The Arc of Montgomery, Berks & Bucks Counties
A leading proponent for the rights of people and their families with developmental disabilities...

USING BOOKS TO EXPAND YOUR CHILD’S COMMUNICATION SKILLS IDEAS FROM OUR SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS

 

Look for durable board books with one simple picture to a page.  To start, focus on the pictures and not the words. “Goodnight Gorilla” is a great picture book with no words. Board books allow your child to look at the book without tearing the pages.

 

Position your child face to face with you so that he/she can see your mouth movements and facial expressions as you read the book. Take turns “reading” a well loved book letting your child fill in the words that they know.

 

When looking at a book with your child, talk about what is happening in the pictures. Pair actions and sounds with the words (“mmm” sound with a picture of food or eating, animal sounds, vehicle sounds such as beep, choo-choo, brmm, pretend to sleep or jump to pair with that picture). Use the same words, sounds and actions each time that you read the book. Your child will begin to fill in these sounds and noises as you read the book again and again. Make the book a fun interaction vs. just reading the text word for word.

 

Select books that offer repetition of the same phrases and words. Children learn what comes next and can anticipate and help “read” the story. Stress the sounds and syllables in the words and pair gestures with it to make it more fun. Some books suggestions are: Brown Bear, I Went Walking, Goodnight Moon, Red Hat Yellow Hat, Mr. Brown Can Moo, Ted in a Red Bed, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

 

Books with textures to feel or flaps to open offer an interactive experience. The “Spot” books by Eric Hill are a good choice as well as Soft play for Kids felt books and Ten Little Ladybugs.

 

Play “I Spy” with the pictures. See if your child can guess given simple descriptors (i.e. it’s red and it bounces,  you wear it on your hands when it’s cold outside)

 

Make your own books by cutting out pictures from magazines and circulars. You can make food books, toy books, with one picture to a page to help your child point, label or request.

 

Take digital photos when you go places (supermarket, farm, zoo, park, playground) and make a personalized book for your child. Put photos in a small photo album from the dollar store and label it with your child’s name and picture i.e. Billy’s Trip to the Farm.

 

Make a new experience (Going to school, doctor, dentist) easier for your child by taking pictures and creating a story about it. You can read this story with your child to help him/her know what is going to happen and become comfortable with it.

 

Pick a book and use the same book, words, actions and sounds over and over for a week. Pick a time such as before nap or bedtime and do the book that time each day.

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