Easy Speech Practice During the Pandemic

A lot of us are feeling burnt out from all of the lockdowns and restrictions we have been facing for more than a year now. I, for one, find it more and more challenging to manage all the at-home time with my two children, while also balancing a busy work life!


No one has time to fit in an extra 15 minutes to work on speech-language goals. Even if you do have that 5 minutes of free time, it can be difficult to feel motivated to work on something “extra,” even if it benefits us in some ways. In addition, many families are behind on receiving assessments and services during the pandemic.


What if I told you that fitting in time to encourage speech and language development, or speech and language homework, didn’t have to be one more thing to fit into your day? What if I told you that you can work on almost any speech goal in natural, every day situations that you’re ALREADY doing every single day?


Most speech and language goals can be practiced in the middle of the most boring, routine activities without much extra effort at all. In fact, children learn best in a play-based, natural setting. 


We use communication all the time. We use it when we are trying to decide what to eat for breakfast,  we use it when watching TV together, we use it when we’re walking to the park or in the car on the way home from school, or helping our kids with their homework. Language opportunities are EVERYWHERE.


I’m going to give you ONE example here of how you could work on your child’s “L” sound at home, any time you’re having a conversation. 


My daughter and I went on an “adventure” today to the park (her words). She pretended the three trees near the park were a forest. She said, “wook, mom, a forest!” I responded, “I see!” And then I took a moment right there to practice her good “L” sound, which we have already established she can do. I had her look at me, and showed her putting my tongue tip up behind my top teeth. I said, “Can we try saying “lllllook” again? Put your tongue up!” She tried again and got it perfect.


That’s all it took. One natural opportunity that came up without any extra preparation or time set aside. 


If you’re looking for personalized tips and supports, please contact me! I’d love to consult with you about you and your child’s needs. 


If you have concerns about your child’s speech and language development, please seek advice from a Speech Language Pathologist in your area! You can contact me from the contact form on this website.


Have a wonderful week!