If you follow us on Instagram, you’ve probably noticed that we have been talking quite a bit about ways to use routines to promote language development. There has been a shift towards providing routines-based intervention as part of the service delivery of not just speech therapists like us, but also occupational therapists, physical therapists, etc. Why the push for routines you ask? Daily routines are meaningful contexts for young children to learn new skills, because they are predictable, functional, and occur numerous times throughout the day (Woods, Kashinath, & Goldstein, 2004).
As this Hanen article highlights, parents do a multitude of things with their children throughout the day.
“They dress and feed them, bathe them and help them brush their teeth. It is within the context of such daily routines that a young child begins to make sense of his or her world.
This involves understanding:
how their worlds are organized – e.g. after waking up, they get dressed, brush their teeth and then have breakfast
the words that people say in relation to each routines
social roles - such as how to start a conversation (initiate) and how to respond appropriately when the other person starts it
how to participate with others in a conversation (even before a child can talk) as an equal conversational partner”
Do we leave out play and just focus on routines?
Nope, keep playing too! Play-based learning is still very important for early language and other development, and actually falls under the category of routines. Jennings et al highlight that interventions can be integrated into play, caregiving, and other activity- based routines as appropriate for the setting and individual child needs. The change from traditional therapy, however moves the intervention into more naturalistic environments, such as the playground or the beach.
What are some routines that we can use?
Examples of everyday routines include, but are not limited to bathing, getting dressed, changing diapers, mealtimes, washing hands, riding a bike, cooking, going to the playground, riding on the bus, watering the plants. Any activity that you do on a regular basis can be classified as a routine.
So where do we start?
Start small. This week choose 2-3 routines that occur regularly during your day/week and build from there.
Plan a suitable time to test out your language strategies. We know life gets busy and chaotic. Therefore, a hurried morning when you’re trying to get out the door may not be the best time to choose a routine to work on. However, a bedtime or dinner routine, an after school walk or park visit may be a more relaxed time to test out new strategies. As it becomes more natural for you, you’ll find yourself automatically creating language opportunities even in the midst of those hectic moments.
Have a clear beginning and end to your routine. This helps your child become familiar with how the routine works, and helps with predictability especially for our little ones with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). Something as simple as stating, “Time to brush teeth” can be a good beginning for your routine. Some children may need a song, or visual/object representing the routine for a better understanding. Singing a “clean up” song or a sign for “all done” are great ways to end the routine.
Think about what language you can use within this routine. Jotting down some words or phrases that you want to use during the routine is a good place to start. Over the next few weeks we will be giving examples of words and phrases that can be used in specific routines.
Comment on what the child is interested in/looking at during the routine. This not only helps with building expressive language skills (how much they’re saying), but also helps to build understanding of new words and concepts.
Repetition is key! A child needs repeated exposure to a new word to begin to associate it with the object/action it represents, and then to be able to use this word spontaneously.
Be creative and have fun! Whoever thought that a diaper change could be a shared fun experience between you and your child? Do something silly like putting the diaper on your head and watch how your child responds!
We look forward to sharing more specific routines and strategies with you over the coming weeks.
Woods, J., Kashinath, S., & Goldstein, H. (2004). Children’s communication outcomes. Journal of Early Intervention, 26, 175-193.