FUNdations- Level 1 Support Pack

fI) .'Help Develop Oral Expression And VocabularyYou can help your child develop orallanguage (the spoken word) with thefollowing ideas. Do these anytime you arewith your child:1. Encourage your child to answer''wonder'' statements.Say such things as "I wonder whya dog barks." Or say, "I wonder ifGrandpa likes spinach."2. Help your child expand hislhervocabulary by rephrasing.4. Limit the amount of TVHowever, if your child watches achildren's program, talk about it(see #'s 1, 2, 3).5. Provide household props thatencourage pretend play.Use spoons/pans in the bathtub;cups/teapots/dolls; small rakes/shovels. While playing, be sure to talkthrough your actions (see #'s 1, 2,3).When your child says somethingsuch as, "He's scared," you couldsay, "Yes, the dog barks because he isfrightened, you are correct!"3. Ask open-ended questions.Do not ask, "Are you raking leaves?"(The child would simply answer,"yes.") Instead, ask, "What are youdOing with your rake?" The childwill answer you and then you canrephrase the answer to furtherdevelop vocabulary (see # 2).Verbally interacting with your child simply means taking every opportunity to talkwith your child. With our busy lives, interactions between adults and children areoften directive ("do this," "do that,") or negative ("stop hitiing," "don't run.") Try tobreak this pattern whenever possible. Both you and the child will have pleasantexperiences and you will be helping to develop oral expression and vocabulary,LEVEL 1 HOME SUPPORT PACK PAGE 3 ©2002 Wilson Language Training Corporation Wilson Fundations'"