Early Interventions
Speech, Language and Communication
Support Materials
Area of concern:
Talking - Expressive Language: 8 - 20 months
This will help the child to:
Use single words
Activities:
In all the activities consider a small amount of words to focus on at any one time: 5-6 words.
When you move onto introducing a new set of words, remembering to check back regularly to ‘revisit’ words previously learnt. Repetition over a period of time is the key.
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Encourage the child to explore and name a variety of objects – toys, or safe to handle
household objects.
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Sit with the child and look through a book, name the things that the child is interested in
(wait and watch to see what he is looking at or pointing to). Keep your language simple,
using single words, e.g. ‘car’. ‘dog’, ‘sleeping’.
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Use photographs of familiar objects and people to make simple books or to stick on boxes,
etc. as a stimulus for encouraging speech.
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Water / Sand tray: give opportunities for the child to request a toy by having some nearer
to you and out of reach of the child. Offer a choice, e.g. ‘spade or bucket?’
Adult Role:
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Be aware of why the child is not yet saying single words. If it is due to lack of motivation/
interest/ need to communicate then it is important to ensure that you do not always speak
for the child but present situations where the child needs to speak/ sign.
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Provide plenty of opportunities for children to explore a variety of objects, watch the child
to find out his focus of interest then and name the object the child is looking at eg: ‘ball!’ or
talk about what the child is doing using single words eg: ‘bounce!’
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Seek out opportunities to encourage the child to speak by giving two options. Eg. During
snack ask child if they would like milk or juice. At first accept any sound that the child
makes as a response in conjunction with pointing to the object.
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Use signing, such as Makaton, to support expression.
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Speaking and deciding what to say can be very tiring – don’t expect the child to speak
every time at first, especially with new vocabulary.
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Accept all attempts at speech and model back the correct word.
Look, Listen and Note:
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The words the child is using and in which situations they are used
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How the child begins to play with language
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Early Interventions
Speech, Language and Communication
Support Materials
Area of concern:
Talking - Expressive Language: 8 - 20 months
This will help the child to:
Frequently imitates words and sounds
Activities:
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Give the child interesting objects to explore (eg: treasure baskerts) and name the object that the
child holds.
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Use the same, short phases during routines. E.g. During nappy time – ‘let’s change your nappy’,
‘down we go’ or at snack time - ‘mmm….nice drink’, or home time - ‘bye-bye Vicky’.
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Use a colourful feely bag of familiar objects, e.g. cup, ball, teddy, shoe, car. Encourage the child to
put his hand into the bag, feel and take out an object. As he takes out each object, say and repeat
the single word for the child, e.g. ‘ball … ball’. When you are confident that the child is familiar
with the objects and the words you have introduced, encourage him to feel and take out an object
and wait to give him the opportunity to say the word. If he is not ready to use the word then name
it yourself.
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Use a simple inset puzzle with the child. Place the pieces into a bag. Pull out one piece at a time
to complete the puzzle. As you pick up each piece, say and repeat the single word for the child,
e.g. ‘car … car’. When you are confident that the child is familiar with the activity and the words
you have introduced let the child pull out the pieces and wait for him to say the word.
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In pretend play talk about the actions that the toys are doing, e.g. ‘eating’, ‘sleeping’ and ‘jumping’.
Use single words and repeat what you say. As the child becomes more familiar with the words,
encourage him to say the word by completing your sentence as you say ‘Look! Teddy’s ……….’
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Action songs and finger rhymes – sing slowly at first so the child can join in. Make up simple songs
for routine activities that children can join in with. E.g. ‘This is the way we wash our hands, wash
our hands, wash our hands.’
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Toy telephones: have a pair of telephones and have a ‘conversation’ with the child.
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Books - share books with the child and add sound effects and use silly voices that the child can
enjoy and imitate. E.g. Woof, brmm, bang, etc.
Adult Role:
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Allow the child opportunities to explore objects then follow their interest.
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Get on the floor, and play face to face.
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Point at and name familiar things.
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When the child attempts to use a sound or word, repeat it back to show the child you have heard.
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Say what you’re doing, in simple phrases - “Rolling the ball to Julie”, “Rolling the ball to Sam.”
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Use gesture when you name things, like food and drinks.
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Encourage Parents/Carers to talk with the child in everyday routines such as washing, dressing
and eating so that the child begins to understand what the objects are and how they are used.
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Give the child plenty of time to think and respond.
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Reduce the pressure on the child by reducing the number of questions you ask, e.g. instead of
asking ‘what’s this?’, wait, then model the word, e.g. ‘ball!’
Look, Listen and Note:
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The objects/activities the child is interested in
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The words and sounds the child begins to imitate
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Early Interventions
Speech, Language and Communication
Support Materials
Area of concern:
Talking - Expressive Language: 8 - 20 months
This will help the child to:
Enjoy babbling and increasingly experiment with using sounds and words to communicate for a
range of purposes
Activities:
• Give the child interesting objects to explore and name the object that the child holds – Link
to treasure baskets
• Use the same, short phases during routines, e.g. During nappy time – ‘let’s change your
nappy’, ‘down we go’, at snack time - ‘mmm….nice drink’, or home time – ‘byebye Vicky’.
• Books – share books with the child and add sound effects and use silly voices that the
child can enjoy and imitate. E.g. ‘Woof’, ‘brmm’, ‘bang’, etc.
• Action songs and finger rhymes – sing slowly at first so the child can join in.
• Toy telephones: have a pair of telephones and have a ‘conversation’ with the child.
• Use the role play area to model actions such as drinking out of a cup, pretending to eat
food, feed a doll or teddy, bathing dolly, taking a doll for a walk etc. Use simple phrases to
talk about what’s happening eg: ‘teddy’s drinking’ ‘dolly’s hair’ etc.
• Make up simple songs for routine activities that children can join in with, e.g. ‘This is the
way we wash our hands, wash our hands, wash our hands.’
Adult Role:
• Repeat back the sounds and words you hear the child say. This will ‘model’ the words and
show the child you are listening.
• Follow the child’s interest
• Keep your language simple; talk to the child using single words or short phrases
containing 2 words.
• Use gesture when you name things, like food and drinks.
• Try to comment instead of asking questions, ie: say what is happening using simple
phrases - “Rolling the ball to Julie”, “Rolling the ball to Sam.”
• Point at and name familiar things.
Look, Listen and Note:
• Listen to the child’s attempts to say words
• Note what the child is doing in order to help to interpret what is being said
• The sounds the child enjoys making and listening to
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