• Language Activities for Pre-school

    • Listen to environmental sounds with your child (water running, doorbell, airplanes, traffic). Have fun labeling what made the sound, imitate the sounds, and play guessing games about what made a particular sound.
    • Imitate what your child says and expand his/her comment by adding one piece of information. For example, child says, "Doggie"; adult says, "Doggie. Yes. The dog says woof, woof." Child says, "Bird flying," adult says, "The bird is flying. Birds have wings."
    • Read repetitive, rhythmic and rhyming books with your child. For example, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear", "Inside a Barn in the Country", "Cat in the Hat", and "Dinosaur Roar".
    • Practice taking turns in a variety of activities, motor imitation, sound making, and "conversation."
    • Be a good listening and turn-taking model for your child.
    • Play "treasure hunt" with your child. Hide something, then give clues to where it can be found.
    • Play listening and remembering games. For example, go pretend grocery shopping. Give your child a basket and instructions on what to buy. "We need bread and apples," or "Get grapes, hot dogs, and ice-cream".
    • Let your child help with household tasks, talking your way through the task. For example: "To set the table we need plates, cups, forks, spoons, and knives..."
    • Let your child help you sort and categorize common objects. For example, folding and putting laundry away. "Socks go in this drawer, pants go in this drawer."
    • Talk about the past, the present and the future. "This morning we ate pancakes for breakfast. Now we'll take a nap. Tomorrow we'll go to the zoo."
    • Give your child verbal warnings of upcoming transitions.
    • Show pleasure in listening to your child. Take time out daily to talk and listen to him/her.