Stimulating Speech while at Home for the Holidays, Part 2
Here is a continuation of Tuesday's post....ENJOY!
- Tap/Pace Out Your Speech. Clapping out words or tapping your knee/table to help pace out words and sentences will help your child to understand that each syllable has its own part that needs sound! (i.e. "El-e-phant" or "I-want-juice"). This can also help you, the listener, to better understand what your child is saying and helps to reduce the level of frustration during attempts at communication.
- "Use Your Words". When your child makes a request, don't allow them to simply point; encourage them to "use your words" or sign what they want. If they are pointing to the apple juice container and clearly want a drink, ask them to say/sign what they want (if they are able) and WAIT for their response. This takes time and patience but it's worth it!
- Get the Whole Family Involved. If there are older siblings and/or a parent, grandparent, etc. who continually answer for your child, ask them to stop. If a child knows that they do not need to talk and that their older brother or sister will answer for them, they learn to remain quiet.
- Get Creative! Art activities are a wonderful way to visually capture a child's attention yet also "take the pressure off" their speech and language. Building a snowman instead of just talking about snow makes the subject come alive. During the holidays, hop in the car (or stroller) and go for a drive around the neighborhood to look at all the lights and decorations. Talk about what you see. This is such a natural and easy way to help children increase their ability to label and comment on their environment. Look back to our "Ho, Ho, Ho, Holiday Crafts!" post on 12/12/08 to see activity suggestions.
- Get Cooking! Food is another wonderful way to have fun and build speech/language skills with your child. By having your child help you make their peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch or help you bake their birthday cake, you are once again creating an atmosphere for language-based fun! Look back to our "Recipes for Toddlers" on 11/26/08 for cooking ideas.
- Read! Read! Read! There are so many wonderful holiday books for little children and stories and reading are still one of the best ways to build language and stimulate your child's imagination. When you read with your child, ask questions and point to the people and objects in the book. Model the behavior and speech and language you want your child to demonstrate!
Hope you found these suggestions helpful! Wishing everyone and your family health and happiness in the New Year!