Language and Everyday Routines
In a time where many of us are navigating a new dynamic in the home, it can be difficult to find balance with work, play, household chores, and your child’s learning. You may find yourself thinking, “How does anyone have time for all of this?”. The good news is: these can all be wrapped into the same tasks!
Incorporating language into everyday routines is a way to give your child a boost – in their practical skills such as cooking, dressing, and cleaning, but also in their vocabulary and language skills in general. Giving children more exposure to these activities and words can help with language development. There are a few ways to do this, here are some tips:
Commenting.
Talking about what your child is currently doing keeps things fun and relevant for them. You can think of this as adding a voice to what they are doing, especially if they are not yet talking or narrating their actions themselves. “You’re sweeping the floor – it looks clean!”, “Let’s mix the ingredients in the bowl!”.
Instructions.
Giving your child instructions to follow helps build attention and understanding skills. Asking them to “find your red socks”, or “put your shirt on first” helps build independence, but also teaches them to pay close attention to what you are saying. These skills the building blocks of mastering more complicated instructions later in life (such how to drive from point A to point B, or how to connect to a video call!). Being specific in your word choices helps your instructions be more effective.
Expand on their words.
If your child tends to speak in one-word sentences, repeat what they are saying, but give more information! If they reach and say “Juice!”, you can reply with “I want apple juice!”. You have just shaped their request into a longer sentence, and provided exposure to more words and information!
Like everything in language – kids learn best by listening to YOU! Keep talking and keep having fun!
Still have questions? Contact us at info@andersontherapy.ca to consult with one of our speech-language therapists. We love helping your little ones be at their communicative best!
Here is a fun weekend activity to work on with your child.
We have created some interactive digital workbooks to support at-home learning. There are three grade levels, and they each focus on common practice areas that we work on in therapy! They can be viewed on a laptop or a tablet, and let your children click through the activities with audio instructions if needed.
Click on the links below to access the workbooks for your children:
K4-Grade 2:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/13V34nttblk6U00YsbRvn2Hy2kjWPcd9b33AO0TCdDdk/edit?usp=sharing
Grade 3 to Grade 6:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Nrdw7QEFRwsl1pGSPxSvcG80Fq9IpIoLV00f-fE18OU/edit?usp=sharing
Grade 7 and up:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Nrdw7QEFRwsl1pGSPxSvcG80Fq9IpIoLV00f-fE18OU/edit?usp=sharing
