Helping your child build their speech and language skills doesn’t need to be a big task! In fact, everyday routines provide the perfect opportunities for speech therapy practice. Here are four easy tips to integrate speech therapy into your daily routine in fun, natural ways.
1. Talk Through Daily Activities
As you go about the day, talk with your child about what’s happening around them. Describe what you’re doing, how things look, sound, or feel. For example, during breakfast, you might say, “We’re pouring milk. Look at it splash!” or “Now we’re spreading butter on the toast—nice and smooth.” This helps your child hear more words and phrases, adding to their vocabulary while building a natural understanding of language in context. This is also a great opportunity to slow down and find times when you could include them more, finding opportunities to build their fine motor and daily self-help skills.
2. Ask Simple Questions During Playtime
When your child is playing, try asking questions that encourage them to talk more. Simple questions like “What are you building?” or “Who’s driving the car?” prompt responses, which can improve expressive language skills. Start with questions that require just one-word answers if your child is younger, and gradually add in questions that encourage them to use more words, like “What’s happening in the story?” or “How is the character feeling?”. Remember, if they find answering questions tricky or if you don’t feel like that know the answer, give them the answer after you’ve asked the question so they know how to answer it next time.
3. Sing Songs and Rhymes Together
Music and rhythm are great for speech and language development! Singing familiar songs, nursery rhymes, or even made-up tunes helps children practice sounds, rhythm, and the flow of language. You can sing during car rides, bath time, or even while packing up toys. Simple songs with repetitive phrases help build memory and language structure, and children often love the rhythm and movement involved in singing.
4. Encourage Choices and Give Clear Options
Offer your child choices throughout the day to boost their communication skills. For example, ask, “Do you want apples or bananas?” instead of just handing them a snack. This encourages them to think and use words to express their preferences. Start with two options and keep language simple. The more your child practices making choices, the more confident they’ll feel using their voice.
Integrating speech therapy into your routines can be simple and enjoyable. These tips fit into everyday moments, helping your child develop language skills naturally over time. Every word, question, and song bring them closer to confident communication.
Remember to be kind and share joy!
- Allanah (speech therapist)
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