Practicing Speech and Language Skills in Everyday Activities

For busy families, it can sometimes be hard to find the time to sit down and complete specific homework activities, especially now when working from home is common for many parents! There are many ways that you can include language practice in your daily routines at home. Here are some ideas you may like to try at home with your chlidren.

Getting Ready

• Sequencing: Use words like first/next/then/last when talking about your morning routine with your child, for example: First, we eat breakfast. Next, we brush our teeth.
• Categories and Vocabulary: Label clothing items while dressing, and talk about how these items suit the day’s activities or the weather. For example: It is winter. We need a jumper because it is cold.

In the Car

I Spy is a fantastic game to play in the car that can be used to support a range of communication skills, including: 

• Descriptive Language: Talking about the colours, size, parts, materials and functions of objects.
• Phonological Awareness: Talking about initial and final sounds of words.
• Speech Sounds: Talking about objects that begin with the speech sound your child has been targeting with their Speech Pathologist.

Shopping

• Location and/or position concepts: Talk about where you find the items using words like ‘top’, ‘middle’, ‘bottom’, ‘front’, ‘back’, ‘above’, ‘under’, ‘on’ and ‘off’. Label the action of taking items ‘in’ and ‘out’ of the trolley.
• Categories: Talk about the different groups that items belong in, for example: fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, clothing.
• Sequencing: Use words like first/next/then/last when talking about the tasks you need to complete. For example, ‘First apples, then oranges’.

Bath-time

• Vocabulary: Practice naming body parts as you undress and wash. Use opposites (i.e.) antonyms to describe what is happening, for example: hot or cold water, full or empty bath, dirty or clean clothes, tap on or off.
• Following Directions: Ask your child to follow directions that match the level they have been working on with their Speech Pathologist. For example, if your child is working on following three key word directions you could say: ‘Wash your nose and then your ear’.

You can ask your Speech Pathologist for more ways to incorporate your child’s communication targets into your daily environment.  

If you are concerned about your child’s language skills, or would like to know more about language development, you can get in contact with one of our Speech Pathologists or our client care team via email on [email protected], phone (07) 3265 4495, or via our website.

Emily Barnett

Speech Pathologist