Blog Layout

Developing Language Skills at Home

May 11, 2022

How do we elicit language at home?

There are so many ways to develop and elicit language in the home environment. Parents can elicit language with toys and books they already have in the home.


Books are a great place to start.

Books can be used for:

  • Labeling (naming) vocabulary words
  • Identifying vocabulary words (find the...)
  • Answering WH questions ie. What is this?, What is it doing?, Where are they?, Who is it?
  • Simple directions ie. "Turn the page"
  • Learning about literacy
  • Sequencing of events ie. What came first... then... last?
  • And more! Each book offers new ways to expand a child's vocabulary, comprehension, and talk about social scenarios/good behaviors.


Play skills are very important to language and social development.

Turn-taking, and back-and-forth play, pretend play, and demonstrating object's function can be used with everyday toys or board games. Some additional ways to elicit language development with everyday toys include:

  • Using cars, trains, trucks, or anything that moves to produce "go", "stop", and car noises such as boom, crash, vroom, or choo choo.
  • Using a baby doll or Mr. Potato head to name or identify body parts, clothing items, and functional pretend play such as feeding a baby, putting a baby to sleep, or giving a baby a drink.
  • Shapes and Shape sorters to name/identify colors, shapes, and sorting objects.
  • Puzzles to name/identify, categorize, sort, and develop problem solving and thinking skills.
  • Toy animals are great for early communication and early speech sounds. Animals noises are a great way to elicit early sounds (/m, b, p, k, d, g, t/) and also naming/identifying early vocabulary!


Additional ways to elicit and entice communication include:

  • Waiting to five a child the desired object until they request "more" or "please".
  • Waiting to give a child help opening containers, doors, or reaching objects until they request "help" or "open". This "pause time" is used to give children the communication opportunity to respond. After "pause time", we continue with the activity (giving the child the requested object) and give a communication model.
  • Expand a child's utterance adding additional information ie. "ball red", to "the ball is red".
  • Labeling objects around the home.



Overall, we can incorporate language into our daily activities each day. Children are constantly taking in information from adults and their environment. For an example, during a daily walk we can talk about the colors outside (leaves, flowers) or practice actions such as walking, jumping, swinging, and skipping! There are endless possibilities and taking the time to talk to your children each day is a great first step to language development!


Thank you to Miss Julie, speech-language therapist and member of PMC's pediatric speech therapy team, for sharing her knowledge of language development in children! Your tips are also so helpful!


07 Nov, 2024
Why Teach Self-Regulation? When a toddler throws a tantrum, their reaction is usually developmentally normal for their age. Most little kids are still learning how to navigate big emotions. Most three year olds have not mastered self-regulation; the ability to control one's emotions and respond rationally to stressful or stimulating situations. But for adults, it's often expected that we know how to navigate big emotions and cope with difficult situations or feelings. However, for many people, this is easier said than done. There are many factors that impact our ability to self-regulate. Neurodevelopment, trauma and sensory differences are just a few factors in an individual's ability to self-regulate. Research shows that learning self-regulation can be life-changing for children and young adults, especially individuals who have experienced trauma. Learning emotional regulation can have a powerful impact on a person's wellbeing, So when do we learn how to navigate difficult thoughts and feelings? And how? When it comes to children and adolescents, research demonstrates that sensory-based occupational therapy may be an effective intervention to increase self-regulation.
28 Oct, 2024
Fun Thanksgiving Food Crafts Looking for some fun and easy Thanksgiving-themed food crafts this year? These simple crafts are easy to set up and sure to add some joy to your family's celebration! Whether it's arranging the morning waffles to resemble a cute turkey or tucking some fresh veggies into a crescent roll for a festive cornucopia, these fun Thanksgiving crafts are sure to bring some smiles this holiday season. 
28 Oct, 2024
Thanksgiving Guide for Picky Eaters Feeling a bit tense about how your picky eater is going to feel this Thanksgiving? Have no fear - our dietitian, Emily, has some excellent advice on how navigate the holidays with a picky eater. 
28 Oct, 2024
Halloween Themed Food & Snacks Halloween brings out the kid in all of us! While dressing up your child or adding decorations to your house, don’t forget to have fun with food too. Here is a list of super cute ways (and easy!) ways to bring the spooky holiday to your plate! 
21 Oct, 2024
Everyone has moments when they do not speak smoothly. It is developmentally normal for children to experience disfluency, or difficulty speaking, during the first few years of speech and language development. Stuttering, on the other hand, is a speech disorder that is characterized by disruptions in the flow of speech that are often accompanied by behaviors or frustration, or negative associations with speaking or embarrassment. People who stutter may experience repetitions (repeat parts of a word), prolongations (stretch a sound out for a long time), or blocks (struggle to get a word out). These are known as disfluencies . But, stuttering is more than disfluency. Stuttering may also include tension, anxiety or negative feelings about talking. While there is no "cure" for stuttering, there are plenty of treatment options available to help individuals who stutter. A speech language pathologist can utilize several strategies to help reduce the frequency and to cope with stuttering. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), stuttering usually begins in early childhood, with onset typically beginning between the ages of 2 and 5. However, data shows that up to 80% of children who stutter will not stutter in adulthood. Because stuttering is often a more complex issue than disfluency, it is vital to seek evaluation from an experienced SLP. Research demonstrates that early intervention programs can make a huge difference in whether stuttering carries over into adulthood. When performing an evaluation for stuttering, the SLP will look at: Types of disfluencies The number of disfluencies How your child reacts when they stutter (do they get upset) Does your child try to “fix” their speech (do they start a sentence of or stop talking) An important difference between stuttering and disfluency is that stuttering is often accompanied by negative emotions around speaking and communication. An SLP will look for signs of discomfort or tension when your child is speaking. They will also take into consideration your child’s age and how stuttering affects their daily life. Especially with young children, it is critical to evaluate the differences between stuttering and developmental disfluencies. In preschool-age children, for example, stuttering is often accompanied by various behaviors , including facial tension, eye blinking, frustration or reduced verbal output. If your child struggles with stuttering and you are unsure whether you should seek treatment, here are some guidelines for when to reach out to a speech/language therapist: The stuttering persists longer than six months and occurs frequently during the day The child shows tension, a facial grimace, or struggle behavior during speech The child avoids talking situations or expresses concerns about speech The child avoids saying certain words or sounds The family has a concern about their child’s speech The child has shown signs of frustration or embarrassment during or after a stutter event Treatment methods for stuttering can include promoting confident communication, practicing mindfulness, modifying speech and facilitating desensitization for stuttering. An important part of treatment may also include self-advocacy, and promoting acceptance of stuttering so that children can reduce the negative feelings that accompany instances of stuttering. Examples of treatment techniques include: Breathing exercises Stretching exercises Fluency-shaping techniques Slow speech production Overall, disfluency should be considered normal as everyone does it occasionally. Oftentimes, it is simply a part of development for children. Working with an SLP can help with both disfluency and stuttering, however, they cannot “cure” stuttering, but rather assist a child with strategies for reduction and acceptance of it. If you are looking for treatment for stuttering, please reach out to our office today to learn more about how PMC’s speech therapists can help you.
29 Aug, 2024
NISE Spinal Stim: An Innovative Treatment for Spina Bifida
Show More
Share by: