I’d bet it won’t come as a surprise to hear that language plays a huge role in our day-to-day social interactions. And because it does, I often get asked about the best ways to teach children to speak and communicate well — clearly and articulately, so they can be understood and learn to understand others.
When I get this question, sure — there are times when professional intervention by a speech therapist may be necessary and that’s my recommendation. However, most often I direct parents towards play.
Why? Because learning effective social skills through play is fun and enjoyable for children.
Simple games help teach children important social norms like sharing, patience, and reading body/facial gestures. When doing something like kicking a ball back and forth and using basic phrases such as “Your turn,” “My turn,” and so on, children learn these key social conventions and reinforce social skills and the language we use.
Two Games that will Help your Child Improve their Speech
- Play food from Melissa and Doug: Start with some good ol’ playing pretend with your child…and then change it up. At times, act grossed out or as if you didn’t order what was given. Not only will it add a bit of silliness and laughter (which in and of itself has big benefits for your child’s health and well being!), you get to help your child figure out how to act in such a situation.
- The Three Little Pigs: Get a copy of the story and read it with your child, telling the story with different voices for each character. This will help them build the skill of taking the perspective of others, which will help them begin to better understand another’s feelings. And when you’re done with that story, you can carry the concept over to other books, asking questions about how the characters feel and how your child knows that — using words said, body posturing, and facial expressions.
As a parent, are there games that you like to play with your children that reinforce positive social skills? What sort of things do you say to your child during play? I’d love to hear — leave a comment and let me know!