Speech and language is part of everyday life. Your child is practicing all the time. Be an active listener and a good model!
Speech and language is part of everyday life. Your child is practicing all the time. Be an active listener and a good model!
Children can be made aware of correct speech and language daily. Encourage your child to express themselves through reading, writing, and conversation. To foster good communication skills at home you can be a good speech model. Here's how:
Pronounce words clearly, slowly, and correctly when speaking to your child
Listen to your child when he/she is reading spelling or vocabulary lists
Listen to your child read
Take turns reading, alternate paragraphs or chapters in a story
Ask your child about the story and encourage them to ask questions too
Have your child describe pictures in the story and retell it when finished
These everyday activities allow your child to explore and practice in a more functional environment. In addition, they provide you both with some special moments to share.
Language:
Expansion: “I see a ball” → “I see a giant ball”
Recasting: “I goed to store” → “I went to the store”
Modeling: No response → “I see a ball, you say, I see a ball.”
Rephrase/Breakdown: “What’s new with you?” → “What did you do yesterday?”
Questioning: “What did you do yesterday?” → “What did you eat for dinner?” / “Who did you play with?”
Explanation “Where did you go after school?” → “Where” means a place, tell me the place you went to after school yesterday.”
Clarifying: “I went to the store.” → “What store did you go to?”
Vocabulary expansion: “I went to the grocery store.” → “You went to the supermarket? A grocery store and a supermarket are places you go to buy food, they mean the same thing.”
Articulation and Speech Intelligibility:
Repeat misarticulated words or unintelligible speech back to your child correctly
If you don't understand your child, ask him/her to repeat it or show you and/or tell you in a different way
If you don’t understand your child, remind him/her to speak “louder” and/or “slower”
Draw attention to your mouth as you model correct sound production to allow your child to visually see clear articulation
For children demonstrating sound errors, model and emphasize correct speech production of error sounds throughout the day
For children demonstrating sound errors, reinforce accurate sound productions of previous error sounds throughout the day