Parent Corner: Top three ideas for learning with your child this summer

Summer is here and the kids have been home from school for a couple of months. A question I hear often is, “What can I do to help my child with his or her speech and language skills?” Here are some great functional activities to complete with your child during the summer.   

   
Reading: Reading can enrich a child’s vocabulary and language skills. Reading 15-30 minutes a day is a great way to work on speech and language skills at home.

a. For younger children

•  Say the names of items you see in the pictures, such as, fox, bed, toy, or book
•  Provide a verbal model of how to produce and label people or objects
•  Utilize shorter stories or books with less reading for preschool aged children
•  Using story books with pictures is a great way to engage children in the story
•  Asking WH- questions result in open-ended responses and, as a result, they are a great way to elicit language from your child. 

b. For older children or school-aged children

•  Have them read for 15-30 minutes
•  Ask them to tell you what the story was about or what they learned from the story
•  Have your child select books from home or your local library

     Adventures outside the home: Trips outside the home can be great opportunities to elicit speech and language skills in a functional way.

a. At the store, all the products and people lend themselves to many language opportunities

•  Engage your son or daughter in describing what they see, for example “I see bananas, pineapples, and oranges.” “These items are fruits."
•  Practice modeling names of people they may see, such as, a baker, shopper, worker, or cashier

b. Language opportunities exist at every turn when you are at the park 

•  Ask your child, “What do you see?” and provide examples, e.g., “I see a bird.”
•  Encourage them to tell you what the animals are doing, e.g., “The bird is flying.”
•  Have your child identify items by attributes: “Tell me something that you see that barks…dog.” “Tell me something that you see that is blue...the sky.”

c. Going to the doctor’s office or the dentist’s office can become a learning adventure

•  Describe the different occupations, e.g., the doctor helps people feel better; the dentist helps keep our teeth healthy.
•  Labeling items they see, such as, a chair, a nurse, thermometer, or stethoscope.

     Homework from your therapist: Check in with your therapist for homework they can assign to complete at home.

If you or someone you know needs the services of a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist, please be sure to discuss your concerns with a physician, a speech-language pathologist, or another qualified provider. You can also find a provider through the ASHA ProFind service or visit us at www.bilingualspeech.org for more information. NOTE: This article is intended only as a general source of information, i.e., it is not intended to replace information given to you by a qualified health professional that is familiar with your particular circumstances. If you have an urgent medical need, please seek immediate medical attention.