“What did the mother worm say to her child who was late?”
“Where in earth have you been?!”
Earth Day is Saturday April 22nd. Starting in the 1970s, this day is used to highlight global conservation and foster an appreciation for the resources the world provides. Whether its participating in a community clean up or simply enjoying outdoor recreation, parents can use the natural environment to teach children sustainability, while also targeting speech and language skills. Scroll down for more info!
1.) Reading Recycle Station
Often when teaching children how to recycle, we introduce them to separating items by their material makeup. You can use that same concept of sorting and create bins corresponding to individual sounds or syllables.
For example, if you are working on identifying words that have one, two or three syllables, you can make three different cans and picture cards with words of varying length. The child can then sort them into the corresponding bins and you can discuss how separating them is similar to how we recycle!
2.) Use our Natural Habitat
Nature walks are a great way to get outside, especially as the weather gets warmer and the flowers continue to bloom. The outdoors allow children to use their curiosity to connect with the world around them. Go on a scavenger hunt for items, play “I Spy” or have your child describe the color, shape, and texture of items they see during the walk.
3.) Reduce, Reuse, & Write About It
Writing is a great way for children of all ages to practice literacy skills including spelling, recall, and executive functioning needed for essay organization. For younger children, have them write down words that have to do with the environment, or have them write about the nature walk as a whole: What was the weather like? What did they see or hear? Did they have fun? As your child gets older, practice various types of writing. For example, have the child write about how they can help the planet or answer the critical thinking question, “Why can every day be Earth Day?” You can even recycle the paper after the writing is complete! :)
How on Earth do you get your questions answered about your child’s speech and language development?
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About the Author
Janene Besch
Director/Speech-Language Pathologist
Janene Besch, née Martin, holds a Master's degree in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences from San Diego State University and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of California at San Diego. Janene is a member of the American Academy of Private Practice in Speech Pathology
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Welcome back to our last post in the series “Milestones: Navigating the Numbers”! This series was inspired by the updated American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) Developmental Milestones. Read more on the expected speech, language, social-pragmatic, and feeding milestones expected by age 1, age 2, age 3 and age 4.