To work on building the Vocabulary, we do not have to wait for our child to get Verbal. Let us build child’s memory bank of words and understanding/meaning of those, and he will be able to retrieve it when the time comes.
START
Introduce simple words and - when you pronounce the word – break it into small parts – Bbb aaaaaa ttt (BAT). Remember to do this at child’s eye level. Children tend to learn by imitating so make sure you stop doing that when you know your child has picked up the word.
METHODS
1. Visuals –
A) Picture Cards – create your pictures in such a way… that each picture card has a word written below it for the picture, in a clear font and capital letters.
e.g.
When you have already incorporated visual cards in your child’s daily routine, he is seeing almost everything he does, eats, places he goes to, etc. in a Picture AND in the text format, which he memorizes, by sight reading, even when he doesn’t know how to actually read.
B) Labelling – Label everything that is possible – in the house, things that you carry, child’s belongings, etc.
Labelling is also to be done like visual cards – in Capital bold letters and clear Font
Like – BEDROOM, CURTAINS, KITCHEN, SPOON, PLATE, etc.
Stick these labels, with a cello tape over it, so that it doesn’t tear off easily and in such a way that its visible to the child.
Every time when you are talking to your child or playing some games…. emphasize on the specific word along with pointing/touching the object and its label.
e.g. If you are opening the curtain, and you do that talking to your child….
a. let me open the CURTAIN”,
you hold the curtain and show it to the child , do not focus on the word ‘Open’ for now, but only CURTAIN.
b. wear your SHOES
2. Games –
Play games around a few words that you select to be done in a day.
Create some games, based on your child’s interest where naming or pointing the real objects is involved.
3. Reading –
Make it a habit from day 1, when you start to work with your child. Only the level of books will keep on advancing based on the child’s age and his level of understanding.
Start with -
a. Books with only one object on one page…(My first words, alphabet books, fruits book, etc.)
b. Alphabet books with 3-4 pics and words on one page. If there is - B-Ball, initially you name the object and point, then the child starts pointing when you name it, and eventually the child points and tells you, when asked, once he starts to speak.
c. Story books with bold letters and only 1 line on each page, Like– Pepper series.
Talk about only the nouns on each page first, and later move to full story.
4. Themes –
To make your work easy – pick themes for each day, with important ones first, like – Things in washroom, what you wear, toys, and not categories like birds or vehicles to begin with.
5. Talk MORE –
Talk to your child, about everything he does, sees, points, touches – outdoors, indoors, everywhere, but in the beginning, emphasizing on words.
I was told by one renowned therapist – if the child speaks and identifies all the numbers, alphabets, and sings rhymes, it is not to be considered as a part of his vocabulary bank.
Once you attain a good number on NOUNS, move to other words, (with visual picture cards) of frequent use like – Start, stop, yes, no, like, done, finishes, help, more.
What to use –
1. Real objects
2. Visual Picture Cards
3. Labels
4. Flash cards
5. Word books
6. Story books (less words, more pictures)
7. Big Pictures
8. Small pictures
Other things to work upon parallelly are –
1. Listening Skills
2. Imitation
3. Confidence
4. Eye contact
5. Introduce new WORD/S daily
Not only during the therapy time at home or with the therapist, is the child learning new words, but doing so throughout the day. Make some pointers/themes for yourself to work on for a particular day and make the whole day Fun with Learning.
REPETITION is the key – keep repeating, until you succeed, and child has reached a certain level of confidence.