How to Spark It

Tue, 22 Jun, 2021

7 Effective Ways to Build Language Skills using Everyday Routine

 

Daily English conversation for kids needs to be incorporated into their daily routine. This way, kids will easily become comfortable with conversing in English. It is simple to do, yet very effective and can be fun for the whole family.

Developing language skills is essential in young children. Most parents need to realise that everyday activities like waking up, brushing teeth, getting dressed, and eating meals are excellent opportunities for children's language development.

Let us find out how you can make daily English conversation for kids a part of their lives:
 

Waking Up

  • Waking up your child with a smile and happy words like 'Rise and Shine' or using loving phrases of greeting early in the morning is a joy for both parents and kids.

  • Rushing them or using angry, frustrated words will demotivate them to learn new vocabulary.

Brush and Bath

  • Use your child's bathroom and brushing time as an avenue to introduce new vocab. It is a great way to teach them sequencing words and how to follow directions.

  • Using words like 'put the toothpaste on the toothbrush',' brush your teeth', 'pull down your pants', 'sit on the toilet seat', 'potty',' pull up your pants', 'wash hands', 'put soap''shower' etc. teach them everyday vocab as well as sequencing words and directions.

  • Another great way to develop language skills in children is to label pictures for things they use every day. For example,' Toothbrush', 'Toilet', 'Seat', 'Sink', 'Mirror' etc. hel.ps them identify and recognise words over time.

  • Once your child starts learning to read and write, only word labels are a great tool to continue language development.

Dressing Up

  • Requesting for clothes and recognising them is a routine that helps develop language in your young children.

  • Choosing their own clothes can be a fun activity for toddlers.

  • Allowing them to request for a particular dress or colour of their choice leads to a better understanding of the language.

  • It is also a good idea to talk about the day's events or the weather with them during this time and help them plan their clothes accordingly while using specific related words in sentences like 'Hot', 'Cold', 'Beach', 'swimwear', 'Jackets''shoes', Slippers' etc.

Eating a Meal

  • Breakfast is an excellent time for family conversation and introducing your child to new words. Using descriptive words during mealtimes further helps in building their language skills.

  • Encourage your child to request for the cutlery, table mats, napkins, type of cereal etc., at the table.

  • Talking about how each food is and its function, smell, taste also helps in language development in children.

  • Sometimes changing the routine is also a fun way to help them learn. E.g., You can put a fork instead of a spoon to eat their cereal. This confuses him and helps him identify the correct order of what goes with what food much easier.

Going to Nursery or Daycare

  • Talking to your child about what will happen in his day in the correct order helps your kid to be prepared for what to expect while learning.

  • The next step is to talk about the things he will need for the planned activities. If your child is going to daycare, make sure to talk about what is in his bag and how to use it. It could be his meal, cutlery, colours, papers, additional clothes, raincoat etc.

  • If your child goes to kindergarten or school, talking about his classes, school supplies and his day at school will help him recognise everyday words and use them incorrect sentences.

  • Letting them know that you are proud of them by using sentences like 'Great job yesterday at school', 'I know you will be a well-behaved child at school today' or 'I trust that you know the right thing to do on the bus', will help them with positive reinforcement.

Keep the Conversation Going

  • When your child gets back from Nursery School or daycare or any other activity, ask questions about his day.

  • 'How was your day?''Did you enjoy today?', 'what was your favourite activity today?' are questions that allow children to think back and use the appropriate words in sentences while narrating their experiences.

Bedtime

Bedtime is also an essential routine in the life of a toddler. Using sequencing and direction and location words while bathing and changing into nightclothes reinforces the daily words.

  • Tucking your little kids in bed while reading a storybook or a picture book further encourages them to identify new words and build sentences while allowing them to end their day on a happy note

 

Parents need to remember that every minute counts in developing language skills in children. It can be turned into a fun activity every day to reinforce daily English language skills while building a strong educational foundation for them.