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Engaging and Effective ways to read to your kids who have no words.

 Here are some ways to make reading effective and engaging so that your kids can increase their speech and language skills.

1.  Sit across from your child and hold the book.  This allows your child to see the book and your mouth as you read to her.  

2. Observe your child as you read to your child.  Is she looking at a certain picture on the page?  Point to it and talk about it.  

3. You don't have to read every single word.  You can talk about the pictures by describing it.  You can repeat a phrase if there is a common theme.  For example, if it is a flap book, you can repeat the word "open" each time you open the flap. 

4. Pause.  After you read or talk about a page, pause and see if your child wants to say or do something with that page.

5. Use animated voice and facial expressions as you read your book. 

HOW TO USE POTATO HEAD TO STIMULATE LANGUAGE

Cooperative Play: Target cooperative play between children.  Provide one child the Potato Head and the other child a box with all the parts.  One child will request for the parts to build Potato head.  The other child can make comments such as “Here are the blue eyes.”

Action Verbs: Target action verbs by making  Potato Head move.  He can jump, walk, dance, fall, eat.  For example: Show Potato head jump and model the phrase, “The potato Head is jumping.  Jump.  Jump. Jump.” 

Following Directions: Give the child verbal or written directions 1 step direction: “Put the shoes on Potato Head.”

2 step direction: "First put on the shoes, and then put on the arms.”