Everyday activities: Out and about

You can help your child to understand where they are going by using objects that relate to the activity.

If you are going to nursery show them their nursery bag and say “nursery time” as you are setting off.

If you are going to see family you could use an object they associate with that house or a photo of the person you are going to see and say “lets see Nanan”.

You can also use clear language to support instructions, such as “first coat, then outside”.

As you walk somewhere talk about the things you see. If your child points to something you can label the object for them so they can become familiar with the word such as as “tree”, “sky”, “bus”.

Even if you know what your child will choose you can still give them a choice as it creates an opportunity for them to communicate with you. For example, “do you want to go on the swing or the slide?” (pointing to each as you say it). You might find your child responds by pointing or looking if they can’t use words.

Using lots of repetition is very important so your child can become familiar with the language. Children need to hear a word lots of times before they will try and copy or say the word.

Avoid asking your child lots of questions such as “what’s that?” or “what are you doing?” which often can put pressure on them to talk. Instead, you can try commenting on what they are doing or showing an interest in.

As your child begins to use more language you can help by extending their language. Repeat it back and try adding another word to give more information. For example, if they say “dog” you could say “big dog” or “dog running”.