Games to “grow” Language

Partners for A Greater Voice, Post Office Box 734, Ipswich, Massachusetts 01938 U.S.A.
978-312-1200 / www.greatervoice.com

PLAY
Play is child’s work. This is a true statement and the games in this booklet were selected to give you ideas on how you can use games to help your child develop language while at the same time learning to play games that all children play.

For a child who has a hearing loss and who is learning to speak the most important thing that that child has to do in order to learn language is to LISTEN.

Young listeners need to start with what they understand, so for a pre-school child just learning to listen you may play with them using toys that develop sound comprehension. They will need to know that a cow says “moo” and a pig says “oink, oink”. Then they will have to learn lots and lots of words & the only way to do that is to listen to YOU the parent.

As the child grows up and has learned thousands of words he or she can begin to speak and to use that vocabulary meaningfully. Playing games with your child can help them learn sentence patterns such “Do you have a ____?” or “I don’t have that, go fish”. It allows them to practice listening in a small group with people who love and understand them.

Games prepare our children to play with other children, they learn to LISTEN so that they can follow directions. They learn to THINK so that they can solve problems and they learn to COOPERATE so that they can have successful friendships.

Games are fun, they make you laugh and they make you learn!

I Spy I Spy
The Perfect listening game!
The parent can start by saying
“I spy I spy with my little eye something that is red.”
The child guesses e.g. my shoes!

Parents you must expect your child to listen and as they become better and better listeners give them harder and harder clues e.g.

Parent: I spy I spy with my little eye something that is red and you wear it on your head.
Child: Shoes
Parent: You wear shoes on your feet. I spy something red that you wear on your head.
Child: Hat
Parent: Yes, you wear a hat on your head.

Musical Chairs
The chairs are set up in two rows back to back (one chair less than the number of players). The music is turned on, and the players walk around the chairs. When the music stops the players sit in the chairs. The player left standing is taken out of the game. The players all stand again and a chair is removed. The music is started again. This procedure is continued until only one child remains. This person is the winner.

Play Doh
Play doh can be used in so many different ways:

1. vocal play and growing with the child.
   Rolling rolling
   Oooo here we go
   Cut cut cut
2. Make people or animals and talk about them- For example “Here’s a fish, swim swim, swim, up, up, up & DOWN.

Mother May I?

This is a fantastic listening and speaking game that 4 or more can play.
One player is the “mother” and that player stands at the finish line.
The “mother” tells each child what to do. For example:

Mother: Lisa, take 15 baby steps
Lisa: Mother may I take 15 baby steps?
Mother: Yes, you may.

If the child moves before the “mother” says “yes you may” they have to go back to where they just came from.

Language:

Jump 5 times
Skip 6 times
Take 1 Giant Step
Take 3 Medium Steps
Take 3 steps backwards
Hop 8 times
Gallop

Simon Says
A listening and following directions game:
If the leader says Simon says then the child has to follow the direction.
“Simon says raise your right hand” (child raises right hand)
BUT, if the leader says “Raise your right hand” and the child does then she or he is out.
Use this game to check your child’s receptive language!

Mr Potato Head
Mr. Potato Head is a fun game that can be used to develop the language for body parts and for clothing.

You can use this game with children who are:
(a) Just beginning to listen by talking about what Mr. or Mrs. Potato Head has or needs.
(b) Asking your child to name the body part that they need.
(c) The child requests using complete sentences with your help.

Commenting:
“I am going to give my Mr. Potato head a pink nose and a pink tongue. Where’s your tongue?”
“Look this is the lady Potato Head, she has a hat with a flower. She’s walking, walking oh oh, she fell”.

Language: Requesting: “Give me a…” “May I have a…” “I need a…”
Body and Clothing: Ears… Nose…Eyes…Teeth…Tongue…Lips…Hands…Arms