Blog
Supporting Your Child’s Speech and Language Goals at Home
What is carryover?
It is supporting what is worked on in speech therapy at home. Most of the progress that your child is going to make is going to be right in your own home. Whether it is with late talkers, kids with speech sound errors or those with language goals, there is only so much that can happen in the therapy session itself. Having them practice what they work on in speech in their most natural environment with the people that they spend the most time with will make a world of a difference! What are some things that you can do at home?
If your child is old enough, have a conversation with them about how important it is to practice at home. They might not think of speech homework to be as important as the homework from school, but let them know how much faster they will progress if they take the time to practice!
For young children who may be considered late talkers, expose them to as much language as possible! Talk to them all the time, narrate everything that you are doing. If you are going grocery shopping, say everything out loud. They can never be exposed to too much speech and language! You can also use the same language that you see their speech therapist using. This can help them bridge the connection between what is expected of them in the session with their life at home with their parents.
For kids who have language goals, for example answering wh questions, or working on prepositions, the best thing that you can do is work it into their every day lives. In speech therapy, most of the time it will be drill based. Working on it at home more naturally will help them carryover what is broken down for them to learn in the therapy session to their every day life. Ask wh questions throughout the day to help them make the connection that it isn’t only for their speech therapy session but can and should be used outside of speech too. If you see an opportunity to incorporate their language goals, take it!
When working with your kids on their speech sound goals, use the strategies they do in speech. If they use a certain visual to help in the session, try and use that same visual. If there is a specific way they get them to produce their sound (i.e. bite, smile, and make sure the air is going through the front teeth for an s sound), use the same wording and model it! This will help them practice at home and come back to their session even stronger.
There are lots of learning opportunities throughout your child’s every day life!
