I’m so excited to share a post with you today from Laura Mize, founder and owner of Teach Me To Talk. Laura is a pediatric SLP, and I first was introduced to her when we used her manual as a supplemental text for my Early Intervention class. I read the entire manual from front to back! If that wasn’t enough, a classmate and I (who is also a big fan) ran into her in the exhibit hall at ASHA-totally by chance!
What I love most is that her ideas are simple, easy, and effective. Today, she has so graciously been willing to share great info on Verbal Routines- read more below!
words, the natural inclination is to ask the toddler to repeat words as in this
common scenario: “Here’s an apple? Can you say apple? Say apple. Ah, ah, ah,
ah, ah apple.”
always a good idea, this confrontational approach can result in a little guy
who seems to become even more reluctant to try to talk. What’s a good mom (or
speech-language pathologist) to do? We have to help a child acquire words,
word attempts from non-verbal toddlers.
at a predictable time during an activity.
A verbal routine occurs any time a person says the same words, in the
same way, for the same things, every time a specific context occurs.
counting “1, 2, 3” before jumping in the pool or saying, “Ready, Set, Go!”
before you roll a toy car across the floor.
familiar start to a favorite activity? The toddler begins to complete the words
with little additional prompting. The words seem to become automatic.
plays, or songs. Singing the same song before bedtime becomes a verbal routine.
A child begins to recognize and then anticipate the words as his parents start
“scripts” that you create to accompany an event. These may include new games or songs that are
made up on the spot while playing with a child or even completing a daily
routine. You both enjoy your new routine so much that it “sticks” and you play
many, many times in the days, weeks, and months to come. The song or game may
be so successful that you find yourself introducing it to other children.
routines make it easier for toddlers to understand the events and words that
come next. Introducing verbal routines can be an easy solution for a child who
is having difficulty with transitions.
benefit from verbal routines. Effective preschool and kindergarten teachers use
this technique as they sing the same songs to accompany routines in their day. Parents can certainly learn to use verbal routines at
home to enhance language development.
Routines with regular play activities during therapy sessions. By using a core
set of vocabulary for each of a child’s favorite play routines, you’ll increase
the likelihood that a child with receptive language delays will learn to link
word meanings with specific objects and events. Eventually the child will begin
to say those same words to “fill in the blank” when an adult begins the verbal
routine and pauses for the child to complete the words.
few target words or short phrases that you’ll use in the same way, for the same
activity, each time you engage in the activity.
to be established is time! The child
has to hear the routine often enough to recognize and remember it. It’s
extremely rare when a late talking toddler joins in a verbal routine during the
first few occasions he hears the words.
adults miss the value of verbal routines, thinking that they need to change
what they say to a child in order to introduce new vocabulary. While this is
important for older preschoolers and school-aged children, the opposite can be
true with toddlers who are late talkers. Using the same words for the same
activities can actually help a young child learn to say words more quickly.
powerful for many late talkers!