Summer is a time to relax and take a break from the busy schedule during the school year. However, summer should also be a time to continue improving your child’s language skills. Learning should always be fun and natural for younger children, and working on language skills is no exception. Below are 5 FUN summer enrichment activities that will also improve your child’s language skills.
1. Make a fruit salad with your child. Choose several types of fruit to add to your fruit salad. Chop up the fruit with your child and place them in a bowl. Name each fruit as you put it in the bowl and describe each step as you perform it. Have your child stir the fruit.
2. Go for a walk in your neighborhood. Encourage longer utterances by modeling the phrase “ I see a ____” for your child. You can add more describing words as appropriate for your child. For example, instead of saying “ I see a flower”, you could say “ I see a small, pink flower”. Also practice answering wh- questions by asking your child “What do you see?”
3. Blow bubbles together. Make the bubbles go high then low. Pop the bubbles with your feet and your hands. Take turns and practice saying “my turn” and “your turn.” Make big bubbles and little bubbles.
4. Play with plastic ducks, frogs, or boats in the bathtub. Practice using verbs such as “swim, float, go”. Talk about where ducks, frogs, etc. live. Practice preposition words by talking about where the boat, duck, etc. is (on top of water, under water).
5. Go to the pool! While packing a bag for the pool, talk to your child about what you need to go swimming (bathing suit, goggles, sunscreen, towel, etc.). While playing at the pool, talk about what you and your child are doing (jumping, swimming, diving).
