Pre-K Speech - 'Ms. Mandy' Allbritton Strategies for Promoting Language

·         Sign, Sign, Sign!  Research proves that when you sign with your child, his/her receptive and expressive language will benefit.  The function isn't to *replace* verbal communication with signing.  The function is to increase communication skills overall.

• Minimize direct questions – “what’s this?”  Instead, comment on what your child is doing.  Wait (be silent!), Signal by giving eye contact, have your lips slightly apart like you are anticipating something, raise your eyebrows, lean your head and body slightly forward in anticipation.  If your child comments on the toy or activity go OVERBOARD with excitement and repeat what he/she says, even if it is just a sound.  Then you can model the correct word that you want to hear.

·         Set up communicative situations.  Hide a container’s top, and give it to your child.  When he/she starts looking for it, just wait.  Then you can model – “where top?”

·         Use abundant gestures and facial expressions.  Go overboard, even if it doesn’t feel natural!

·         Model the phrase length that you are expecting.  If your child is just using one word, then speak in two word utterances.  If your child doesn’t have any words yet, then speak in one word utterances.  You can “up the ante” later!

·         Get down on your child’s level!  Eye contact is crucial.  Look at your child through toilet paper or paper towel rolls, and when he/she looks at you in the eyes through the tube, go overboard with positive reinforcement.

·         Pre-language skills, pre-language skills, pre-language skills – practice! 

o   task completion (start a toy and finish it – if he/she starts to walk away, enforce that he/she stop and finish what is started)

o   cleaning up (a task in which you will collaborate and do together)

o   eye contact

o   turn-taking (even if your child tantrums, make him give you a turn, and then you give him a turn – do this over and over)

o   social interaction (peek-a-boo, hide and seek, piggy goes to market).  Try to get your child to initiate the game.  If he or she brings a cover over the face, then reward!  Lots of verbal praise

o   Greetings – have your child wave hi and bye, and model the verbal phrase as well.

·         Replace behaviors.  If your child is used to taking your hand and pulling you somewhere, then stop him or her, and say, “what?”  Try to anticipate the event, and then give him/her the words to say.  If your child is screaming for a certain item/object, ignore it.  Wait until he/she calms down, and give him/her the words to say.  If your child will not imitate you, then make him/her sign “please”.

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