How to Build Vocabulary in Children through Verbal Routines
Verbal Routines are a great way to build vocabulary in children. When your child begins to enter the stage where they are forming words, it’s important to help teach them by narrating about what’s going on in the world around them.
Verbal routines are practiced, repetitive phrases used throughout the day or during certain activities. For example, you may have a song you sing to your child during bath time or a nursery rhyme before bed. A verbal routine can be practically anything you repeatedly say to your child during an activity with the hopes of them eventually learning and imitating that phrase and associating it to that activity.
Verbal Routines for Children with Developmental Delays
Not all children pick up on language naturally, and some children with language impairment or developmental delays require different strategies to increase their language. In these cases, verbal routines are especially effective.
Verbal routines can be added to the child’s favorite books, games, or even imaginary play. When the child is in a familiar environment and has some expectation of what is going to happen in the book you’re reading, for example, they are more likely to participate verbally. 2
Some children may get overwhelmed or overstimulated, which would make them are less likely to be open to absorbing information. A verbal routine is cutting out all those extra distractions, allowing them to focus on absorbing language.
Examples of Verbal Routines
Verbal routines can be anything you consistently say to your child.
Some examples:
· Before reading a book say, “it’s reading time!”
· When your child is putting on shoes say, “it’s time to put our shoes on so our feet don’t get dirty!”
· When you tuck your child in to bed say, “I love you , sleep well,” or “good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite!”
You can even make up songs to help motivate your child to participate!
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1. Yoder, Paul J. et al., “Effect of Verbal Routine Contexts and Expansions on Gains in the Mean Length of Utterance in Children With Developmental Delays,” Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 26, no. 1 (1995): 22, https://doi.org/10.1044/0161-1461.2601.21.