At Home Activities

Family Involvement

The activities you do at home and the positive reinforcement you provide can help your child make huge strides toward speaking clearly.

The key is for parents and caregivers to be actively involved, providing models of language, asking questions, and encouraging the child to express themselves.

Incorporating fun, language-enriching games and toys into your child’s daily routine not only reinforces their therapy progress but also strengthens your bond through shared, joyful learning experiences.

Play and Interact

Make practice fun by using games and songs. Spend time speaking with your child, asking open questions, and encouraging interaction. This gives your child plenty of practice without feeling like a chore.

Read

Read a favorite book to your child and then have them read it back to you can provide excellent reinforcement. If the child is too young to be able to read words, have them explain what they see in the book. Remembering the context from hearing it can strengthen speech and confidence.

Focus on what the child CAN do

Don’t overemphasize what he or she can’t do. While it’s important to pay attention to improvements in speech, remember to praise other small victories like picking up toys, being polite or using the bathroom. And don’t be tempted to allow bad behavior simply because the child has a speech problem.

Active Listening

Ask questions and be attentive and patient with the replies. Interrupting and expecting the child to “just spit it out” will create anxiety which can make the problem worse. Let the child work it out without pressure. On the other hand don’t be too focused or the child may become uncomfortable. Try to keep the conversation natural and don’t add pressure by demanding perfection.

Involve the Whole Family

Bring everyone together in play or other activities, and encourage communication between your child and other family members and/or siblings. This helps family members understand better ways of interacting with your child and fosters closer relationships in the process.

Minimise Background Noise & Distractions

This is especially important during therapy and learning sessions, but also at other times too. Studies show that too much TV can actually delay language development because parents tend not to talk as much to their children as they otherwise would. Children learn to speak best when they are spoken to.

See Recommended Games

Find more details about games and toys that Kelci recommends for home play.

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Explore ASHA

Read more about recommendations from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

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Have More Questions?

Visit the FAQ page for additional detailed information.

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