Activities
Books:
To learn more speech and language tips to help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Todders - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills.
It's almost the 4th of July, so what better time to teach your toddler about Independence Day in the United States? Here is a roundup of some fun things you can do and make with your toddlers. Some are educational and some are just for fun. You can adapt these ideas and target toddler speech and language skills. Enjoy! Activities Books: Toddler Recipes: To learn more speech and language tips to help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Todders - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills.
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All children thrive from socializing with other children. I truly believe that being around other children close in age is one of the best things you can do for your toddler’s speech and language development. Not only does it build social skills, which is a component of language, but it also builds syntax, grammar, and speech skills. Over the years, I have mentioned to parents that one of the best forms of toddler speech therapy is to allow their kids to socialize with others around the same age. Most parents immediately think of daycare, but there are many other alternatives to daycare if you don’t want to take that route. It’s not necessary for your toddler to attend a full time program, either. A few days a week with other children will do him or her well! So, you may be asking, “What programs should I consider for my toddler?” There are mother’s morning out/mother’s day out programs, story times at your local library, the childcare center at the gym where you exercise, playgroups, music classes, art classes, dance classes, etc. It doesn’t have to be anything formal, either. Your toddler can play with a friend in the neighborhood too! All of these examples increase your toddler’s speech and language skills such as turn taking skills, pragmatics, and vocabulary. My twin toddlers (seen in the picture) attend a Mother’s Day Out program from 9am to 2pm two days a week. They’ve learned a lot and genuinely love being around other people. They also go to the gym’s nursery where I teach fitness classes each week, and they try to jump out of the stroller with excitement before I’m able to get them out! My twins also attend baby/toddler story time at some of our local libraries, and they were part of a play group in Georgia that a friend organized before we moved to Mississippi. There are so many low cost and free options. They sky is the limit, and you can find out what’s offered in your area by searching the internet or asking a friend. Your toddler will thank you, and you may even make a new friend, too! To learn more speech and language tips to help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Todders - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills. Its summertime, the days are longer, the kids are out of school, and everyone wants to be outside. Although your toddler may or may not be getting speech therapy over the summer, there are still many things you can do as a parent to continue stimulating his or her speech and language skills until school and therapy begin again in the fall. The number one way to do this is through play. Why play? Because children learn through play. Play is fun and is a natural part of a child’s development. Not only is play entertaining for your child, it can also be fun for you. What better time to help your toddler and let out your inner child than the dog days of summer? Here are some fun things you can do that will develop and build upon your toddler’s current speech and language skills:
What other activities and games does your toddler like? Follow the same process of identifying and requesting by incorporating it into your toddler’s favorite activity. Be creative, and take it outside this summer! To learn more speech and language tips to help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Todders - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills. A few weeks ago, my sister called me with a toddler speech therapy question. She was worried because a friend asked her if her two year old little boy knew his colors yet. Her friend said that her two year old little girl knew all of her colors, shapes, and was able to name pictures from flashcards. My sister asked me if this is something her little boy should know at this age. Yes, it’s important for your child to eventually learn his or her colors; however, your toddler should first be able to express his or her wants and needs by communicating with you and his or her caregivers throughout the day. Many times when I’ve gone to a home to do a toddler speech-language evaluation the parents are so happy to tell me that they’re helping their toddler learn colors, but the child can’t tell them that he/she wants a cookie or a favorite toy. I explain to them that it’s important for their toddler to learn how to communicate his or her basic wants and needs first and build their receptive (what your toddler understands) and expressive (what your toddler says) vocabulary before naming colors. Colors are adjectives. Once your toddler is able to say at least fifty single words, you can start adding in colors if he or she is ready to make two word phrases (which is the next stage of speech and language development). Just make sure your child is ready for colors. Do not push them on your toddler. There are many other two word combinations you can emphasize until your toddler is ready for colors. Please keep in mind that I’m not saying colors are unimportant. They have their time and place! It’s crucial that your toddler know his or her colors eventually, but in the beginning you should stick to the basics. I think most early intervention speech-language pathologists would agree with me too! To learn how you can help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Todders - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills. Now that you know what to expect from an early intervention speech and language evaluation, we will now talk about what to expect at toddler speech therapy. Most young children love speech therapy and don’t realize they’re doing work because they’re playing!
Speech therapy is usually provided in your toddler’s natural environment because this is where he is most comfortable and functions the best. That means that he will receive therapy in the home or childcare setting. Occasionally, therapy may take place in a clinic or office setting. The frequency (how much) and duration (how long) of speech therapy will be determined during the meeting to create the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). What happens during your toddler’s first speech therapy session? The speech-language pathologist (SLP) will establish rapport with your toddler. This typically involves sitting on the floor and playing with your child. It may take more than one session to accomplish it, too. She may bring her own toys or want to play with your toddler’s toys. The key is to let your toddler know that she is fun! It is very important that the SLP make your toddler feel comfortable with her so that she can have success with future therapy sessions. The SLP may also ask you, the parent or caregiver, even more questions regarding your child’s speech and language development, likes, and dislikes. She may even give you tips on how to play with your toddler and stimulate his speech and language skills. What happens during your toddler’s other speech therapy sessions? Your toddler’s SLP will make a visit one to several times a week depending on what was written in the IFSP. Sessions usually start off with a rapport building activity (sort of like an ice breaker). This may include singing a song, greeting the child, or playing with a toy. Next, the actual speech therapy session will begin. The SLP will work toward a set of goals that were established during the IFSP meeting to help your toddler communicate . Keep in mind that it is very important that you give your input at the IFSP meeting as a parent as to what you would like your child to accomplish during speech therapy. You are an essential part of the process and can help set your toddler’s speech therapy goals. Early intervention speech therapy sessions are play based. All children and toddlers learn through play. Play is fun and is a natural part of a child’s development. Play also creates the desire for your toddler to talk and communicate. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength.” Your toddler’s speech therapy sessions may include playing with toys, playing outside, singing age-appropriate songs, and arts and crafts. During or after the speech therapy session the SLP will talk to you about your concerns and questions regarding your toddler’s speech and language skills. She will also give you tips, resources, and information about how to work with your toddler between therapy sessions. This may include how to play with your child or how to stimulate language during daily routines. It is very important to remember that you, the parent or caregiver, are your toddler’s best teacher. The SLP only comes once or a few times a week, but you are with your child the most. Therefore, you are a key part to increasing your toddler’s speech and language development! Remember that if you suspect your toddler may have a speech-language delay to get him evaluated as soon as possible. Speech therapy can make a big difference in your toddler’s life as well as your life as a parent! To learn how you can help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Todders - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills. Here is a list of fun speech and language activities you can do with your toddler this summer. I've also listed the skills that each activity targets. Of course there are many other things you can do to help keep your toddler entertained this summer, and most can target your toddler's speech and language skills. Let me know if you've come up with any activities for your toddler by leaving a comment in the box below. Have fun and be creative! Download the document here:
I recently wrote a blog post called, Help! My Toddler is Not Talking. In that post I explained what you should do if you suspect your toddler may have a speech or language delay. You can contact your toddler’s pediatrician, research speech therapists in your area, or ask about early intervention services.
The next step to determine if your toddler has a speech or language delay is to have an evaluation completed. If your child is between ages 0-3 this can be done by early intervention services. These programs are federal programs under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and evaluations are free. Plus, you don’t need a referral from your pediatrician to get services. You can find out more information about your state’s program on this website http://nichcy.org/babies/services. Here’s how the early intervention program assessment process works: Before the assessment/evaluation:
The assessment/evaluation:
The assessment/evaluation results
This is just an overview of what the assessment process will look like. Please note that each state has different assessment standards and timelines. Not all assessments will be alike. Now that you know how the early intervention program assessment/evaluation process works, we will talk about speech therapy and what your toddler's sessions will look like next. Stay tuned! One of my most favorite speech activities for toddlers is sensory play. It is a relatively new term in the world of child development. As children, my generation (I'm in my mid 30's) often played outside for hours on a regular basis. I can remember playing in the neighborhood with my sister all day long and hearing my mom yell for us to tell us it was time to come home. Unfortunately those days are few and far between. Our children's generation doesn't get that opportunity like we did. Thanks to television, technology, video games, and even crime and violence rates, children don't play outside like they should. So, we've got to come up with other ways to bring those sensory experiences to them. But, what is sensory play? It allows a toddler to use one or more of the five senses (touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing) to learn more about his or her environment. By stimulating the senses you are helping your toddler improve language and basic motor skills. It also helps toddlers develop cognitively, linguistically, socially and emotionally, physically and creatively. Some parents may refer to sensory play as messy play, but you can make it as messy or less messy as you would like! To improve toddler language development through sensory play let your toddler touch and feel various textures such as soft, rough, and wet. Include as many textures as you can. Examples of these textures include putting your toddler’s hands in a bowl of dry rice, sand, and water. You can also have your toddler paint with finger paints and shaving cream or search for small toys in a bowl of water or rice. Talk about the textures and what you’re toddler is doing with them. For example when playing in a sand box you can say, “The sand is rough and wet. Oh look, you're pouring the sand into the bucket.” Here is a list of several sensory activities for babies and toddlers. Don't forget that you can use these activities to build toddler speech and language skills! 5 Sensory Play Ideas For Toddlers 9 Simple Sensory Play Ideas Activities for toddlers: sensory play 15 Quick Sensory Activities from Hands on Moms 56 Sensory Play Activities for Babies To learn more speech and language tips to help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Toddlers - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills. As many of you know I have 15 month old identical twin girls. They are starting to say a few words and babble all the time. They are such a joy and each stage is more fun than the last. Although, I do confess that I would love for them to be toddlers as long as possible! My twin girls are constantly communicating with my husband and me, but it's not necessarily through words. They reach, point, fuss, and gesture their way through the day. Keep in mind that communication is not just words and talking! I've been working as a speech-language pathologist for 12 years now (wow....I just realized I finished graduate school in 2001....time flies!), and one thing I've noticed from many parents of toddlers is that they don't realize that their toddler is communicating with them. Some parents think the only way to communicate is through words, but there are so many other ways too! Some of these ways include:
Just last night, my husband and I were playing with our girls before bed. They love to sing a song my mother taught us called "Trot, Trot to Boston." We bounce them up and down and gently push them back at the end of the song. They love the bouncing and pushing back part. To let us know that they wanted to sing the song again, they climbed on us and started bouncing up and down. That was their way of saying, "Hey, I want to do that again. It's so much fun!" My twin girls also love to play peek-a-boo. They grab a blanket, look at us, and put it over the heads. They are telling us that they want their daddy and me to pull the blanket off of them and say "boo!" Start paying attention to your toddler's communication cues. Your child is really trying to communicate with you to the best of his or her ability. Of course the end goal should be to use words, but it may take your toddler some time until he or she is able to verbally express wants and needs. Continue to talk as much as you can to your toddler and model the words that he or she may be trying to say. To learn more speech and language tips to help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Todders - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills. Are you worried that your your young child is not reaching the typical toddler speech and language developmental milestones? Do you feel your toddler is not saying as many words and phrases that he or she should be saying? If you think your toddler may be delayed in speech and language then this blog post will help! Keep in mind that every toddler is different. Each child develops at his or her own pace, but some toddlers may not reach developmental milestones as expected. So, what should you do as a parent if you suspect your toddler may have a speech or language delay? Contact your toddler's pediatrician Talk to your pediatrician about your concerns regarding your toddler's speech and language development. Ask what he or she thinks and determine if speech therapy may be necessary. Research speech therapists in your area A speech-language pathologist provides speech therapy for their clients and patients, and this includes both adults and children. The overall goal for those who are getting speech therapy is to develop and/or regain speech and communication skills to the best possible level. The length of therapy mostly depends on the severity of the communication disorder and the motivation of the child. You can find a licensed speech therapist in your area by visiting www.asha.org or by doing an internet search on your favorite search engine. Ask about early intervention services Your toddler may be eligible for speech therapy services provided by your state’s early intervention program. These programs are federal programs under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that provide services to children age birth to three and their families. Children are also entitled to a free developmental evaluation by the program. To find out more information about Part C of IDEA and your state’s program check out the following website http://nichcy.org/babies/services. You do not need a referral from your pediatrician to participate in early intervention services. I am very partial to early intervention services. I contracted with Georgia's early intervention program, Babies Can't Wait, the past eight years through my business. I am now contracting with Mississippi's program, First Steps. All speech-language pathologists are licensed and certified and go through the same licensing process as speech-language pathologists who work in hospitals and private practices. Early intervention provides services in a toddler's natural environment and teaches parents and caregivers how to implement communication strategies to use at home between therapy sessions. I highly recommend that you take advantage of your state's early intervention program. Toddler speech and language evaluations are free, and they will work with you on the cost of therapy. A toddler will not be denied services based on a family’s inability to pay. If you have any questions about early intervention please don't hesitate to ask me. Feel free to email me at talkingwithtoddlers@gmail.com or leave a comment below. To learn how you can help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Todders - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills. |
AuthorWelcome! I'm Rebecca Haas, toddler speech-language pathologist and mother to identical twin baby girls. On this blog you'll find articles, resources, and lots of information about early childhood and speech and language development. I hope you find this helpful! Archives
October 2018
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