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This can help families at home, so their children can communicate what they want and don't want to eat. Parents can use it to model pointing to the items while they are talking to their child about the food/meal time.

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VideoLink lets you share videos on YouTube easily, without distracting third-party content or advertisements.

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VideoLink lets you share videos on YouTube easily, without distracting third-party content or advertisements.

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Does your child have difficulty telling you what they want? Pair a picture with speech and hear their communication take off!

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Speech Therapy Ideas for Toddlers... Clear Tubes... Therapy Tip of the Week 5.26.18

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VideoLink lets you share videos on YouTube easily, without distracting third-party content or advertisements.

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Have them practice words with "t" in them while smashing them with Dot markers, or picking up cheerios from them, etc!

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I will discuss speech therapy home practice. What is TOO MUCH? What is TOO LITTLE?

Having a child with a speech and/or language disorder is stressful enough. However, the stress doesn't end there. Parents to get their child an evaluation, review the results, decide on what/where their child will receive services, find a therapist that is the right fit, and THEN support their child's goals at home throughout the week. It's A LOT!

I hope with these tips, I can ease a little stress.

Speech therapy home practice is necessary because 30-60 minutes of therapy per week isn't enough to make fast, significant change for speech/language skills. It isn't. There must be home practice.

However, there can be a fine line between too much or too little home practice. I have seen both!

Parents want the best for their children, but more often than not, they aren't given the correct information.

So here is goes...let's set the record straight once and for all!

What is TOO MUCH Speech Therapy Home Practice?

How do you know if you are doing too much?

Well, look at your children and their responses to you.

Are they avoiding talking?

Are they becoming frustrated?

If you answered "yes," you are doing too much!

Avoidance:

If your child is avoiding answering questions or saying certain sounds in fear of corrective feedback, you are doing too much! You don't want your child avoiding communication for a million reasons! Communication is how we have fun, express ideas, learn, and grow. If your child is avoiding words or sounds, then they aren't getting ANY practice.

If this is your child, look at how you are doing speech therapy home practice.

Is it fun?

Are you giving positive feedback as well as corrective feedback?

Is he/she making progress and feeling good about it?

If you answered "no" to any of these questions, your home program needs tweaking!

Frustrated:

If your child gets mad or frustrated when you do home practice, that is not good! Practice should be fun and rewarding. If your child is mad, then you are doing too much.
Below is a common example that will lead to frustration.
Let's say a child can't say /s/. Let's say a parent corrects this mistake for EVERY /s/ production. This is a lot, especially since /s/ is a common sound in the English language.

The child may be excited to tell a story about school one day, and when she does, her parent stops her and makes her say /s/ correctly for every sentence. This is NOT GOOD! The child may feel hurt that her exciting story isn't being taken seriously and the only thing her parents cares about is speech.

INSTEAD, A Parent Should:

Listen to the story and just be a parent.

Later, the parent could say "let's play I Spy" together and practice /s/. I love playing "I Spy" and you are getting soooo good at saying /s/. I want to hear how good you are!"

What is WRONG Speech Therapy Home Practice?

Not having guidance for a speech therapy home practice from a speech therapist can be dangerous.

Let's review two examples:

1. Let's say your child is learning how to say /s/

During therapy, the therapist is using tactile (touch), visual, and verbal cues to elicit a correct production at the syllable level, "see."

It is important to note that:

This child can't say /s/ in words yet.

This child can't say /s/ without having a therapist guide the muscles using tactile cues.

The child DEFINITELY can't say "/s/" just by repeating a word

Now, this child then goes home and says:

"Mom, I thee a frog."

Mom says "don't say thee, say see."

Well, as we know, this child can't say "see," without tactile cues. Now, his mom is asking him to do something he literally can't do! This causes frustration and even embarrassment. Now, his mom doesn't mean to be upsetting, she wants to help, but she isn't helping the correct way.

Instead of using verbal prompts to practice, she should ask her child's speech therapist how to practice at home. Maybe, they can practice tongue and jaw placement at night in front of a mirror or practice another facilitating sound.

2. A child is working on answering WH questions

To help, a dad asks his daughter

"what did you do at school?"

"who did you play with?"

"where did you sit at lunch?"

These questions are very hard for her. She is working on answering WH questions with a visual right now. So, she might not answer her dad at all because she can't or might just avoid the situation all together.

INSTEAD, the dad s hould practice

Asking questions during bedtime stories when he can help by pointing to pictures to help his daughter answer questions.

Or, if he wants to know about his daughter's day (which we all do!), he can ask questions and then provide a choice of answers such as "who did you play with at school? Jane or Jill (her two closest friends)?

What is TOO LITTLE Speech Therapy Home Practice?

How much practice will depend on the child and his level of independence.

Below are 3 different examples:

If a child is just learning how to say a sound and needs a lot of cueing to get a correct production, most likely home practice will be limited to short bursts (a few minutes) a few times a day. Pay attention to frustration levels and make sure you use the same cues the therapist does!

If a child is farther along in therapy, more practice is better! If a child can say /f/ with a simple reminder such as "use your good /f/," then practice can be woven in throughout the day in structured activities such as dinner, playtime, etc... The child won't be as frustrated because saying /f/ isn't that hard anymore!

If a child is working on vocabulary, there is always TOO LITTLE practice! Exposure to vocabulary through conversation, reading, games, and playing should happen NATURALLY all day long. HOWEVER, don't quiz your child (i.e., what's this?, what does this do?). Instead, model good vocabulary...(i.e., Look at that dog! Dogs bark! Do you like dogs or a different pet?). With those sentences, you expose your child to function and categorization through general conversation.

If you are looking for more speech therapy home practice ideas, check out the members program. It can help! There are lots of functional ideas with lots of tips along the way!

Free Worksheet!

To get you started on your home practice journey, try our free /s/ worksheet by click the image below!

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I will discuss speech therapy home practice. What is TOO MUCH? What is TOO LITTLE? Having a child with a speech and/or language disorder is stressful enough. However, the stress doesn't end there.

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10 Articulation Games Your Child Will Love

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10 Articulation Games Your Child Will Love

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Try something new every week!

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10 Articulation Games Your Children Will Love

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15 Interactive Language Activities for Preschoolers

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Late talker therapy LOOKS a lot like play since most of the work happens during play. However, ask any speech language pathologist, it is much harder than it looks! It takes a lot of attention and skill to know how to:

engage children while letting them lead the play

naturally modify the environment

speak in a simple yet purposeful way

expand play

map words on to play routines

expand utterances

the list goes on!

There is a lot to learn and this can be overwhelming to parents.

To help alleviate this stress, I created some parent friendly handouts that can be used as part of a home therapy program that helps them learn the techniques they need for their individual child!

Late Talker Parent Strategies Handouts

I created a "parent friendly" handout for each principle/technique that I find to be crucial for a successful program.
Uses:

Professionals: These handouts can be printed out and given to parents as needed as part of a therapy program.

Parents: If your child is enrolled in a therapy program, but you would like more guidance and/or reminders of best practices at home, these handouts are for you

The topics covered include:
1. How To Model Language

Children at this age, or any age, won't learn words unless they are presented and practiced in meaningful ways.

Modeling words allows a child time to process the word! It can take some practice to learn HOW to model words. To learn more about this please either watch the video below or learn more at my Modeling Language For Late Talkers page.

To help parents learn this technique I created a handout that reviews what not to do, when to model words, how to model words, and why to model words.

2. Withholding an Object

Many times, parents will withhold objects in order to encourage their children to start talking. While this technique comes from a good place, it can be cruel if not used properly or at the right time.

In my parent friendly handout, I review:

when to withhold an object (only when the child has a word/sign in their expressive vocabulary) and have used it spontaneously over multiple contexts

when NOT to withhold an object (an equally important skill)

why to withhold an object (to work on independence and confidence)

how to withhold an object and support/prompt the child if they can't name the object upon first request (we want all communication to be successful so skilled prompting is key!)

3. Imitation

Imitation is a MUST in late talker therapy. Once a child is able to imitate words, progress really takes off.

However, imitation can be difficult for late talkers. It is important to review the levels of imitation:

Imitating gestures and motor skills

Imitating gestures paired with a sound

Imitating fun, exclamatory sounds

Imitation words

Then, you can use the handout to help guide parents where and how to focus their practice at home.

4. How To Play....Purposefully!

Since therapy happens during play, it is essential that parents know how to play with a purpose!

In my handout, I review:

Positioning (get down on the level of the child)

How and why you must follow your child's lead during play

How and why to talk with a purpose

How and why to you must listen and respond appropriately to develop language

5. 3 Strikes & You Win

This technique is something I created to help parents learn how to:

Model words using visual cues

Pause to allow time for the child to repeat

Prompt appropriately with child doesn't repeat

This handout is a must have!

6. Repeat-Expand-Repeat

Expanding on a child's utterances is an effective way to naturally teach a child the next level of language development (i.e., move a child from 1 word utterances to 2 word utterances.

In my parent handout, I review how accomplish this task naturally with an example:

7. Language Simplified

Since the child is learning language by listening and interacting with caregivers, it is crucial that caregivers know how best to talk!

In my language simplified handout, I review:

What language simplified is all about

Why it is important

How to use it on a daily basis

8. Asking Questions

Therapists and parents of late talkers don't want to ask too many questions of course, but there are times when they must. Therefore, parents must learn HOW to ask questions effectively.

There must be:

balance - you never want too many questions

choices (great way to prompt!)

Parents must learn:

why it is important to ask questions the new way

support (who to prompt a child so he/she is successful)

9. Arrange The Environment!

Speech therapists naturally arrange the environment to ensure communication success and to create opportunities for communication learning.

In my handout, caregivers will learn how to optimize

With these simple tricks, children will naturally be challenged to communicate to have their daily needs met.

10. Narrate The Day

Narrating the day is an easy way to expose children to the language that is meaningful to their lives.

The key is to "narrate the day" correctly.

Parents must learn how to narrate their day and how to map language onto their child's actions.

Membership

If you are already a member of Speech Therapy Talk, you don't need to buy this! It is up on the site. Please click the link below to access the materials.

If you would like to join the membership and access the materials instantly and the other 1,000 pages of materials, click the image below:

Want more materials?

If you want 4 free handouts, click the image or link below 🙂 These handouts are part of our other very popular late talker therapy resources!

50 pages of common first words and how to target them at home, easily!

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Late talker therapy LOOKS a lot like play since most of the work happens during play. However, ask any speech language pathologist, it is much harder than it looks!

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Late talker therapy LOOKS a lot like play since most of the work happens during play. However, ask any speech language pathologist, it is much harder than it looks! It takes a lot of attention and skill to know how to:

engage children while letting them lead the play

naturally modify the environment

speak in a simple yet purposeful way

expand play

map words on to play routines

expand utterances

the list goes on!

There is a lot to learn and this can be overwhelming to parents.

To help alleviate this stress, I created some parent friendly handouts that can be used as part of a home therapy program that helps them learn the techniques they need for their individual child!

Late Talker Parent Strategies Handouts

I created a "parent friendly" handout for each principle/technique that I find to be crucial for a successful program.
Uses:

Professionals: These handouts can be printed out and given to parents as needed as part of a therapy program.

Parents: If your child is enrolled in a therapy program, but you would like more guidance and/or reminders of best practices at home, these handouts are for you

The topics covered include:
1. How To Model Language

Children at this age, or any age, won't learn words unless they are presented and practiced in meaningful ways.

Modeling words allows a child time to process the word! It can take some practice to learn HOW to model words. To learn more about this please either watch the video below or learn more at my Modeling Language For Late Talkers page.

To help parents learn this technique I created a handout that reviews what not to do, when to model words, how to model words, and why to model words.

2. Withholding an Object

Many times, parents will withhold objects in order to encourage their children to start talking. While this technique comes from a good place, it can be cruel if not used properly or at the right time.

In my parent friendly handout, I review:

when to withhold an object (only when the child has a word/sign in their expressive vocabulary) and have used it spontaneously over multiple contexts

when NOT to withhold an object (an equally important skill)

why to withhold an object (to work on independence and confidence)

how to withhold an object and support/prompt the child if they can't name the object upon first request (we want all communication to be successful so skilled prompting is key!)

3. Imitation

Imitation is a MUST in late talker therapy. Once a child is able to imitate words, progress really takes off.

However, imitation can be difficult for late talkers. It is important to review the levels of imitation:

Imitating gestures and motor skills

Imitating gestures paired with a sound

Imitating fun, exclamatory sounds

Imitation words

Then, you can use the handout to help guide parents where and how to focus their practice at home.

4. How To Play....Purposefully!

Since therapy happens during play, it is essential that parents know how to play with a purpose!

In my handout, I review:

Positioning (get down on the level of the child)

How and why you must follow your child's lead during play

How and why to talk with a purpose

How and why to you must listen and respond appropriately to develop language

5. 3 Strikes & You Win

This technique is something I created to help parents learn how to:

Model words using visual cues

Pause to allow time for the child to repeat

Prompt appropriately with child doesn't repeat

This handout is a must have!

6. Repeat-Expand-Repeat

Expanding on a child's utterances is an effective way to naturally teach a child the next level of language development (i.e., move a child from 1 word utterances to 2 word utterances.

In my parent handout, I review how accomplish this task naturally with an example:

7. Language Simplified

Since the child is learning language by listening and interacting with caregivers, it is crucial that caregivers know how best to talk!

In my language simplified handout, I review:

What language simplified is all about

Why it is important

How to use it on a daily basis

8. Asking Questions

Therapists and parents of late talkers don't want to ask too many questions of course, but there are times when they must. Therefore, parents must learn HOW to ask questions effectively.

There must be:

balance - you never want too many questions

choices (great way to prompt!)

Parents must learn:

why it is important to ask questions the new way

support (who to prompt a child so he/she is successful)

9. Arrange The Environment!

Speech therapists naturally arrange the environment to ensure communication success and to create opportunities for communication learning.

In my handout, caregivers will learn how to optimize

With these simple tricks, children will naturally be challenged to communicate to have their daily needs met.

10. Narrate The Day

Narrating the day is an easy way to expose children to the language that is meaningful to their lives.

The key is to "narrate the day" correctly.

Parents must learn how to narrate their day and how to map language onto their child's actions.

Membership

If you are already a member of Speech Therapy Talk, you don't need to buy this! It is up on the site. Please click the link below to access the materials.

If you would like to join the membership and access the materials instantly and the other 1,000 pages of materials, click the image below:

Want more materials?

If you want 4 free handouts, click the image or link below 🙂 These handouts are part of our other very popular late talker therapy resources!

50 pages of common first words and how to target them at home, easily!

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Late talker therapy LOOKS a lot like play since most of the work happens during play. However, ask any speech language pathologist, it is much harder than it looks!

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You can stop guessing or jumping through hoops to figure out how to help your child express feelings rather than acting out, melting down, or shutting down. Bring home the Family Feeling Starter Kit to get immediate relief from challenging behaviors along with ways to increase the fun and happy in your home.

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FAMILY FEELING STARTER KIT ⋆ Parenting Partner

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You can stop guessing or jumping through hoops to figure out how to help your child express feelings rather than acting out, melting down, or shutting down. Bring home the Family Feeling Starter Kit to get immediate relief from challenging behaviors along with ways to increase the fun and happy in your home.

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You can stop guessing or jumping through hoops to figure out how to help your child express feelings rather than acting out, melting down, or shutting down. Bring home the Family Feeling Starter Kit to get immediate relief from challenging behaviors along with ways to increase the fun and happy in your home.

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FAMILY FEELING STARTER KIT ⋆ Parenting Partner

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You can stop guessing or jumping through hoops to figure out how to help your child express feelings rather than acting out, melting down, or shutting down. Bring home the Family Feeling Starter Kit to get immediate relief from challenging behaviors along with ways to increase the fun and happy in your home.

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Try these out next time you go on a drive!

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Find some great road trip games to play with your children who are 6 years old or younger. The car is an excellent place and convenient time to connect with your child while having fun playing language games!
Below are my top 5 road trip games for children under 6.
1. Sing

How To Play: It's easy. Sing!

What It Works On:

Music is great for language development including grammar, rhyming words, vocabulary, turn taking, cause and effect, memory, you name it! Not to mention the many claimed cognitive benefits of music.

2. Rhyme Time
How To Play:
You or your child finds any object outside. Then, take turns naming words that rhyme with the found object. You can use real or made-up words. Whoever is the last person to think of a rhyming word gets to start the next round.

What It Works On:

Rhyming. Rhyming is a very important pre-literacy and phonological awareness skill.

3. I Spy

How To Play:

This is a classic game. A person starts by saying "I spy with my little eye something...." and then finishes the phrase with a clue about an object. The other people in the car have to guess what it is based on the clue. The clues can be as easy or difficult as you want them to be.

What It Works On:

I Spy is great for working on describing skills and categorization. Being able to categorize an object by an attribute (color, size, function, etc...) is a great skill that helps children learn and store new vocabulary words correctly.

4. Teacher and Student
How To Play:
Play school. You and your child take turns being the student or the teacher. Have fun asking questions and "grading" answers. You can have fun reviewing what your child is learning in school.

What It works On:

This is up to you. It will work on turn taking, planning questions, and any concept you want to talk about.

5. Category Game

How To Play:

One person names an object. The other decides on the category of the object. Then, take turns naming other objects that fit into that category. For example, if you see a stroller, say "stroller." Your child might say "that is a baby thing." Take turns naming what else a baby uses.

What It Works On:

Categorization, naming, and relating common objects together. These are very important language skills for learning new vocabulary and concepts in schools.

More Free Games

The games listed above are great for preschool and early elementary aged-students.

If you want to explore more car ride games, check out the following pages:

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Find some great road trip games to play with your children who are 6 years old or younger. The car is an excellent place and convenient time to connect with your child while having fun playing language games! Below are my top 5 road trip games for children under 6.

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Speech Therapy Activities for the Summer

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Practical Speech Therapy Activities for Home Practice | Mommy Speech Therapy

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Fun tips for parents on supplementing their children’s speech and language at home.

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Fun activities to improve your child's speech and language skills.

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Top 10 Free Summer Speech Therapy Ideas

Speech and language practice can be incorporated into daily activities. There isn't anything super duper special you have to do but know the child's needs, abilities, and YOUR language when playing with your child.

It is simple and easy!

1. Water

What To Do: This is easy. Play with water. That's it! There are so many ideas on what you can do with water and kids just love it!!

You can:

Get out a water table and toys

Water flowers

Turn on a sprinkler

Use the water hose

Fill up buckets, cups, and funnels

Target Goals:

Concepts: Wet vs Dry

Articulation: /w/, /t/, /r/ (water), /s/ (spray), /k/,/p/ (cup) - the possibilities are endless. Pick out a toy that matches your child's articulation goal and play with it.

Vocabulary: Wet, Dry, Spray, Dump, Fill, Half, Full, Splash, Puddle, Jump, Push, Bath

Following Directions: Give each other directions such as "fill up the small cup" or "water the pink flowers after you water the yellow ones."

Something To Think About:

If you are a parent, tell your child you will play with water. Get out the toys or garden hose. As you play, weave your child's goals into the play such as modeling articulation sounds or using vocabulary words in a sentence.

If you are an SLP, tell your client that goal of the activity and then get playing!

For more specific water ideas, click here.

2. Bubbles
What To Do: Another self-explanatory one... blow bubbles!
Target Goals:

Concepts: Up vs Down, Bubble vs Pop, Open vs Close

Articulation: /b/ (bubble), /p/ (pop), /r/ (run), "ch" (chase)

Vocabulary: Bubble, Blow Away, Pop, Run, Chase, Wand

Following Directions: Pop the big bubble, Chase the bubble, Blow bubbles

Social Skills: Practice taking turns

Something To Think About:

If you are a parent, get out the bubbles. Blow bubbles to get your child interested. Next, weave in your target goal. For example, if you are practicing articulation, encourage your child to say the target sound before a turn. If you are practicing vocabulary, use the words in a sentence or model what they mean and encourage your child to repeat.

If you are an SLP, tell your client the goal of the activity and then get playing!

For more specific bubble ideas, click here.

3. Sand

What To Do: Play with sand! If you don't have a sandbox, you can make one with a bucket and a small bag of sand.
Target Goals:

Concepts: Dig vs Bury, Build vs Knock Down, Construct vs Destroy

Articulation: /d/, /g/ (dig), /b/, /d/ (build), /m/, /k/, (make), /s/ (sand)

Vocabulary: Dig, Sand, Soft, Pour, Build, Castle, Pack, Dump

Following Directions: Find the cup, Fill up the green bucket before the yellow one

Social Skills: Practice taking turns , Practice asking for items out of reach

Something To Think About:

If you are a parent, get out a bucket or table and fill it with sand. Next, weave in your target goal naturally. For example, if you are practicing articulation, encourage your child to say the target sound before a turn. If you are practicing vocabulary, use the words in a sentence or model what they mean and encourage your child to repeat.

If you are an SLP, tell your client the goal of the activity and then get playing!

For more specific sand ideas, click here.

4. Hula Hoops

What To Do: Get hula hoops. Dollar stores usually sell them. There are many variations to hula hoops!

You can:

Roll them back and forth

Put them on the ground for a jumping contest

Use them as target practice (throw a ball in the circle)

Target Goals:

Articulation: "throw" (throw), /r/ (roll), /l/ (roll)

Vocabulary: Jump, Target, Roll, Spin, Catch, Hit, Win

Following Directions: Roll the pink hoop before the blue. Throw the blue ball through the hoop. Jump in the center of the hoop.

Social Skills: Practice taking turns

Motivation: After working, the child can play a game for 2 minutes

Something To Think About:

If you are a parent, get out the hula hoop and find a game your child likes. Play and get your child interested. Then, target a speech or language skill. Make it fun!

If you are an SLP, tell your client the goal of the activity and then get playing. My favorite is jumping from hula hoop to hula hoop. I find that I can target almost any goal in this game and even my older kids like it!

5. Chalk

What To Do: Find chalk and find a sidewalk or driveway. You can target almost any speech or language goal. For example:

Draw articulation words.

Draw objects and then make up a story to practice narrative structure.

Take turns being the leader and give directions to other players to practice following directions.

The possibilities are endless.
Target Goals:

Articulation: /d/ (draw), /k/ and /r/ (color), /m/ and /r/ (more)

Vocabulary: Colors, Draw, Dust, Picture, (draw any vocabulary word!)

Following Directions: Take turns giving directions to players for what to draw

Social Skills: Practice taking turns. Practice asking for items out of reach

Narrative Structure: Draw a character, place, and action. Then, take turns creating a story using proper narrative structure.

Something To Think About:

If you are a parent, get out the chalk. Draw and have fun. Play and get your child interested. Then, target a speech or language skill.

If you are an SLP, this will be your go to summer activity. Every child loves chalk, even middle-schooler children.

6. Flower Walk

What To Do: Go for a walk and find as many flowers as you can. Practice, your speech and language skills along the way!
Target Goals:

Concepts: Walk vs Run, Summer vs Winter

Articulation: /k/ (walk), /f/ and /d/ (find), /r/ (flower)

Vocabulary: Bloom, Grow, Colors, Flowers, Find, Discover, New, Matching

Alternative Games:

Play "I Spy" to target language skills (vocabulary description, i.e., I spy something small and sharp)

Target articulation skills (find objects with target articulation sounds!)

Colors: To practice colors, find everything that is a certain color. Grammar: Practice a target verb such as "I see," or "I discovered"

7. Follow The leader

What To Do: Play follow the leader where one person is the leader and gives directions to the followers.
Target Goals:
Following Directions: As the leader, give directions where to go. As the follower, practice following directions.

Ideas To Chew On: Play Follow the Leader with a twist. Take turns being a leader. The leader creates a treasure hunt by hiding something. Then the leader gives directions or clues on where to find the object. This is great practice for following directions and forming sentences.

8. Explorers

What To Do: Drive to a park or play in the backyard and go on an exploration!
Target Goals:

Articulation: /f/ and /d/ (find), /l/ and /k/ (look), /s/and /r/ (discover)

ocabulary: Find, Look, Discover, Explore, Play

Ideas To Chew On: Play outside and go on an exploration. The world looks beautiful when in bloom, green and lush. Pick out the sounds you want to practice and then the words that may arise during play. While playing, weave your picked out words into your conversation.

9. Nature Play

What To Do: Make characters out of rocks, pine cones, sticks, etc.... Once your characters are made, have fun telling stories. Model all parts of narrative structure.
Target Goals:
Narrative Structure: (Setting - who, what, where, Problem, Feelings, Resolution)

Ideas To Chew On: With the little characters you make out of things found outside, make up stories. Make sure to include the setting such as "who" your story is about and "where and when" your story takes place. Then, create a "problem" and talk about how your characters "feel" about it. Try to solve the problem and discuss the "resolution." You can use chalk too. This "game" is fun for almost any age!

10. I Found
Target Goals:
Articulation /f/. /d/ (find), /r/ (explore), /s/ (see)

Vocabulary: explore, dig, find, excited, guess

Problem-Solving:Look for clues to where a treasure might be

Ideas To Chew On: This one can be a lot of fun and a great way to indirectly teach problem-solving skills. The key here is to THINK OUT LOUD. Let's say you and your child want to see if you can find a pine cone but everything is covered in snow. Talk through your thinking with your child on how to accomplish this task. For example, you might say..."pine cones come from pine trees. I think we should start looking by a pine tree. What do you think?" or "Let's see if we can feel a pine cone under our feet. How do pine cones feel? What shape are they?"

11. Balls
Target Goals:

Concepts: Throw vs Catch, Roll vs Stop

Articulation: /th/ (throw), /k/ and "ch" (catch), /r/ and /l/ (roll)

Vocabulary: Throw, catch, bounce, roll, stop

Following Directions: Throw the red ball, Roll the blue ball

Social Skills: Practice taking turns, Practice asking for balls that are out of reach

What To Do: Find balls (bouncy balls, tennis balls, basketball balls) and play! If your child is younger, you might just play catch or throw a ball in air. If your child is older, you can play more complicated games.

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Speech and language practice can be incorporated into daily activities. There isn't anything super duper special you have to do but know the child's needs, abilities, and YOUR language when playing with your child. It is simple and easy! What To Do: This is easy. Play with water. That's it!

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Fun 9 min. video!

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Speech Exercises for Kids | Kit Explores Childhood Speech Apraxia

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If your child is just now learning vocabulary (naming), check out this Speech Therapist's video, you can do it with your child!

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Speech Therapy Techniques Naming Objects Expressive Language Lesson

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https://www.missmollysongs.com

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VideoLink lets you share videos on YouTube easily, without distracting third-party content or advertisements.

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https://www.missmollysongs.com

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VideoLink lets you share videos on YouTube easily, without distracting third-party content or advertisements.

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Rainbow Colors!

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Teaching Receptive Language: Identification (Preschool Speech & Language Lesson)

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How to improve Expressive Language (Preschool Speech & Language Lesson)

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ASL

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SafeYouTube lets you share videos on YouTube easily, without distracting third-party content or advertisements.

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Trains, planes and automobiles, baby sign language

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SafeYouTube lets you share videos on YouTube easily, without distracting third-party content or advertisements.

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Learn how to sign family members!

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Family Signs from the Signing Time Online Class

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SafeYouTube lets you share videos on YouTube easily, without distracting third-party content or advertisements.

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peachiespeechie.com

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How to say the H sound by Peachie Speechie

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PeachieSpeechie.com

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How to say the W sound by Peachie Speechie

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Try using picture icons if your child can't communicate verbally yet!

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(signed)

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Toddlers communicate in a variety of ways: through facial expression, gestures, emotions and words. They use to request, reject, ask questions, convey emotion and comment. I've included some tips to help encourage more communication attempts and words from your young child during every day activities. These are strategies I use every day during speech therapy sessions with babies and toddlers. Believe me, they work!

1. Imitation -

Imitate your baby! You can imitate their play, sounds and gestures. If they say a sound or make a funny noise, say it back in a fun way! Watch carefully for opportunities to inmate your child. If they put a book on their head, you put the book on your head. If they clap, you clap. If they say "bababa" you say it back. Next you say a word or sound, and see if they will imitate you.
2. Expand -
If your child is using single words to communicate; expand on their word and model a phrase. Expansion encourages your child to combine words together. It's important to keep your language just 1 step above your child's. Use short phrases instead of lengthy sentences. For example, if your baby requests for "ball," instead of giving it to them right away, you can say "play ball," "want ball" or "roll ball."

3. Give Choices -

If your child points or reaches for something general, offer verbal choices to help narrow down what they want (even if you know what they want!). Giving two choices provides a great language model to help them say new words. If your child points to the fridge, you can say, "do you want juice or water?" Show them the 2 choices and give them an opportunity to respond. They could point again or they might just attempt to say a new word.

4. Out of Reach -

Keeping toys in view but out of reach is a great way to encourage requesting. Think on a high shelf, on the countertop or in a closet. If your child points or fusses to ask for a toy, prompt your child by giving them 2 choices.

5. Withholding -

In order to increase your child's expressive language, whether through gestures, signs of words, you can withhold items your child desires, like pieces of a toy (i.e. puzzle pieces) or a snack food to encourage requesting. Give your child 1 small amount of the food (i.e. 1 goldfish or 1 cheerio) and wait for them to request for more. If they reach, point or grab for it, model the word "more," or "food." If your child is already using single words, offer a phrase, "more cheerios" or "more goldfish please." The same goes for play. I love using toys with lots of pieces (i.e. puzzles, blocks, container toys) because it provides ample of opportunities for requesting. Don't give your child all the blocks at once, keep some in the bag and encourage them to ask for more.

6. Clear Containers -

This is one of my all time favorites. Your child can see the items and toys inside but can't open it with their tiny hands [insert communication opportunity here!]. They will need to ask for help to get that darn toy. Depending on your child's developmental level, try modeling words and phrases like, "open please" "help me" "open" or use the sign for open.
7. Do Something Unexpected -
Roll a ball back and forth several times, then substitute the ball for another toy, like a toy car. Hold both toys and wait for your child to comment about the change or request for the item he wants.

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How to Increase Everyday Communication Opportunities for Babies and Toddlers

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Toddlers communicate in a variety of ways: through facial expression, gestures, emotions and words. They use language to request, reject, ask questions, convey emotion and comment. I've included some tips to help encourage more communication attempts and words from your young child during every day activities. These ar

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Definition of Speech vs. Language Skills

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Definition of Speech vs. Language Skills

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Licensed speech-language pathologists are trained to work with a wide variety of speech, language and social communication disorders. Let's break down the difference between speech, language and social communication.

Speech refers to HOW we say sounds and words. Speech encompasses articulation, voice and fluency.

Articulation is how we make speech sounds using the different parts of our mouth. For example, you make the by putting your teeth on your bottom lip and blowing air. Someone with an articulation disorder may make substitutions, omissions, additions or distortions that may interfere with how they are understood by others.

Voice is how we use our vocal folds to produce air to speak. Our voice has different loudness and pitches. Someone with a voice disorder may have abnormal vocal quality, pitch, loudness.

Fluency is the rhythm of our how our speech flows. People who have challenges with fluency may stutter.

Language refers to the meaning in the words we use and how we use them. Language can involve spoken or written language. Language can be divided into receptive language and expressive language.

Receptive Language is the language the we understand. People with receptive language delays may have trouble understanding what other people say and may have difficulty following simple directions.

Expressive Language involves expressing thoughts and ideas. Expressive language can include facial expressions, gestures, vocabulary, and grammar rules. A child with an expressive language disorder may have a limited vocabulary and use short sentences that are ungrammatical and incomplete.

Social communication, also known as pragmatic language, refers to how people communicate the unspoken, subtle rules of spoken language that allow people to connect. Knowing and using these rules makes it easier to communicate in academic and community settings. Someone with a social communication disorder may have challenges participating in conversation, using appropriate facial expressions or gestures to share how they feel.

Visit our key developmental milestone resource to see how your child is progressing.

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Distinguishing between speech, language, and social skills

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Licensed speech-language pathologists are trained to work with a wide variety of speech, language and social communication disorders. Let's break down the difference between speech, language and social communication. Speech refers to HOW we say sounds and words. Speech encompasses articulation, voice and fluency. Artic

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Speech & Language Developmental Milestones

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Speech & Language Developmental Milestones

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Learn the key speech, language, play, and social milestones for children.

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https://www.missmollysongs.com

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VideoLink lets you share videos on YouTube easily, without distracting third-party content or advertisements.

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https://www.missmollysongs.com

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VideoLink lets you share videos on YouTube easily, without distracting third-party content or advertisements.

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https://www.missmollysongs.com

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VideoLink lets you share videos on YouTube easily, without distracting third-party content or advertisements.

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MissMollySongs.com

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VideoLink lets you share videos on YouTube easily, without distracting third-party content or advertisements.