Are you looking to help your child build their language skills? Building vocabulary, increasing understanding of basic concepts, answering questions and telling stories are all important skills to develop! There are lots of fun things to do at Halloween to embed practice! Let’s explore a few of them!
1. Let’s start with picking a costume! Start early and use this decision making process to build those skills-even if they (or you) know what they are going to be! You can start guiding their choice by asking simple questions: Do they want a scary costume? Which princess is your favorite? What color witch (or turtle or ninja or spiderman) is your favorite? As you are asking questions you are also building new vocabulary! Once they have the costume you can talk about it to continue to build the vocabulary. Let them practice their language skills by telling everyone what they are going to be!
2. Practice or pretend trick or treating (or trunk or treating). Put on those costumes (or any dress up clothes) and have them pretend they are trick or treating-use chairs in the dining room for each “house”! You don’t have to give them candy-give them a fruit snack or a gold fish cracker at each stop! Teach your child the words to use and let them practice saying them. Explain the steps of what they will do on the big day a you pretend! Use concept words as you practice! Again you can use this as an opportunity to build new vocabulary. Finally, have them tell someone what they did to build story telling skills!
3. There are so many great Halloween books: Five Little Pumpkins, The little old lady who was not afraid of anything by Linda Williams, Spooky Pookie by Sandra Boynton. Plus check out your child’s favorite characters: Pete the cat, Big Blue truck, Froggie all have Halloween books available. As you read with your child you are introducing new vocabulary. Have them point to pictures, repeat words and phrases and answer questions about the book. Reading impacts language development so much and repetitive books are awesome! If you child is working a specific speech sound find words in books so they can practice their sound!
4. When Halloween finally arrives just enjoy the night! It’s fine if they forget everything you practiced or if they get scared and don’t want to participate! You had fun practicing, they built their language skills and there is always next year!
Bonus tip! Games are a great way to build those language skills! Check out My Monster or Mirror Mansion from SimplyFun!
https://www.simplyfun.com/TinaWilliams
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