Therapy Ideas and Language Learning Information

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Play, reading, watching television, music and sharing everyday chit chat is a vital part of a child's language learning experience. You should try and make this experience as rich as possible, especially for a child with communication difficulties. There are lots of things you can do to help improve a child's ability to develop good communication skills, right from birth. For example, early turn-taking games such as "Peep-o" games encourage eye contact and turn taking skills in babies. There are also sharing games which involve rolling a ball or toy to one another, posting shapes or objects into boxes, then there are physical actions such as jumping, clapping, hopping, taking toys or objects out of a bag or box that will develop two way communication skills.

Toddlers and pre-school children move into a stage of "pretend play" after infancy.

Pretend Play will help a child listen for words, use new words, form sentences and develop concentration skills. Games such as setting out plates and cups for several toys to enjoy a tea party, or play-acting a car ride with chairs and an improvised steering wheel, or pretend telephone calls to family members will all help a child develop their communication skills.

Reading is a great way to improve listening ability, understanding of words and learning how to use new words and form sentences.Sharing books with babies and children is known to prepare them for school. An adult sharing a book with a child means that the pair has a shared focus of attention. There is a shared motivation for conversation to take place, and something to talk about.
Ideally reading time should involve the following:-

Reading with babies

Choose:

• Board books, cloth books, lift the flap books, texture and feelie books, bath books, pushchair books, books with bits to fiddle with…
• A quiet time and place (no background TV or noisy toys)

The pictures:

• Look at the pictures together
• Let your baby turn pages (any direction)
• Listen to the sounds your baby makes

The book:

• Point to a matching picture as you speak
• Say one word or idea at a time
• Listen to your baby

The book (again)

• Use sounds and noises as well as words
• Use actions for a picture as well as words
• Listen to your baby Eg. Pretend to drive a car, make a car noise, point to car picture, say car.

The book (yes, again)

• Make your voice tuneful and varied
• Use toys with the book (eg a toy horse with a horse picture)
• Listen to your baby

The book (and again)

• Play boo with the book near your face
• Open and close the book, showing a new page as a surprise
• Listen to your baby

Reading with toddlers and pre-school children
Choose:

• Story books with pictures
• A quiet time and place (no background TV or noisy toys)

The pictures:

• Look at the pictures together
• Let your child turn pages (any direction)
• Name things in the pictures
• Say what people are doing
• Listen to what your child says about the pictures

The story:

• Point to a matching picture as you read
• Make relevant comments
• Read a little of the story and then stop
• Listen to your child

The story (again)

• Ask open-ended questions (not no/yes/point for answers)
• Put feeling in your voice
• Talk about what will happen next
• Listen to your child

The story (yes, again)

• Talk about things your child has done which relate to the story
• Use your own words to describe how things look and what they are used for
• Add ideas of your own about people in the story
• Listen to your child

The story (and again)

• Talk about why you like the story
• Talk about feelings of the people in the story
• Point to the printed words as you read
• Listen to your child

Watching Television

and videos is another way to help a child develop the skills needed for good communication. Television can also be a great obstacle. A television left switched on for long periods is a source of background noise, interfering with children’s listening and distracting their attention. However, a television programme or video watched selectively can be a helpful joint talking and listening time. The ‘art’ of watching television or videos is choosing programmes for the child’s language level and sharing the viewing with them.You should look for programmes/videos with:

• Easy to understand words
• Music and songs
• Story time
• Activity time
• Repetition of ideas
• Set routines and patterns

Watch the Television

• Switch on the TV when you are ready
• Watch with your child
• Say hello to the characters
• Sound interested in what they are doing
• Talk about what is going to happen
• Listen to your child
• Switch the TV off when you have finished

After Television

• Say what you liked
• Sing a song from the TV
• Act out what they did on TV
• Use an activity idea or play idea from the TV
• Read the book or magazine
• Listen to your child

Music

Early songs encourage shared attention between adults and children. Children can learn to listen for the music starting and stopping; to copy clapping; to beat a rhythm; to take turns; to follow actions and to learn the words of a song. Actions or gestures can be used readily with nursery rhymes set to music. Many children enjoy using the signs from the Makaton language programme, particularly when they are singing. (The Makaton language programme signs are based on British Sign Language, and are intended for use with the spoken word. They provide a visual expression of language to make communication easier.) For all children, musical activity develops listening, visual attention and memory skills. Some music tapes are commercially available, including videos of signed and sung nursery rhymes.

Everyday talk

The regular routines within the care giving of a child’s day usually has a framework of routines: getting washed and dressed, feeding / meal times, nappy / toilet times, hand washing, bathing, going to bed. Other events happen regularly, if not daily, such as going to the shops or visiting a relative. Every routine has its own predictable pattern and words to describe it. The child can experience the same routine event, at predictable times, while hearing familiar words and sentences. He understands the routine, and so he learns the words. He can try out a new word, to make requests or comments. The familiarity gives the child a way of learning language.So think about the opportunities where learning can occur:-

When?

• Feeding /eating
• Getting (un) dressed
• Having a bath
• Going for a walk
• Going to the shops
• Doing the laundry
• Doing the washing up

Why?

• Your child needs the routine
• Your child needs the repetition
• Your child can respond

How?

• Say what things are called
• Say what things are for
• Say what you are doing
• Say what will happen next
• Listen to your child
• Let them have a turn to talk
• Look at your child when you are talking
• Use actions as well as words
• Use sound effect noises or words [Whee! Whoosh! Munch! Pop!]

So when talking to a child its important to remember the following :-

Talking to children (0 – 2 years)

• Speak about the “here and now”
• Use simple words
• Use key words only
• Use fewer word endings
• Use sentences which are only 1 or 2 words longer than your child can use
• Speak slowly and carefully
• Repeat ideas

Talking to children (2 – 4 years)

• Use pictures or actions to show what a new word means
• Use a new word several times in one conversation
• Repeat back correctly a sentence which your child has said in a childish way
• Add in ideas to your child’s sentence when you reply
• Use sentences a little longer than your child can use
• Give instructions clearly, in short parts
• Speak clearly and not too fast
• Repeat back correctly a word your child has said wrong
• Enjoy rhymes and rhyming words

Reference:- Promoting Speech and Language Development Guidance for Sure Start programmes Oct. 2001 by James Law and Frances Harris of City University, London, EC1V 0HB. Reference number: SS/SPEECH - DFES GOV.UK