different foods and invite your child to compare them. Use words like sweet, salty, sour, and bitter and change your facial expression to show what you mean. “Are those grapes sweeter or more sour than the ones we ate yesterday? I think they are more sour!”  

What Does the Recipe Say?  Ask your child to help prepare the meal. If you use a recipe, show your child the words. Explain that the recipe gives directions for how to make the meal. Read the name of each ingredient out loud as you put it on the table. “Let’s see. The recipe says we need spinach; we have spinach. It says we need cheese. We have cheese.” Read each direction out loud. Tell and show your child what you want her to do. “The recipe says to mix all the ingredients. Will you mix all the ingredients like this?”  Encourage even more language afterwards by having your child tell another family member how they made their recipe! 

Family Conversation.  Mealtime is a great time for children to learn about group conversations. Ask your child a question like “How was your day today?” Then ask questions that invite your child to say more like “Tell me more about your new friend at school. Does he like to play soccer too?” Encourage everyone to join in. Say things that help your child listen to other people like “Did you hear what your brother said about the mall? Do you want to go too?” 

Can I Help You?  Some children love to play “restaurant” at home. At a family mealtime, let your child pretend to be a waiter or waitress. First tell your child what is on the menu for dinner. Then give her a small pad of paper and a pen to take orders from the customers. Let her serve the food and then she can leave the bill. To continue the play, invite your child to use paper and markers to make real menus for the next meal.  

Family Recipe. Many meals we make don’t come from recipes. Your child can make a recipe card for a simple meal, for example “How to make a peanut butter sandwich.” Give your child paper and crayons and ask her to draw each step as you make the sandwich. Help her say the important words slowly, like “spread” for example. She can try to write it by listening to the sounds of the letters, s-p-r-ea-d. You can help her notice silent letters like the “a” in spread. “The word spread is like the word bread. Both of those words have an ‘a’ that doesn’t make any sound.” If she likes this activity, she can make a whole set of recipes. 

Cleaning Helper.  Invite your child to help clean up after a meal at home. For example, he can clear the dishes off the table, clean the crumbs, and then wipe the table. Tell and show your child how to do each step carefully. If you use wipes or a spray cleaner, read the label with your child. Tell him that the label has the directions for using the cleaner carefully. Explain that it is important to follow the directions. Remind him to always ask an adult before using any cleaner. 

Some children love bath time because it gives them the chance to play in water in their own way.  When children play in water they are also “doing science” and they can learn a lot about liquids and solids. Bath time is often part of a daily routine, which makes it a perfect time for learning and playing with your child.  

Reading Labels. Before you wash your child’s hair, show her the shampoo bottle. Explain that the label gives information about what is in the bottle: the ingredients. It also gives directions on how to use the shampoo. Look at the label together. Notice and describe the pictures and designs. Then read some of the words. If your child shows interest, look for labels on other bath items like soap and toothpaste. Connect the idea of labels to other experiences. Did he see labels on the food at the grocery store? 

Drops and Streams. Your child does not need expensive toys to be a water scientist. Give him some clear plastic containers like old shampoo bottles, dish detergent bottles, or hand soap bottles (with caps). As he plays with them in the water, use words that describe his actions like “squeeze”, “squirt”, “pour”, “fill”, and “dump”. Connect his actions to the movement of the water. “When you squeeze the bottle hard, a big stream of water comes out. When you squeeze it softly, little drops come out.” Encourage his curiosity. “I wonder why that happens?” 

Soapy Letters. You can wash your child’s back and play a fun letter game at the same time. Tell him that you will use your finger to trace a letter on his back. Start with a familiar letter, like the first letter in his name. Trace the letter, very large, on his back. Then ask him to guess what letter you traced. As he gets better at this game, try different letters. If you have more than one child in the tub at the same time, they can trace letters on each other’s backs.  

Water Stories.  With a few simple objects, your child can use her imagination to create her own story. These objects may be anything in the tub - a rubber duck, a washcloth, and even her own body!  Her knee can be a mountain, her hand can be a wave-maker, or her foot can be a rock in the water. You start the story by saying “Once upon a time there was a rubber duck that went mountain climbing.” Encourage your child to make up the next sentence. Take turns making up sentences for as long as you both want. Then make an ending for the story. As your child gets practice, she will create more and more of the story by herself. 

Boats Afloat.  Talk about what it means to float. “It’s when things stay on top of the water.” Give your child small plastic plates or cups to use as “boats” in the tub. Then play a rhyming game with your child. “A boat will float! What about a coat? Will a coat float?” Take turns thinking of other funny rhymes like “Will a goat float?” When the cup fills with water it will start to sink. “Sink is when things go under the water.” Invite your child to make up a funny rhyme. “Will a drink sink? What about the color pink?” Give your child time to explore float and sink using different objects.  

How’s the Water? As your child becomes more independent at bath time you will want to teach her tub safety rules. At the same time, you can introduce the idea of water temperature. Explain that temperature means how hot or cold the water is. Show her how to turn the water on carefully and test the temperature before she gets in the tub. Introduce words like “cool”, “warm”, and “tepid”. Use comparison words like “cooler/colder” and “warmer/hotter”. If she is very interested you can use a thermometer to figure out the most comfortable temperature for her bath! 

When you and your child walk and ride in the neighborhood, your child learns about his community. He also learns about the people who live and work there. When he meets people who work in the neighborhood, he can learn about different jobs and careers. He also learns social skills and how to have conversations with people. 

Sound Walk.  As you walk in the neighborhood with your child you can play a fun sound game. Look for people and things with names that start with the same sound. Ask your child to close his eyes. Then tell him to open his eyes and name the first thing he sees- “A dog!” Say “A dog! “Dog” starts with /d/” (say the sound the letter D makes). What other things can we find that start with the same sound? Look for things like doors, dolls, donuts, and daddies. Give your child help by saying things like “There’s a truck. Does that start with the same sound as dog?”  

Guessing Game. You can sit on your steps outside and play a guessing game with your child. Notice something, but don’t look at directly at it. Give your child a clue and see if she can guess what you are thinking of. For example, “I am thinking of something with wheels. It is painted black and it makes a lot of noise.” After your child guesses “The neighbor’s car!” let her have a turn. 

A Trip to the Library. Before you go to the library, tell your child that the library has many different kinds of books on many interesting topics, for example trees or animals. Ask her what topic she is interested in, and give her some ideas. Maybe she wants a book about trees and leaves, or maybe she wants a storybook by her favorite author or illustrator. “The librarian can help us find the book we want.” When you get to the library, encourage your child to talk to the librarian. She can ask for help to find the book she wants. If your library offers library cards to young children, help her get a library card. Then let her borrow a book to take home.  

Nature Detectives. When you and your child go outside, take a notebook and pencil with you. Tell him that you can be “Nature detectives.” You will use the notebook to record things you see. Encourage your child to look for living things, or evidence of living things. These may be things like a hole in a leaf, an ant hill, or a half-eaten nut. When you find something, encourage your child to write it down, or draw a picture of it. You take a turn drawing and writing something too. Later, during a family conversation, invite your child to show your pictures and talk about what you both found. Everyone can help solve the mystery. “What animal did that or made that?” 

Using a Map. Drawing a map is a fun and challenging activity. First, explain to your child that a map is a picture of a place or location. It shows places where people want to go, and the roads and streets that go to those places. People use maps for directions. Talk to him about other maps he has seen. Suggest that you make a map of your neighborhood. Take a walk and get the information you need to make a simple map. “There are five houses on our street, and the store is on the same side as our house.” Back at home, give your child a large piece of paper and some crayons or pencils. Help him draw your street. Then, let him decide what places to put on his map. Next time you walk, take the map with you for directions! 

A Trip to the Library. The library is full of interesting things to find out about. Take a walk around the library with your child and look at the book collections. In the children’s section, read the signs on the shelves. Look for words like fiction, non-fiction, biography, history, and geography. Help your child discover what a few of these words mean. “Let’s look at some of the books to find out.” On another day, encourage your child to talk to the librarian. For example, ask her to show you how to search for library books on the library’s computer system.  

Tablets, television, and computers can be great teaching tools for your child if you connect what your child sees on them to real life experiences. You can also teach your child good screen viewing habits and computer skills. 

Early Language Learners: Children who are not yet using words or are just beginning to use words and phrases to communicate

Family Photos:  Young children love to look at photos of people they know, including themselves. When looking at family photos look at them with your child. Ask “Who’s that?” Wait for your child to respond and then follow up. “That’s Grandma with your cousins Billy and Mary!” Point to the people in the photo as you name them. Your child will want to look at the pictures again and again. 

Video Chats: Video chats are very different from other screen time because children get individualized, quick feedback to their expressions, gestures, and language. Try doing rhymes, songs, dancing together, peek-a-boo or hide and seek where the adult and child can play on-screen.  During video chats, when the person on-screen “tickles” your child’s tummy, you can give her tummy a tickle in real life.  When a grandparent leans toward the screen to “kiss” your child, you can give him a kiss on the cheek.

What’s That?  Images on screens can be confusing for young children. Scenes change quickly and sometimes children need help to understand the story. When your child watches a show, help her connect characters and events. For example, you may say “There’s that monkey again.” Connect each event to things that already happened.  For example, you may say “He’s the one that took the balloons and caused all that trouble!” Then wonder about what will happen next, for example, “I wonder what trouble he’s going to get into now?”

Later Language Learners: Children who are speaking in sentences and beginning to participate in conversation

Numbers.  The remote control for the T.V. has numbers on it and so does the computer keyboard. Use these items to help your child recognize numbers in a meaningful way. For example, when his favorite show is on T.V. he can help you find the correct channel number on the remote control.  

What Happens Next?  Make a plan with your child for screen time. Connect this plan to other events in his day and introduce words that describe time. For example, tell him “First, we are going to the grocery store. Next we are going to eat lunch. Then you can have some screen time. 

What Happened? Explain any technical difficulties that may have happened during a video chat.  Explain why the video chat partner may have “frozen” on the screen or why the call may have dropped.  Explaining these experiences in child-friendly language helps children to have a better understanding of technology. Teach your child how to push the correct buttons to make a call or hang up a call.

Tell me a story. Reading aloud is a great activity for video chat.  Grab a favourite book off the shelf and have grandparents and family read to your child or have your child practice reading a book to family/friends on the chat.

What Was It About?  After your child watches a T.V. show, talk to him about it. “Did you like that show?” “What did you like/not like?“ What was his favorite part? Who was his favorite character? Help your child relate the story to his own life. “Did something like that ever happen to you?” “Did you feel the same way the character on the show did?” and “Did you do the same thing the character in the show did, or did you do something different?” Remember to give your child plenty of time to think about the questions. 

What’s That Letter?  You can use the computer keyboard and a word program to help your child learn letters and letter sounds. Remind your child that on the computer the letters are all mixed up. They are not in the same order as in the alphabet.  Help him find the letters in his name. Then encourage him to type his name one letter at a time. Remind him to be gentle when he pushes the keys. Then you can let him experiment with typing on his own.

Early Reader-Writers: Children who are beginning to read and write

Make a Screen Schedule.  Help your child make a plan for screen time. First, decide what shows your child can watch or what apps they can use.  Then tell your child that together you can make a screen schedule. Explain that a schedule tells you when something happens. Remind her of other schedules she has seen, like bus schedules or school schedules. Give her paper and markers or crayons. Review the shows she can watch/apps she can use. Invite her to write down the name of each show/app; what channel it is on; what time it is on; and where to find the app on the tablet. Then hang the schedule up somewhere visible so your child can refer back to it during the day. 

What Was It About?  After your child watches a T.V. show or movie, talk to her about the story. “What happened at the beginning?” and “What happened at the end?” Give your child plenty of time to think about these questions and give clues to help her remember. Did she like the way the show ended? Why or why not? If she could change the ending how would she change it? Give her paper and markers or crayons and she can write her own story.

Tell me About…  Have your child interview a grandparent, aunt, uncle, other family member or friend over video chat.  Have them ask questions about their childhood.  What was your neighbourhood like? What was your favourite toy? 

Where Can I Find It?   The internet has many educational sites for children. Teach your child to use the computer as a resource, a place to find information she needs or wants. Is she interested in sports, animals, or people in other countries? Help her choose an interest, and then use a search engine like google.com to help her find some information for children on that topic.