Summertime speech should be just as fun whether you’re on vacation, at the beach, or relaxing at home. Here are some fun speech activities and ways to boost your child’s speech and language before summer's up!
Summer Words:
Water, swim, eat, play, hot, sun, go, fun, beach, pool, popsicle, swimsuit, sunscreen, hat
Repeat and point out core words and seasonal words for places, people, and things.
Summer Stories:
Create silly stories with summer words, take turns telling stories, and read books together.
Narrate what your child is doing out loud (fill up the bucket, scooping sand, build a sandcastle).
Summer Games:
Make time for water play in a pool, at the beach, in the sink, or at a water table.
Toss a beach ball back and forth. Use a marker to write words or draw pictures on each section of the ball. Say or make a sentence about whatever you land on!
Use fun exclamatory words (wow, splash, yay) and short phrases (This is fun! Let’s do more!).
Summer Pretend Play:
Use toys and objects to role-play summer activities like going to the beach or camping.
Model phrases like “Go swim,” “Play ball,” “Eat ice cream,” and “It’s hot!”
Summer Recipes:
Have your child help you make easy recipes like popsicles, pudding cups, sandwiches.
Make silly faces and pictures with food on a plate.
Use positive language around food (I like all the colors! This apple is crunchy. Yummy, it's sweet!).
2 strategies to use for any and all of these activities are self-talk and parallel talk. These strategies are easy, fun, and natural ways to model language.
Self-Talk: Talking about what you’re doing out loud.
Use child-friendly language to narrate what you’re doing throughout the day, especially as your child is watching you. Talk about all the things you are doing, touching, seeing, feeling, smelling, and hearing.
Examples:
Swim time- Squeeze the bottle. We need more water. Time to dry off!
Getting dressed- Put on your hat. I’ll help strap your sandals. Zip it up.
Meal time- I’m cutting up carrots. Stir with the spoon. Taking a big bite!
Parallel Talk: Talking about what your child is doing out loud.
Use child-friendly language to narrate what your child does as you watch them during routines or play. Talk about all the things they are doing, touching, seeing, feeling, smelling, and hearing.
Examples:
Play time-Pushing the car. It’s so tall. Woah, fall down!
In the car- Seatbelt on. Look out the window. Beep beep vroom!
Clean up time- Here’s the box. Put more in. You cleaned up your toys!
Modeling speech and language skills is most effective when it happens immediately during engaging activities, daily routines, and naturally in play!
Comments