Communication, Speech & Language Skills
Master these essential components of Communication, Speech & Language Skills
Turn-Taking in Conversation
The ability to take turns speaking and listening in conversations
Activities:
- 1Conversation games: Play games like 'My Turn, Your Turn' where you take turns asking and answering questions.
- 2Storytelling: Take turns adding sentences to a story.
- 3Role-playing: Use puppets or toys to model turn-taking in conversations.
Using Appropriate Eye Contact and Gestures
Using and understanding nonverbal communication cues
Activities:
- 1Eye contact games: Play games that encourage looking at the speaker.
- 2Gesture charades: Act out actions using gestures and have your child guess what you're doing.
- 3Social stories: Read stories that emphasize the importance of eye contact and gestures.
Understanding and Using Polite Language
Using appropriate social language and manners
Activities:
- 1Polite play: Use dolls or action figures to model polite language.
- 2Role-playing: Pretend to be in different social situations and practice polite language.
- 3Thank-you notes: Encourage your child to draw or write thank-you notes for gifts or kind actions.
Adjusting Language for Different Listeners
Modifying communication style based on the audience
Activities:
- 1Role-playing: Pretend to talk to different people and practice adjusting language.
- 2Storytelling: Tell the same story in different ways for different audiences.
- 3Observation games: Point out how people talk differently in various settings.
Understanding and Using Nonverbal Cues
Recognizing and using facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice
Activities:
- 1Emotion charades: Act out different emotions and have your child guess what you're feeling.
- 2Mirror games: Make faces in a mirror and talk about what each expression means.
- 3Tone of voice practice: Say the same sentence with different tones and discuss how the meaning changes.
Initiating and Maintaining Conversations
Starting, continuing, and appropriately ending conversations
Activities:
- 1Conversation starters: Use cards with questions or topics to practice starting conversations.
- 2Role-playing: Pretend to have conversations in different settings.
- 3Follow-up questions: Practice asking questions to keep a conversation going.
Understanding and Using Humor
Recognizing and appropriately using humor in social situations
Activities:
- 1Joke time: Share simple jokes and explain why they're funny.
- 2Funny faces: Make silly faces and laugh together.
- 3Humor books: Read books with funny stories or pictures and talk about what makes them funny.
Repairing Communication Breakdowns
Recognizing and fixing misunderstandings in communication
Activities:
- 1Misunderstanding games: Pretend to misunderstand your child and encourage them to clarify.
- 2Rephrasing practice: Have your child say the same thing in different ways.
- 3Clarification prompts: Model asking for clarification.