No matter what your summer schedule looks like, opportunities to provide language-rich experiences are within reach. Everyday experiences open the door to new opportunities for building vocabulary through meaningful conversations. Whether it’s a trip to the grocery store, discovering a new bike trail, a planned trip to the zoo, or traveling to a new state, you can create memorable experiences with the benefits of maximizing language development.
Below are a few tips for intentionally engaging with your child before, during, and after experiences.
Before the Experience
Prepare the language context:
- Activate prior knowledge
- Use pictures and other conversation starters such as “I wonder what we will do…” or “What are you most excited about…”
- Ask open-ended questions such as, “What do you know about…”
- Discuss how this experience may relate to a prior experience.
- Preview vocabulary and other key information
- Discuss new words that may be specific to the upcoming experience.
- Preview visual supports, such as maps, webpages, and pictures as you prepare for your experience.
- Use artificial intelligence to generate word lists or other helpful tools related to the experience.
During the Experience
Use language intentionally:
- Model language
- Be a narrator during the experience and use language to describe what is happening or what you are observing
- Use the vocabulary words you discussed before the trip and highlight new words when the opportunity arises
- Encourage conversation with your child by using open-ended questions such as, “What do you think will happen next?”
- Make predictions or observations and ask your child to do the same
- Incorporate language games or fun activities
- Develop a scavenger hunt using new words to play during the experience
- Build a game around finding items that match given adjectives (Find something that wiggles, Locate something that flies)
- Stop along the way and prompt your child to tell a story about what is happening
After the Experience
Reflect and extend language:
- Discuss and retell
- Encourage use of sequencing words (first, then, next, last).
- Use sentence starters such as, “My favorite part was when…”
- Be creative
- Write a story, draw or label a picture, make an experience book, or record a video summary.
- Make a list of the new words that were used to hang up somewhere.
- Encourage dramatic play, roleplay, or creating songs about your experience.
Whether they are everyday moments or special outings, experiences can provide great opportunities for natural and meaningful learning. Families that are intentional about building language skills can turn just about any situation into a fun learning experience.
From Kelly Dunham, Michigan Department of Education Resource for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Education Consultant