6 Speech Therapy Techniques to Try at Home

It’s exciting when your little ones start to talk and express themselves using sounds and new words. You can practice speech therapy techniques at home to encourage their talking and help them learn and develop language skills.

Speech exercises are an excellent way to prepare your children with skills they’ll need for comprehension, articulation, and language during everyday interactions.

Speech Techniques to Try at Home With Your Child

Whether your children are in speech therapy or not, practicing these techniques at home ensures children can continue developing their communication skills as much as possible.

Here are some speech therapy techniques to try at home when you want to assist your child in improving their speech.

1. Complete the Thought Game

One of the best ways to support your children in their communication journey is to start simple conversations and share stories with them. It can be a fun game of finishing each other’s sentences, but you’re guiding and encouraging your child to complete a thought or story.

To start the game, you could begin telling a story, then pause and finish your sentence with a connecting word like “and,” “but,” “then” or “because” and have your child continue the story using their own words. Once they’ve completed their addition, repeat the entire sentence or story to show how your words blend with your child’s, then continue playing the game.

By the end of the game, you’ve worked together to create a fun and imaginative story while helping your child speak longer sentences.

2. Use Flashcards

Flashcards help your child begin to associate words with objects. Children can connect the pictures they see on the cards with the words you speak to name or describe the image. With regular practice, your child will develop skills to identify different objects and name them correctly. Flashcards are a simple way to start building a toddler’s vocabulary.

3. Make Silly Sounds

Children love to laugh and have fun. While teaching your child a new word or practicing ones they have trouble understanding, be silly and make funny sounds to help them understand the words better. Creating a fun experience will make your child more engaged while learning.

Explain animals by making their sounds in exaggerated voices and beep like a car horn. You could even use a mirror to show your kids how your mouth moves while saying a word, then have them repeat the word while watching their mouths to see how they move while talking.

Making silly sounds is a great way to have fun with your children while helping them develop their language skills.

4. Read With Your Child

Another way to start building vocabulary and helping your child learn how to pronounce and enunciate words is reading to and with them. Children learn to imitate sounds and grasp words while listening to someone reading. You and your child will have fun exploring imaginary adventures through various books.

While reading picture books to your kids, you can use similar techniques as the flashcards and have your child identify the objects in the book’s images. Have your child repeat some words after you to encourage correct diction.

5. Model Simple Language for Your Child

Children learn new words, sounds, and actions by imitating what they see. When your child begins talking, modeling simple language is an easy way to help them understand and associate words with objects.

Modeling simple language supports your child as they independently imitate and use words and sounds. You can hold an object near your mouth as you name it before handing it to your child. Eventually, they’ll start associating the item with what you’re saying.

6. Provide Choices to Your Child

Be direct with your questions and provide choices when asking your child about something. For instance, instead of using open-ended questions, ask ones that give clear options, like “Do you want the yellow car or the green car?” Children will learn the impact of using language to make requests when they first understand how to communicate their desires.

Benefits of Continuing Speech Therapy Techniques at Home

If your child is in speech therapy, continuing to practice the techniques learned during the sessions while at home will help them retain the lessons. Your child will continue improving and developing their language skills to use in their everyday life.

Professional Speech Therapy Services for Children

Children benefit from extra help in refining their speech and language skills. If your child has a speech delay or you’re unsure if they do, the experts at TLC Pediatric Therapy can work with you to provide the best solutions possible for your child. We’re part of the Kids SPOT family of companies, and we’re here to help provide you with speech therapy ideas and techniques.

To start helping your child receive the care they need, contact us online or find a location near you today.