Let’s say it right off the bat – the best times to stimulate your child’s language are through everyday activities! Why? Because these are moments that happen throughout the day and the words used are the most necessary ones for daily functioning! Also, including language stimulation naturally throughout the day is easier than planning recurring times when you sit down and “work” on language.
Some rules to follow
• Avoid making the child repeat. This might be discouraging!
• When the words spoken are not worded properly, simply rephrase and refrain from asking the child to say it again.
• The +1 rule: is your child able to say 2-word sentences? If so, encourage 3-word sentences. And so on.
• Have fun! Learning to speak is fun! Congratulate the child for their efforts and encourage them. “Well done! You named what you wanted for a snack!”
5 ideas to inspire you
1. At meals and snack time, remember to name foods so that your child learns new vocabulary. You can also take advantage of this time to stimulate requests or for using the pronoun “I” (e.g. “I want milk.”). Food is also a way to learn hot / cold concepts and the names of textures!
2. Take advantage when getting dressed to work on clothing and color vocabulary as well as understanding the instructions (e.g. “Get your blue sweater”.). In young children, keep in mind to give just one or two instructions. Instructions containing 3 things should be reserved for children aged 4 or 5!
3. At bath time, name the parts of your child’s body. This will help them develop their vocabulary. This can also be a good time to invent little stories featuring bath toys or to work on understanding spatial concepts (e.g. in, next to, in front of).
4. During physical and sports activities (e.g. skating, obstacle course), you can help your child to develop their vocabulary of verbs by naming the actions you perform and those performed by your child (eg: “I jump. You’re climbing. ”). By describing your actions and your child’s, you will also stimulate using the pronouns “I” and “you”. You can also film your child and show them the video afterwards. You’ll be taking the opportunity to describe their actions!
5. At any time, sing songs related to the current activity! This is a wonderful way to stimulate language while having fun! For example, take advantage of brushing your teeth to start the song “Brush, brushy, brush” or, sing “Five Little Ducks” while swimming.
Anytime is a good time to stimulate your child’s language! Let your imagination run wild! And if you want more a structured activity idea, here is a good one here!
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