Receptive and Expressive Language
Sound Practice
Social Language and Pragmatics
Fluency
Receptive and Expressive Language
Tips:
Links:
http://www.talkingpoint.org.uk/
enhancing language
Sound Practice
Tips:
The following are gathered in part from the
web site listed below.
Play listening games such as sound picture lotto or "I spy with my little eye" to improve a child's ability to selectively hear sounds.
Play counting syllables games such as clapping out a child's name. This helps children discover that some words are made of smaller chunks which in turn help children later to spell compound words.
Play rhyming games to help children understand that some words end with the same sound which in turn help them become aware that language has form. Dr. Suess books are an excellent source of rhyming stories as well as playing with a child's name with rhyming words.
Play alliteration games to focus a child's attention on the initial sound in a word. One game is banana bana bo bana changing the first sound to match all others. Another is Five freckled frogs... mixing alliteration with rhyme.
Play word and sentence building games to help young children understand that language is made of sentences of different lengths and that sentences are made of words of different length. Chose a book that has a pattern or rhythm encouraging a child to fill in i.e. "I know an old Lady who swallowed a Fly".
Play sounds in isolation games to allow a child to hear and feel what individual sounds are like when spoken in isolation. Children can make new words by adding or taking a sound away.
When your child mispronounces a word i.e. wing/ring or thun/sun provide them a model over -emphasizing the sound but not making a child repeat it.
Practice words/sounds in front of the mirror - children enjoy looking at themselves. Begin by imitating silly faces then by playing with sounds.
Links:
Charles Sturt University
Social Language and Pragmatics
Tips:
Children use language for a variety of purposes even as young as age three. Below are different purposes and activities to promote their development:
Requests for objects: Instead of having objects easily available, wait until your child asks for what he/she needs, i.e. Tell your child to cut paper but he/she must ask for the materials.
Request for actions: Identify situations where children must ask for help, instead of anticipating their need for help, wait until they ask. You can prompt "Let me know if you need help".
Re-telling an activity: Talk about an activity with your child using questions "What do we do first", "Then what do we do" to help your child sequence the steps.
State information: Prompt your child to tell others what they have done today, i.e. "Tell Dad what you made in school today."
Respond to a child's intended message: Respond to the intended message rather than focusing on the grammar or pronunciation, then model the corrections in your own speech.
Take advantage of naturally occurring interactions to increase the use of language: Practice greetings at the beginning of the day, have children ask peers what they want to eat for snacks, etc.
Role play conversations that might occur with different people at different times.
Effective Persuasion: Discuss different ways to present a message being polite ("Please may I...") versus impolite ("You better let me...") and indirect ("That music is too loud") versus direct ("Turn off the radio").
Links:
ASHA (American Speech Language Hearing Association
Parent-Child Services Group, Inc.
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Fluency
Tips:
The Stuttering Foundation of America suggests these tips to promote fluency:
1. Speak with your child in an unhurried way, pausing frequently
2. Set aside a few minutes at a regular time each day that you can give your undivided attention to your child.
3. Help all members of the household to take turns talking and listening.
4. Convey that you accept your child as he/she is.
5. Use your facial expressions and other body expressions to convey to your child that you are listening to the content of his/her message and not how he/she is talking.
6. Try to decrease criticisms, rapid speech patterns, interruptions, and questions.
Links:
Stuttering Foundation of America
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Games and Toys
Games Kids Play
Links for more information
If you are looking for more information, below are a number of web sites that may be helpful to you
Speech, Language & Motor Development Milestones
KidsHealth
Caroline_Bowen/
Interactive Speech Kids
Robinbest