Have you been thinking of how you can incorporate more language into your daily routines without having to take more time out of your day to work on it specifically?! As a Speech-Language Pathologist, it is second nature to come up with ways to make everyday life events more language rich and impact the development of our children. As a parent, it can be difficult to identify opportunities you already have in front of you that you can capitalize on because we are so focused on getting through the routine and onto the next thing all while keeping the house clean, thinking about dinner, bills, schedule for tomorrow, etc. There is always so much going on in our minds that it can be difficult to slow down and think and be in the moment. Below are some examples of ways to incorporate more language into a simple and common routine for most kids – Bath time!
*While filling up the tub, talk about what you are doing and what you see! (E.g. “We are filling up the tub!” “OOO look at the water come down!” “it’s going up!” “let’s get a towel!”)
*Then you can touch the water and talk about the temperature and the feel of it! (“Oh it’s warm!” “So wet!”)
*As they are getting in, you can talk about what body parts are getting wet (“First our toes!” “Next our legs/knees”, etc.)
*Then you can talk about what you are washing and what you are using (“we get soap to wash!” “Wash our face, arms, body, etc.”). You can also sing a song to this (“this is the way we wash our ___, wash our ___, wash our ___. This is the way we wash our ____, when we take a bath”). A lot of children love music and it helps in learning words and language!
*Label the toys in the tub and make them do fun actions! (E.g. “Turtle!” “The turtle is swimming”. “Dolphin”. “The Dolphin is jumping!”) You can also talk about the colors and sound different toys make, where they are (“in the cup”, “under the water”), too!
*When you are done, you can talk about where the water is going and say “goodbye” to the water. Then tell them you are “alldone” with bath and it’s time to get out.
*Similar to washing, talk about the body parts you are drying! Peek-a-boo with a towel as you dry them off can be fun and engaging as well! (“Where’s ___?” While putting a towel lightly over his/her eyes then pulling it off and saying “Peek! There you are!”)
By just talking about objects and what you are doing, you will continue to help your child’s vocabulary and overall language skills! Stay tuned for more ideas in daily routines of ways to incorporate more language! As always, if you have any questions or would like more ideas, please do not hesitate to reach out!
-Amber Petereck-