Today's post is an oldie but goodie written by my friend and colleague,

Mary Boucher Jones MA CCC/S LSLS Cert AVT

Listen and Learn Communication Center Indianapolis, Indiana

We presented this information in Vietnam together at Parent Night when volunteering with the Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss

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Promoting Listening and Language Development Through Everyday Experiences

The everyday chores of home living provide an abundance of opportunities to develop language skills.

Include your child in your daily activities and enrich his language as you talk to him about what you are doing.

geniuspregnancy.com

Here are some examples of household activities that can be turned into a fun learning experience for your child.

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Setting the table Getting a haircut

Washing the dishes Ironing the clothes

Sweeping the floor Watching Daddy shave

Dusting the furniture Watering the plants

Making the bed Scouring the sink

Going grocery shopping Putting groceries away

Buying new ____________ Visiting a friend or relative

Filling the gas tank Washing a car

Going to the bank Changing a light bulb

Fixing a broken ___________ Looking at a newspaper

Feeding a pet Doing the laundry

Checking a hearing aid or cochlear implant Taking a bath

Shampooing hair Brushing teeth

Mowing the lawn
Visiting the post office

Preparing dinner Preparing a special treat

Eating at a restaurant Taking a walk

Activities for Expanding Language Doing the Laundry

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Listening Activities

· Listen to the water filling the washing machine drum.

· Listen to the water changing cycles.

· Listen to the turning dials.

· Listen to the motor sounds.

· Listen to clothes bumping in the dryer

· Listen to buzzers and timers.

Cognitive Activities

· Sort clothes by color.

· Sort clothes by which body part they cover.

· Sort like clothes together (pants together, socks together, etc.).

· Sort clothes by their owner. (Mom, Dad, sister, brother, etc.)

· Sort clothes by texture. (soft, silky, rough, etc.)

· Sort clothes by design. (stripes, checks, prints, etc.)

· Sort clothes by function. (school clothes, play clothes, church clothes, etc.)

· Compare lengths (Mom’s pants, Dad’s pants, and Child’s pants)

· Compare sizes.

· Sort clean and dirty clothes.

Vocabulary to Target

Verbs

sort separate find

spray (prewash) pour take out

load listen open/close (lid)

push turn fill (washer)

fold hang match (socks)

collect pick up gather

Watch (water line and agitation)

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Items Needed

washing machine clothes detergent

pre-wash bleach stain remover

fabric softener clothes line clothes pins

dryer drying rack lint

hamper laundry basket

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Types of Clothes (purpose)

play clothes school clothes work clothes

special occasion clothes pajamas exercise clothes

uniforms

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Types of Clothes (names)

pants shirts dresses

shorts socks skirts

tops blouses nightgown

jeans capris jacket

coat underwear diaper

***Once one name is known for an object occasionally substitute a synonym when appropriate.

For example: socks: stockings, tights, panty hose, knee socks

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Describing Clothes Appearance

colors striped checked

patterned printed wrinkled

fabric names (corduroy, denim, colorful

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Describing Fabric Texture

soft rough bumpy

smooth silky heavy

light-weight damp wet

dry scratchy

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Parts of Clothing

collar sleeve cuff

leg zipper snap

button hook buckle

Question To Ask?

Whose _______________________? (pants, socks, sweater, etc.)

Where are _____________________? (clean clothes, soft clothes, striped clothes, etc.)

Where do you wear______________? (socks, hats, pants, etc.)

How does ____________feel?

What kind of clothes? (uniform, pajamas, school clothes, etc.)

What do you wear ___________? (on your feet, on your arms, on your head, etc.)

What do we do ____________? (first, next, last, etc.)

When do you wear________ ? (a jacket, pajamas, a uniform, etc.)

When do we put ______ in? (detergent, fabric softener, clothes, etc.)

Which clothes are ________ (Mommy’s, play clothes, soft, dirty, etc.)

Can you find another________ (pair of pants, sock, shirt that is Daddy’s, etc.)

Today's post was adapted from a blog written with help from

Joanna Brachmaier, a rehabilitation and education specialist at MED-EL.

http://www.medel.com/blog/build-language-skills-routines/

Intended for children ages 3–9.

Routines by definition happen the same way over and over, but that doesn’t mean they need to be boring. No, in fact they can be beneficial! Use the repetition to help your child build language skills.

Repetition Helps Build Language Skills

By speaking the same words or phrases over and over you can build and reinforce your child’s understanding of these words and phrases. When incorporated with routines, you can help your child to learn specific words and phrases without needing any special toys or materials.

Here are some of the different routines that you can use to build language skills:

Cleaning the house or a specific room
Having a bath
Cooking or preparing for meal time
Reading a book
Putting on clothing in the morning
Getting undressed in the evening
Going to bed

What to Do

Depending on the specific routine or activity, here are some of the different things that you can do:

Use straightforward, but meaningful, language:
- “Up, up, up! Go up on to your bed.”
- “Your pajamas are under the blanket.”
Prepare your child by setting the scene:
- “It’s night time, it’s time to go to bed!”
- “Now let’s read a book.”
Narrate what you are doing:
- As you grab the toothpaste, say “now it’s time to squeeze the toothpaste onto the toothbrush.”
- As you grab a pair of pants, say “now here are your pants”
Name each and every object when you first use it or approach it:
- “Let’s grab the forks and knives.”
- “Don’t forget to tie your shoe laces.”
Imitate the sounds that your child will hear:
- “The bath water goes splash, splash, splash!”
- “The zipper goes ziiiiiiiiiiip.”
Encourage your child to respond, like saying the word or sound or giving objects names:
- “What sound does your stuffed animal make?” If it’s dog for example, then encourage them to say “Bark! Bark!”
- “Where is the broom and dustpan?” Then encourage them to say, “In the closet!”
When dressing, give your child the chance to choose:
- “Do you want the red shirt or the yellow shirt?”
- “It’s cold outside. What clothes do we need?”

Make sure to encourage your child to play an active role in all of these activities so that he or she engages with the words you’re using. Soon, by doing these exercises over and over again you can help your child to build language skills. Once you feel they’ve mastered some words then move onto more difficult ones. Your child’s progress might surprise you!