Parents and caregivers often wonder how they can support their child’s speech and language development outside of speech therapy sessions.
By including therapy techniques in your daily life, families can create more opportunities for children to practice their skills in real-world settings. This helps to reinforce the work done during sessions, helping to build confidence and communication skills in a natural and low-pressure environment.
Everyday routines, such as mealtimes, play, reading, and getting ready for bed, can all become meaningful opportunities to encourage communication.
Why Everyday Routines Matter
Children learn through repetition and experience. Whilst structured therapy sessions are essential, consistent practice at home in familiar surroundings helps solidify new skills. Everyday routines, such as mealtimes, play, reading, and getting ready for bed, can all become meaningful opportunities to encourage communication.
Incorporating speech therapy into daily life offers several benefits:
– Increased opportunities for skill practice
– Meaningful, real-life communication contexts
– Reinforcement between therapy sessions
– Enhanced parent-child interaction
Strategies for Supporting Communication at Home
1. Mealtime Conversations
Mealtimes provide a rich setting for language development. Parents can label foods, describe textures, and ask open-ended questions:
– “Would you like the crunchy carrot or the soft bread?”
– “What colour is your drink?”
– “Can you help me set the table, what do we need?”
2. Purposeful Play
Play-based learning encourages the development of vocabulary, turn-taking, and social skills.:
Pretend play to develop storytelling and sequencing: “The teddy went on the train then ate some lunch”
Play games like ‘Simon Says’ to practise following instructions; “Simon Says put your hands on your head”
Using spatial words like “on,” “under,” and “behind” during construction or puzzle play.
3. Reading Together
Reading supports vocabulary, comprehension, and sound awareness. During shared book time, parents or caregivers can:
– Point to and name pictures
– Emphasise words or sounds a child is working on
– Ask predictive or reflective questions like “What might happen next?” or “How do you think they feel?”
4. Involving Children in Daily Tasks
Daily routines offer chances to practice sequencing, vocabulary, and following instructions:
– “First we brush our teeth, then we wash our face.”
– “Let’s put on the blue shirt.”
– “Can you find the big spoon or the little fork?”
5. Visuals and Gestures
For children with emerging or limited verbal skills, combining speech with visuals, signs, or gestures can help support understanding. The team at Box Hill Speech Pathology Clinic can provide customised visual aids for use at home.
How Box Hill Speech Pathology Clinic Can Help
The therapists at Box Hill Speech Pathology Clinic are committed to supporting families beyond the therapy room. Their services include:
– Customised home practice strategies that align with each child’s developmental stage and family routine
– Parental coaching and education to empower caregivers in using therapeutic techniques at home
– Telehealth options, allowing therapy sessions to take place in the child’s natural environment
– Evidence-based intervention programs tailored to individual needs and goals
Whether a child is just beginning to speak, working on clarity, or developing social communication skills, Our Speech Therapists will work closely with families to help with incorporating Speech Therapy into Everyday Routines.
To learn more about how Box Hill Speech Pathology Clinic can support your child’s speech and language development at home, contact the team to schedule an assessment or consultation. Together, we help families turn everyday moments into opportunities for meaningful progress.
