The more words a child hears during the day, the better their academic and language performance will be as they get older, according to research. While 30,000 words may sound like a huge number, it’s actually very doable!
Think about
different moments in your day when you can add more words
Carve out moments of “found time,” little chunks of minutes when you can
increase language during every day events. Time spent driving in the car, meal
time, bath time, or shopping at the grocery store are all great times to talk.
Here’s some ideas for increasing talking time— come up with your own favorites too!
- Read 1 – 3 books every night at bedtime.
- Play 20 Questions, I Spy, or a similar game where you take turns describing items.
- Ask “what if” questions—the sillier the better! My favorites include, “What if an alien spaceship landed in the backyard right now, what would you do?” and “What would you buy with $1,000?”
- One sentence stories: Take turns each telling one sentence of a story and see where your imagination takes you!
For more information, you can read about the research here!
By Barbara Bryant, CCC-SLP
