How much fun is the Fall with our kiddos especially during a pandemic? We all have lots of time to spend with our loved ones at home lately. So, what can you do with your kids that is useful to their speech and language development when you come home from the apple orchard? Here are some ideas:
For kids who are developing their language skills at the 1-3 word level:
Apples:
-Introduce them to fall vocabulary (nouns and verbs) by involving them in the act of washing, peeling, cutting the apples as you prep them for a pie or a baked good. Talk repetitively about the action in 1-3 word phrases (I cut apple, mommy cut, daddy cut, mommy wash, Jane wash). Talk about what you're doing while you're doing it with your child. Pause to see if they also will put together a 1-3 word phrase while doing this activity with you. Don't forget to take pictures and talk about this experience later on.
For kids who are developing their language skills at the sentence level:
Apples:
-Introduce them to language concepts/descriptors that they might not fully understand or use in their running speech. When we cook or participate in fall activities together there are so many words that we can use to describe the process. Making caramel apples is easy, fun and so delicious. This activity gives life to linguistic concepts/words such as sweet, sticky, hard, melt, stuck, hot, spread, thin and thick. Pause when you come to these words in your process and really highlight the meaning. Take a picture and tell grandma or grandpa later on.
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