language blog | activities for parents |speech therapy | kids - Talk of The Town Speech

Snowed in and stir crazy?

2/13/2014

Ok, let's admit it--- there are only so many times you can take the kids sledding, have a snowball fight, and create your very own Frosty...... now what?? Here is a surefire way to keep the kids busy!

Fill a big storage bin half way with snow and put it on the kitchen floor. Then try these easy ideas:

Give them different size and shape spoons for scooping
Gather small toys to bury in the snow (bath toys work well)
Use cups and pans (bunt pans work well) to mold the snow into snow castles (think sand castles)
Fill spray bottles with water and a drop of food coloring- let the kids make rainbow snow.
Let the kids build mini snowmen. Use things around the house to decorate it.

Snow castles, snowballs, and snow cones.... oh my!

1/3/2014

Beginning language learners at the 1-3 word levels:

Bundle up together. Talk about mommy's/daddy's/child's + item of clothing (gloves, scarf, hat, boots).
Momentarily allow your child to put their hands in the snow without gloves. Talk about the cold.
Scoop snow using various kitchen objects- cups, spoons, bowls, etc.

For higher level language learners:

Use various kitchen objects (bowls, muffin tins, cups, etc) to make a snow castles. Use kool-aid or food coloring + water to make colorful castles.
Find different ways to melt the snow indoors. Predict how the snow will change when it melts. Once it turns to water, put it int he freezer overnight. Talk about whether or not it will change back to snow? What will it be in the morning?
Make snow cones or slushies using fresh snow and juice. How can you tell if the snow is clean? What happens to the snow as you pour more juice on it? Why?

Have fun and stay warm!!

Cranberry Sauce

11/20/2013

Click to watch a child-friendly video recipe

Here are some great ways to incorporate language into this tangy, sweet, Thanksgiving treat!

Beginning language learners at the 1-3 word levels:

Talk about pouring the ingredients at the 1-3 word level (ex: I pour orange juice, Daddy pour sugar)
Use a 1/4 measuring cup (instead of 1 cup) to allow opportunities to talk about more cranberries/sugar/juice
Serve cranberry sauce in cups for members of the family. Talk about Daddy's/Mommy's cup.

For higher level language learners:

Watch the video link above. Carrie talks about dissolving and what it means. See if you can think of other powders that dissolve.
Discuss how you can tell when the orange juice is boiling. How is it the same as boiling water? How is it different?
Talk about how the cranberries changed. What happened to them as they cooked? Why do you think we add sugar?

Trick or Treat!

10/28/2013

From sensory difficulties, to understanding the social conventions of taking one piece of candy... trick or treating can be very difficult for our friends with special needs. Here are some ways to help ease the stress and make Halloween a little sweeter for everyone!

Practice

Practice trick-or-treating at home with 2 adults. One adult can run into a room and close the door. The second adult can guide the child to knock, hold their bag out for candy, and go on their way. Repeat the process multiple times until the sequence becomes predictable for the child. Take pictures of the 'mock trick-or-treating' and of him/her eating the candy afterwards. Show these pictures leading up to (and on Halloween), to help build positive memories and remind them of the fun.

Consider the costume

If your child has difficulty wearing a mask, consider face paint instead. If your child seeks sensory input, think about putting a fitted under-armor under the costume. Have your child wear their costume for short increments during the week leading up to Halloween.

Set the expectation

Help your child know what to expect and how long to expect it for. If your child uses a token strip or a visual schedule at school, consider using one while trick or treating. For example, a short story to explain the sequence (knock on the door, hold out your bag for candy, go to the next house) can be helpful. Similarly, a token strip can be used to indicate how many houses are left before you are finished.

Timing is everything

Consider the time of day/evening that you go trick or treating. Making sure that your child (and you) are not too tired, can help things run more smoothly. Also, set a reasonable limit for how long you will be out trick-or-treating.

HAVE A FUN AND SAFE HALLOWEEN!!

Back to School Basics

8/26/2013

Here are some proactive ways to talk to your child about what to expect on their first day back to school:

Talk about who their new teacher is.
Talk about which of the same children will be in their class this year.
Show pictures of the new classroom or new school if applicable.
Look at fun pictures from school the previous year to reinforce positive memories.
Prepare together- pack a lunch, snack, and choose an outfit the day before.
Talk about the day's schedule, including what they will do when they get home from school.
Get into a back-to-school sleep and waking schedule a few days prior to the start of school.
Allow yourself at least 15 minutes buffer time for unexpected events.
If your child is new to riding a bus, watch a video on youtube, such as the one below:

Jello-Filled Oranges

8/12/2013

Who doesn't love Jello? This one is fun for everyone!!

Beginning language learners at the 1-3 word levels:

Talk about open, mix, cut, scoop and pour for each flavor of Jello.
Talk about open, mix, cut, scoop and pour at the 2 word level (ex: I pour, Mommy pour, pour water, pour powder, cut orange)

For higher level language targets:

Talk about how the Jello powder dissolves. Discuss other powders that dissolve.
Talk about other fruits you could use instead of oranges. Explore why some fruits are better to use than others- Experiment!
Talk about which ones are your favorite flavors, rate them and compare with friends.

Fruit Kabob

8/5/2013

Wondering what to do with all that fresh summer fruit? How about some delicious and fun fruit kabobs!

Beginning language learners at the 1-3 word levels:

Talk about wash, cut, and push for each fruit
Talk about wash, cut, and push for each fruit at the 2 word level (ex: I cut, cut strawberry, more blueberry)

For higher level language targets:

Talk about why the fruits that need to be peeled, don't need to be washed
Talk about why the berry containers/colanders have holes. Brainstorm what would happen if the holes were bigger.
Discuss what to wash the fruits with and why. Why don't we use dish soap? Why don't we use the kitchen sponge?

Water Balloons

7/29/2013

Need a break from the heat? Try some fun water balloon activities!

Beginning language learners at the 1-3 word levels:

Talk about turning the water on each time you fill a balloon
Talk about throwing at the 2 word level (ex: mom throw or Joey throw, I throw)
Talk about wet each time the balloon pops

For higher level language targets:

Talk about different places to fill up the balloons (ie: hose, sink, etc).
Talk about different ways to pop the balloons (i.e: squeeze it, step on it, throw it) or different things to pop it with (i.e: stick, fork, etc).
Experiment with size: make a big water balloon and a little water ballon- which is easier to pop?

Most of all--

Have fun!

Smoothie

7/12/2013

With such hot weather, what better way to stay cool than making a delicious and healthy snack? Below are some ideas for embedding various levels of language into making a fruit smoothie.

Beginning language learners at the 1-3 word levels:

Open containers for juice, fresh fruit, or frozen fruit.
Wash fresh fruits separately to build in language opportunity (wash +fruit)
Cut large fruits (such as watermelon) into chunks, or cut stems off of fruits, such as strawberries.
Pour fruits into the blender and pour the smoothie into cups

For higher level language targets:

Expose your child to higher level vocabulary- colander for washing fruits, blender, cutting board, etc.
Talk about location of where you are pouring (i.e: in the blender, in the cup).
Have the child tell someone else how they made the smoothie.
Talk about possession- pour into Mom's cup, Dad's cup, etc.
Predict the color of the smoothie- experiment with ingredients to make yellow smoothies, red smoothies, purple smoothies.

Enjoy!

Pour

6/21/2013

People often think of "pour" as a word to describe getting water or juice into a cup. Here are some fun and functional ideas to take you beyond your thirst:

Pour water in the bathtub, at the beach, or in the garden
Pour detergent into the washing machine or dishwasher
Pour glue, paint, or glitter during arts and crafts
Pour ingredients: everything from frozen fruits into a blender, to cake batter into a pan!

As always, be mindful to vary the contexts to prevent "chunked phrases" such as pour always said as "pour water."
Be creative and have fun!