Speech and Language
SIX WAYS TO GROW LANGUAGE
#1 Self-Talk/Parallel Talk
Narrate what you are doing or what your child is doing. If your child is playing with cars on a track, you can say things like, “That car went fast”, “The car goes over the bridge”, “They crashed”, etc.
#2 Communication Temptations
Create opportunities for your child to need to use language to get something. Then wait for him or her to make a request. If he or she says something, repeat what s/he said and add a word. If he or she points or uses other body language, tell him/her what to say.
Examples of temptation:
*Do a puzzle, give your child all of the pieces except one.
*Put toys somewhere in sight but out of reach.
*Give your child an empty cup or a snack package that is not open.
*Play with wind-up toys and wait when they stop moving.
*Put only one shoe on and pretend you forgot the other one.
*Help your child onto a swing, but wait to start pushing him or her.
*Creative Silliness : Do the wrong thing on purpose, or say something incorrect on purpose to give them an opportunity to correct you. For example, if they ask for a blue marker, give them a red marker. Or say something like, “I just need to put my other shoe on my hand”.
#3 Routines
A routine is any activity with a beginning and end that is done every day. Talk about the routine as you are doing it. Children get repeated opportunities to be exposed to language when you add it to a routine. When your child starts to become familiar with how to describe a particular routine, leave a word out to see if he or she can finish it. For example, “We wash our hands with ______”.
Here are some routines:
*getting dressed
*getting in the car,
*brushing your teeth,
*feeding the dog
*And of course, washing your hands!
#4 Expansion/Extension
For children who are beginning to combine words together, use the +1 rule. When they say something, repeat it back and add one element. For example, if your child says, “A bird”, you can say, “A bird is flying” or “A blue bird” or “A bird is in the tree”. For children who are using longer utterances, repeat their utterances back to them with correct grammar. For example, if your child says, “I be happy,” you could say, “I AM happy too”. Your child does not need to repeat what you say for this strategy to be effective.
#5 3:1 Rule
Make at least 3 comments for every question you ask while playing or reading books. This helps children learn to talk about what they are doing rather than waiting for questions.
#6 Read Books
Books are a great way to build language. It’s okay to just talk about the pictures you see rather than reading the words. You can use books to build vocabulary, grammar, teach feelings, and teach prediction (e.g., “What do you think will happen next?).
