Often children with language delays have delays with their play as well. It is important to know the stages of play so that you know how to play and can match language difficulty to appropriate play. See the table below for a general idea of the stages of play (source: www.seemeandliz.com).
If you think your child is not playing at the level that they should be, it could be useful to see an occupational therapist.
It is important to remember that the toys alone will not help your child learn through play, it is you joining in with their play! I know you are busy but let me tell you that when you are in the moment with children in play -it can be a form of meditation.
To get you started each month I am going to add an article to my blog about play. I am going to suggest some basic and extended play activities for your child.
I am also going to show you how you can add language to the play using a range of different types of words.
These will include a rainbow of words:
NAMING WORDS (AKA Nouns) – These words are simply the names of people, places or things.
ACTION WORDS (AKA Verbs) – These are words that can describe an action or ‘doing words’ but can also reflect a state of mind e.g. want, feel, think, know.
DESCRIBING WORDS – (AKA Adjectives – sometimes adverbs) – These words are used to tell you what it looks, feels, tastes and smells like. They also tell how something is done.