Summer is a great time for practicing
speech and language skills!
Have you been wondering how to help your child maintain speech and language skills over the summer? Practicing can be done anywhere, and there are several fun and easy things you can do with your child. Key words? FUN, EASY, and ANYWHERE!
Articulation ideas:
o Note: It is most helpful to work on sounds the child already says correctly sometimes to avoid frustration!
o During dinner, pick one of your child's target sounds, and take turns listing words with that sound. Look around the house for ideas.
o While grocery shopping, look for items that contain one of your child’s target sounds. Practice saying them correctly together.
o While driving in the car, play "Grandma's Suitcase" using words that contain the target sound. The first person says, "In Gramma's suitcase I found a fish." The next person repeats and adds a new items containing that sound: "In Gramma's suitcase I found a fish and frog." Continue adding words until you can't remember the list anymore.
o While reading together, look for words and pictures that contain a target sound.
o On a road trip, look for road signs and building signs with your child’s target sounds and practice saying them.
o On a rainy day at home, cut out pictures of items that contain your child’s sound from old magazines. The play one of the following games:
o Play “My Pile, Your Pile” with someone at home. Start with all of the pictures in one pile. Have the student say each word; if the target sound is produced correctly, the student keeps the card. If the sound is incorrect, the student gives the picture to the other player. The goal is for the student to earn all of the pictures for his own pile.
o Play “Silly Sentence”. Place all of the pictures face up on the table. Each player chooses 2-3 pictures and makes a silly sentence using the pictures chosen. Continue until all pictures have been used up. The student must use his/her sound correctly!
o Play “Feed the Fish”. Draw a fish tank on a large piece of paper. Player 1 chooses a picture, places it in the “fish tank” and then says “I gave the fish a/some ______.” Player 2 places another picture in the “fish tank” and says both words: “I gave the fish a __________ and a __________.” Continue taking turns choosing new pictures, placing them in the “fish tank” and saying all of the words in the “tank.”
o Play “Let's Go Shopping!” Set up a mini “store” by laying out the pictures on the table as the merchandise. Use play money or even blocks for money (the shopper can carry their “money” in a shopping bag, basket, or purse). The shopper has to purchase at least 5 items per turn. The store owner has to listen to the shopper to be sure the target words are correct. If the shopper asks for a word with the sound produced incorrectly, the store owner should repeat the error back by saying, “I’m sorry, we don’t have any “wope” (rope). Once the shopper fixes the error, he is allowed to make the purchase.
Language ideas:
o READ, READ, READ, READ, READ, READ…….
o Research shows that reading has numerous positive benefits for your child’s language skills and academic progress.
o So…. read together this summer, every day. Go to the library every week and take out books, FREE! Participate in the library’s summer program. When reading with your child take turns reading sentences, paragraphs, or pages. Let your child read a whole story and cue them to use reading strategies (your child’s teacher likely has a list of strategies). Read the same book over and over if the child asks. Ask questions about details, places, characters. Ask the child to predict what will happen next. Have the child retell the story and help them put the events in the correct order. Make up a different ending together (even if it’s a silly one!).
o Have your child help with cooking projects. Talk about what you’re doing and use the names of the items and actions (potholder, spatula, measuring cup, colander, mix, boil, bake, preheat, etc.) Involve your child in the steps as much as possible. (Cooking involves great language AND teaches them a life skill!)
o While camping, fishing, hiking, or boating, name and describe the types of plants and animals you see or might see. Use the names of the equipment you’re touching. Think of the wealth of vocabulary and the life skills you can share right here in Maine! {maple, birch, robin, fox, tent, sleeping bag, kayak, life jacket, rock cairn, blaze, stream, bait, fly rod, reel, casting, trout, brookies…..}
o While waiting at a restaurant, play “I spy”. Start by looking around and picking an item in the room. Say, “I spy with my little eye something (pick one: green/big/little/round/tall, etc.) Have the child look around the room and make guesses based on your descriptor. For example, “Is it a menu?” “Is it a fork?” After a few guesses you can add clues if necessary. Then have the child spy something and you make the guesses. (Skills: labeling, asking questions, naming items from descriptions, etc.)
o While waiting in line at a store or amusement park, play “A Bunch of Questions.” Think of a common item that the child would know (tree, fish, bike, doll, apple, etc.) Help the child to ask questions to find out what the secret item is. Your answer to each question should only be “yes, no, or sort of”.
o Tips: One of the best questions to start with is, “Is the secret thing alive?” After that, help the child think of broad questions and category questions such as, “Can you buy it at Walmart?” “Is it something in the house?” “Can you find it at school?” “Is it an animal?” “Is it something to wear?” “Can you eat it?” “Is it a forest animal?”
o Give the child as much help as needed to guess the item correctly.
o Then have the child think of a secret item (and hold it in his/her mind.) Ask the child questions in the same manner until you figure out the secret item.
Happy summer speech and language!
