Ideas to Practice Speech/Language Skills at Home

  • Play a game where you hide something and give your child specific directions on how to find it (i.e. Go up the stairs.  Turn right and walk to 10 steps. Look behind the pillow.) Then have your child take a turn hiding something and giving you specific directions.
  • Play a game where you describe an item and have your child guess what you are talking about.  Then have your child take a turn describing an item for you to guess.
  • Write a sentence, cut the words apart, mix up the words, and have your child put the words in order.
  • Have your child name all the items they can think of that fit in a category (i.e. fruits, vegetables, etc)
  • Ask your child imagination questions (i.e. if you were a bird, what would you see when you are flying)
  • Have your child make up a story.
  • Have your child tell you how two things are alike and how two things are different (i.e. an apple & a banana; a fork & spoon; a car and a motorcycle)
  • Simon Says
  • Headbandz game (use it for describing items together, turn-taking, predictions – you can write down what the other person says to help you find out what item you have on your head)
  • Make a treasure hunt for the kids to find fun toys or snacks
  • Name a shape and have your child go around the house and find things that are that shape
  • Place objects from around the house (i.e.: spoon, crayon)  in a pillowcase or bag and have your child describe to you what each object is using specific characteristics (i.e. size, shape, color, parts, location, group it belongs to)
  • Have your child follow directions to work on prepositions (i.e.: in, on, over, under) with your child’s favorite toy.  Tell your child to place the toy “under” the chair or “in” the box. After, have them work on their expressive language by having them create the direction using a preposition.  
  • Wall Bop – Put each alphabet letter on a sticky note and put them on a wall or door.  Have the kids throw a beanbag at them. Whatever letter they get, they have to name the letter and something that starts with that letter.

Language Tip: Conversation Builds Vocabulary

Looking for a way to help support language development? Talk, talk, talk!

Looking for some conversation starters? Check out a museum, zoo, or book.

In response to COVID-19, many online resources have been made available for free to the public. I’ve shared some links to these on the sidebar under “Language Enrichment & Virtual Field Trips”

FREE Online Speech & Language Resources

Links to free Speech & Language resources compiled by The Crafter Teacher (@thecrafterteacher)

Thanks to The Crafter Teacher (@thecrafterteacher) for creating a list of FREE online resources for practicing Speech and Language skills!
bit.ly.freeSLPresources