Fun? Sun? Pools? Cool drinks? Games? Family reunions? Camping? Hiking? Swimming?
What ever it is, enjoy the time you have together with your family and friends.
Talk more, laugh more, play more and talks some more.
Summer experiences can really help your child continue to improve their speech and language skills. The best part is the summer journey. Capitalize on the nature of summer days as gentle teaching moments. Don't be afraid to model and talk about things. "Verbalize your thinking process a loud, this can really help kids know how they should process information, and what questions to ask". Here is an example; "I wonder what we need to take on our week long trip to the ocean?" " What do you guys think we need to remember to bring?"
Make learning fun fun fun and more fun. Make it meaningful and functional. Notice what your child needs during these free days. Don't do everything yourself, involve the kids the best way you can.
They will gain more from this process than sitting on the sideline or worse yet not paying attention.
Here is a short list of speech and language ideas for some fun summer times ahead.
1. Make daily lists, all kinds of lists- share them with your kids, help them to make lists; food lists, shopping lists, fix-it list, suitcase list, sight seeing list, book lists, so on- teaches core vocabulary, categories, priorities,
2. Maps lessons- highlight the routes you will be taking. Helps with distance, planning, directionality and temporal sequencing vocabulary and real planning situations "First we need to go this far, then we need to get to this place,
3. Sports camps- helps with physical outlet, specific vocabulary, following directions, individual effort and team effort, retelling instructions and events that happened that day.
4. Books- read lots of books together and alone. Develops lots of vocabulary, sentence structure, reading comprehension, retelling skills of story elements of characters, settings, problems, possible solutions, sequencing of events, feelings, conflicts, resolutions, etc. Let them even earn money for their best book report. It can be written, oral or poster presentations. Make it fun! (You set the bar: Each letter grade equals different amounts of money, this will encourage them to do their best work.) (visit your local library a lot, let your kids earn series of books they like.)
5. Cook together- helps with using key vocabulary for a recipe, following instructions step by step, sequencing- first we need this, then that, so on. Start simple with 3-4 ingredient recipes.Bon Appetite
6. Games- play lots of different games, indoor and outdoor types; helps with turn taking skills, following and telling instructions, goals of the game, so on.