Parents of children who are not talking at all, not talking much, or not talking well can help their children gain speech and language skills throughout the day using the activities and interactions that occur naturally within the course of a day. Parent-child interactions provide constant opportunities for language and speech stimulation. Parents can learn how to maximize these learning opportunities.
The beauty of the techniques you will learn in this article is that you can learn to incorporate the concepts and techniques for stimulating language and speech into your everyday life. You don't need to set aside extra time for "lessons." You just need to focus time and energy on your child during daily activities and events.
Let's look at many of the usual events that occur in most families on a regular basis and consider the kinds of words you could build into those routine activities. And let's also look at the style of interaction and how to shape situations for your child's benefit.
Meals/snacks: cup, sippy cup, hold, handle, spoon, bowl/dish/plate, napkin, washcloth, bib, want, more, need, help, wipe, cut, eat, bite, open, chew, swallow, taste, yummy, yum, mmmm, like, love, warm, hot, cold, fresh, dip, smell, good, wiggle, chewy, soft, hard, crunchy, (food names).
Dressing: sock(s), pants, shirt, diaper, underpants, undershirt, shoe, slippers, robe, dress, skirt, shorts, foot, hand/arm, leg, head, help, on, off, pull(down), pull off, sweater, jacket, coat, mittens, gloves, hat, one, other, choose, pick, new, old, ripped, zipper, zip, button, snap, tie, warm, cold, big, small, long, short, (colors, patterns, objects on the clothes like train, flower, etc.)
Playing with toys: on, off, open, out, in, work, broke/broken, fix, put, up, down, fall, go, move, zoom, fly, bump, push, pull, roll, bounce, throw, squeeze, ride, more, help, watch (me), my turn, make, shake, wiggle, match, cover, all gone, share, away, more, all done, put away, clean up, (specific names of toys/objects).
Outside play: run, jump, climb, slide, push (me), swing, hop, off, in, on, watch (me), help, up, down, more, boy, girl, share, wait, turn, pull, scoop, dump, wind/windy, cloud, sky, sun, rain, cold, warm, wet, muddy, fun, sand, rocks, throw, catch, bounce, roll, kick, (specific names of toys and equipment).
Book time: book, picture, page, turn the page, boy, girl, mommy, daddy, (other character names), (all action words to describe pictures), pat, pull, see, look, watch, fun, funny, (all emotion words: happy, sad, mad, etc.), (all modifiers: fast, slow, old, young, big, little), (lots of sound effects words: buzz, zzzooommm, crash, boom, rrrrrr, woof, beep beep, toot toot), more, again, all done, put away.
Riding in a car: go, car, open, door, car seat, seat belt, snap, click, pull, tight, key, start, music, radio, CD, on, off, stop, beep beep, truck, bus, train, people, work, rain, snow, wipers, windows, sister, brother.
Bedtime: bed, blanket, pillow, (stuffed animal), soft, warm, pajamas/pjs/jammies/nightgown, book, story, sleepy, sleep, tired, dark, light, night light, (your verbal routine: a prayer or routine saying), I love you, hug, kiss, night night.
Waking up: hi, mama, dada, mommy, daddy, happy, wake up, get up, window, light, hug, kiss, snack, diaper, morning.
Cleaning house: wipe, wash, dust, dirt, dirty, sweep, broom, dustpan, vacuum, clean, nice, pretty, table, floor, carpet, wall, dishes, squirt, soap, bubbles, rag, towel.
Fixing something: broke, broken, glue, tape, fix, nail, hammer, turn, hold, all done, all better, okay, new.
Shopping: cart, basket, paper, list, pick, get, put in, hold, see, look, feel, like, yum, yummy, make, cook, snack, (names of items).
As you talk through your child's daily activities-awakening, getting up, diaper changes/ toileting, getting dressed, making and eating meals and snacks, playing, making things, drawing, reading/talking about books, helping with household tasks, going places, taking baths, getting ready for bed, and settling into bed for the night-be aware that all of these interactions with your child stimulate her speech-language development. This is therapeutic intervention in the most natural setting-family life.
You are the person who opens your child's eyes and ears to the world. Narrate what is happening all around your child. Comment on what he is doing and experiencing. Make statements about what is obvious. Avoid asking questions. Watch carefully to see what interests your child, pace your comments, wait for your child to respond, and keep that cycle going. By following these suggestions, you will learn to make language and speech more obvious to your child and easier for him to try.
