Back to School Language Opportunities

It’s already back-to-school season, and with the change in routine and new experiences come plenty of opportunities to build language all throughout the day. Here are some simple tips to help develop your little one’s language as we dive into this school year. 

1. Talk About the School Day

The drive back home from school is the perfect opportunity to recap the day while also working on storytelling skills. Effective narrative skills help children organize and express their thoughts, sequence events, and understand main ideas. It’s also a great time to model a variety of WH questions to boost comprehension skills. 

 So, instead of simply asking them how their day went (which often prompts “good”), try incorporating more specific questions like: 

• How did you feel after _____? 

• Who helped you during _____? 

• Where did you go before _____?

• What happened next? 

2. Expand and Extend on What They Have to Say

Whether they’re getting ready for their day or it’s coming to a close, they’re countless opportunities to build on your child’s language through expansion and extension. 

Expansion: Repeat and complete what your child has already said by making it grammatically correct. 

• “She play on the playground” → “Yes, she played on the playground” 

• “Teacher help me do it” → “The teacher helped you do it!”

• “He eated his snack” → “He ate his snack”

Extension: Expansion and adding new information. This is a great opportunity to develop grammar skills and a broader, more descriptive vocabulary. 

• “She have fun” → “She had lots of fun playing”

• “He jump” → “Yes! He jumps up high”

• “Her ate snack” → “She ate her snack. She had green grapes!”

3. Build Language Using Their Daily Routine

Most school days follow a similar pattern. You can utilize these repetitive steps (e.g., Get dressed, eat breakfast, get on the bus, etc.) to work on sequencing, following directions, and making requests.  

Following Directions: Based on where you child is, you might begin with giving one or two verbal requests, waiting for them to complete it, and then following up with the next. It also may be helpful to print off visual, sequential directions and putting them up where your child can see them as they go through their routine. 

• “Get a bowl from the cabinet. Pour the milk into the bowl” [Wait for child to complete before next step]

• “Put your foot into the shoe” [Wait for child to complete] → “Close the straps tight”

Sequencing: Routines also create the perfect opportunity for integrating sequencing vocabulary like “before”, “after”, “next”, “last.”

• “Next, put a spoon into the bowl”

• “Last, take the bowl to the table”

Making Requests: You can use moments like getting dressed and making breakfast to create opportunities for your child to make requests. It may be helpful to ask them questions about their preferences to encourage them to use descriptive vocabulary. 

• “Do you want to wear pants or shorts?”

• “Which color shirt do you want to wear?”

During breakfast, you can also withhold items they’d need like milk, a spoon, or bowl, to give them a moment to ask for them theirselves. 

Some of the best opportunities to build language come from our everyday routines! A little intention can go a long way in making this back-to-school season a season of language and communication growth.