Language opportunities are EVERYWHERE! They are hidden in everyday routines and can be taken advantage of easily. Here are 10 ideas of hidden language opportunities in everyday routines!
1. Car Time
People spend so much time in the car on the way to school, on the way home, running errands, and more. Pointing out what you see outside, like colors, textures, how fast or slow cars are, and other details, are great ways to expand on your child’s language. Instead of focusing on reviewing the day or asking your child questions, talking about details that you see is a great way to model language that is right outside of the window.
2. Hand Washing
Handwashing is a simple thing that is done multiple times a day. Narrating or singing the steps of handwashing teaches them sequencing and engages them in a language activity. It can also make a mundane activity more fun!
3. Getting Dressed
Another great opportunity to practice sequencing! Getting dressed is a simple, everyday routine that allows children to answer more complex questions such as “it’s cold out today, what should we wear?” and make independent choices. If your child is not ready to answer questions yet, narrating each step to the dressing process offers opportunities for them to hear prepositions, adjectives, and a variety of sentences structures. Any exposure is good exposure!
4. Brushing Teeth and Hair
Brushing teeth and hair is quite the process for most kiddos. Using songs can add descriptions, sequencing, and additional language to a “not so fun” routine. This Super Simple Song about brushing teeth is a great example. The song incorporates left, right, and adjectives in a fun, silly way.
5. Cleaning
Who doesn’t want some helping hands during cleaning time? Having your littles help while cleaning is not only helpful, it also offers lots of language opportunities!
6. Taking a walk
Getting outside and talking a walk together offers SO many enriching language opportunities. Describing what you see is a great start. Walking fast and slow, skipping, and picking up treasures along the way works on adjectives as a bonus!
7. On the playground
The playground is the perfect spot to be practicing verbs. Running, jumping, swinging, and sliding are verbs that an adult can label as the child is participating in the actions, or the adult can ask the child what they are doing to have them label the action.
8. Laundry
Doing the laundry provides chances to talk about different textures and colors. Laundry words such as “fold, over, in” and sequencing words (e.g., first, next, then) are easy to incorporate into laundry time.
9. TV Time
TV time is inevitable, but can be used effectively when paired with language modeling and expansion opportunities. Talking about what happened, how you feel about it, and who was on the TV can target comprehension while making a connection.
10. Play Time
Play time is the perfect time to model new sentences, vocabulary, and ways to play! Looking for new toys? Check out this blog on toys for language development. This post about promoting learning through play has great tips for adding learning opportunities into playtime.
