We are now in the full swing of summer and often find ourselves beating the heat at a pool or beach. Many toddlers and preschoolers love playing with water and when an activity is fun, that’s when the best learning can happen. While playing, you can describe in simple language what you and your child are doing and seeing. Be sure to describe what your child is focusing on and make it fun!
Actions Are Amazing
What “actions” can you do with water? Often, young children focus on objects rather than actions, so water is a perfect tool to help them learn some new action words. We can “pour,” “splash,” “drip,” “drop,” “hold” and “hide” water, just to name a few of these actions. While playing in any type of water you can use your hands, simple cups, buckets or other objects to play with your child using these actions. Add some excitement in your voice and narrate what actions you and your child are doing, “Oooh! Look at the water splash!”
Descriptions are Delightful
One of the biggest areas of language growth in young children is their understanding and use of descriptive words. While playing with water, we can focus on whether the water is “warm,” or “cold.” Does it drip “slow” but splash “fast”? Does a bucket have “a lot” of water and a cup hold just a “little bit” of water?
Spatial Concepts are Spectacular
Another important area of language growth in toddlers and preschoolers is the use and understanding of “spatial” concepts. These are ideas like on/off, in/out and up/down. We can pour water “in” and “out” of a bucket. Water can go “through” a fun sand tunnel or hide “in” a cup.” Remember to use simple sentences to describe what you and your child are doing together. “Wow, the water is going through the tunnel!”
Speech Sounds are Superb
By the time a child is 6 years old, they should be able to say most speech sounds correctly. Playing with water is a wonderful way to emphasize any speech sounds that your child’s speech therapist has suggested he work on saying. For example, if your child has trouble with his “k” and “g” sounds, while playing with water we can have a contest scooping and filling up a bucket of cold water. Who can go the fastest or get the most? Every time we scoop we say, “I got cold water!”
Happy water play!
Comments