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Let's get out the toys! Below you will find some ideas for language modelling and social communication strategies built into activities you might have at home. Choose activities your child already enjoys and remember to have fun!
"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning." - Fred Rogers
"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning." - Fred Rogers
Set aside time to play with your child every day, no distractions or screens.
WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW!
PLAYING WITH A BALL:
PLAYING WITH A BALL:
Get ready to take turns throwing or rolling the ball back and forth.
Introduce prepositions. "Put the ball on/off/under a blanket or pillow. Put the ball in/out of a container. Throw the ball up/down.
Take turns with others. "Roll the ball to Mom. Roll the ball to Dad."
Model verbs such as: roll, throw, go, stop, kick, bounce.
Talk about the ball. What does it feel like (soft or hard).
Remember to have fun!
PLAYING WITH BUBBLES:
PLAYING WITH BUBBLES:
Get ready to blow bubbles: Model and sign "open" and/or "bubbles". Repeat yourself to encourage your child to imitate you.
Get the wand ready! Use words like "Ready, Set, GO!" or "Ready, Set BLOW!". Do this the same way every time. Eventually, you can pause before you model "go" or "blow" to give your child a chance to try repeating it on their own.
Now we blow the bubbles! Get excited, model "pop" each time you pop one.
Time for more bubbles: model and sign "more". Repeat yourself to encourage your child to imitate you.
Repeat all the steps above and remember to have fun!
PLAYING WITH BLOCKS:
PLAYING WITH BLOCKS:
Practice communication opportunities by placing blocks in a bucket or bin. Model "More blocks" by modeling and signing more.
Stacking blocks and model "UP UP UP" or "ON TOP"
Taking the blocks off or knocking them down and model "DOWN DOWN" or "BLOCK OFF" or "CRASH!"
We can use cars and other toy figures to climb up, down, under the blocks.
Remember to have fun!
PLAYING WITH FARM ANIMALS:
PLAYING WITH FARM ANIMALS:
Place the barn on the table or floor. Let's explore the barn and label what we see, "door, hay, window, etc."
Provide communication opportunities with choice making "pig or chicken" wait for your child to reach or look at the animal they want. Repeat back the animal name they have chosen "here's the pig, oink oink"
Use the animal sounds when playing. Follow your child's lead when they put the animal inside place your animal inside and say "in" or "inside".
Remember to have fun!
PLAYING WITH PLAYDOUGH:
PLAYING WITH PLAYDOUGH:
Get ready to open the playdough lid by modeling "OPEN".
Encourage requesting by providing choices "blue playdough or red playdough" avoid saying "Do you want this or that". Be specific as you can.
Take the playdough out and model "OUT" then model verbs (ex: roll, push, smash, cut, etc.)
Practice requesting by providing a little bit of playdough at a time and model/sign "MORE".
Remember to have fun!
READING BOOKS:
READING BOOKS:
Let's find your child's favorite book. Model "book" and "open".
Look at the page and point to the pictures, model the name of the object or what is happening "a cat", "a cat is sleeping"
Repeat for the remaining pages, don't be shy to add sound effects, use gestures while you talk about the pictures.
Repeat with the same book or a different book.
PLAYING WITH VEHICLES:
PLAYING WITH VEHICLES:
Place vehicles on the ground or table, point to the vehicle and model "CAR, TRUCK or TRAIN"
Now let's play! Driving them around and add fun sound effects "vrrrooom, beep beep, choo choo, etc."
Flip the vehicles upside down and say "uh oh" repeat this several times.
While driving model and gesture "STOP", pause for 1-2 seconds then say "GO". Repeat this several times.
Remember to have fun!
PLAYING WITH CRAYONS AND COLOURING:
PLAYING WITH CRAYONS AND COLOURING:
Let your child flip through coloring pages or provide paper.
Show them the crayons and label the colors.
Model language when coloring or drawing pictures such as: "a sun, pink flower, blue bird, etc."
Encourage requesting by providing choices "red crayon or blue crayon, red paper or blue paper, etc."
Practice requesting by providing one crayon at a time and say/sign "MORE + BLUE".
Identify/name the pictures on the coloring books.
Remember to have fun!
Hanen People Games click here for ideas that you can play with your child without any need for toys
Resources:
Watch our Reading together webinar for strategies to use when reading with your child.
Learn how you can promote early literacy skills from birth in this video from the Canadian Paediatric Society and this article from Caring For Kids
Check out this Book Reading Checklist for Parents from The Hanen Centre to see how you are supporting your child's literacy skills.
Review these tips from The Hanen Center to help you pick out books to read with your child.
Visit your local library or sign up for the GROW newsletter
Watch this video from First Words on the power of books!
Learn about effective strategies for reading with your child, such as Dialogic Reading and The Hanen Center's Shoot for the SSTaRS: A Strategy for Teaching Vocabulary to Promote Emergent Literacy
Your Speech-Language Pathologist or Communicative Disorders Assistant may provide more individualized support.
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