Every child benefits from an enriched language environment such as a child care center, and this type of child-centered setting can be a great opportunity for children with speech or language impairments. Enrichment does not have to be a formal "therapeutic" activity. In fact, many therapists believe that young children with language learning difficulties can gain new competency through natural, meaningful interactions with other children and adults. As a child care provider, because you are with a child on a regular basis, you can be an important part of a child's speech and language development. You can even become part of a child's treatment plan by following the instructions of the child's speech therapist.
So, first let's look at some of the vocabulary words you may encounter when working with children with speech or language impairments.
Receptive language is a child's understanding of the information the child receives -- through spoke, signed (if the child is deaf) or written communication. An example of receptive language is when, after being asked "Where's the kitty?" a young child looks around and points to the family's cat.
Expressive language is a child's ability, through words, sign language, gestures, or by written word, to communicate with other people.
Speech is the most common way of expression -- a child's questions, information, feelings are communicated through speech. Delays in this area may be due to physical or cognitive (mental) disabilities.
Speech-language therapist is a trained person who works with a child to improve speech and language skills. Sometimes speech therapists work to improve other oral (mouth) problems such as eating or drinking difficulties.
Speech disorder is any condition that affects a child's ability to speak. Articulation (mispronunciation) problems and stuttering are examples of speech disorders.
In a center-based program, you have many opportunities to incorporate language-rich activities into your everyday schedule. You can start right at arrival time, by LISTENING, EXPANDING, and MODELING what the children say. Don't make corrections directly, but do incorporate the correction into your response.
For example:
Teacher: Good morning Shawna. I see you brought your doll today. Do you want to take her coat off?
Shawna: Me do. Coat dirty.
Teacher: I know you can take her coat off. Her coat is dirty, isn't it? We can brush the dirt off.
Shawna: Wed shoes. (Pointing to her new shoes.)
Teacher: I like those new red shoes. They're shiny.
(taken from "Early Childhood Curricula for Children with Special Needs.")
Here are some other suggestions about enriching speech and language:
LANGUAGE AND PLAY ACTIVITIES
Some play activities lend themselves to enhanced language interactions. Games, dramatic play, block play, songs and stories -- can all be focal points -- with the adult being the catalyst for productive communication.
LANGUAGE AND SELF-CARE ACTIVITIES
Research has shown that in daycare centers, conversation can be highest during washing up, brushing teeth, and toileting. In part, this is because children and adults have to wait their turn. So, without any special effort, this is a perfect opportunity to enrich language. Tell stories, make up rhyming words, sing the alphabet song while you wait, count fingers, toes, number of children... etc.
LANGUAGE AND EATING ACTIVITIES
Meal and snack time is another opportunity that is an enrichment "natural". So much conversation can happen around an eating activity. Sitting around a table with other children as an adult peels an orange or cuts an apple, or divides up portions, can be a powerful language stimulus. Conversation about sizes, shapes, colors, favorite foods -- any number of things are natural topics of conversation.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
Reading books, acting out stories that are familiar, making rhymes, singing songs, having children make up stories and "write" books -- these are not new activities, but certainly are ones that promote language and speech.
USING SILENCE
Because you want to give a child lots of opportunity to use language, silence may be part of your communication strategy. For example, Billy wants his coat buttoned and silently stands looking at his teacher who kneels down, smiles, makes eye contact, but waits a few moments before saying "Billy, what do you need?" The teacher does not anticipate Billy's need, even though she knows that Billy wants help with his coat. When Billy doesn't answer, the teacher says, "Billy, do you want help with your coat?" Billy nods. The teacher prompts "Tell me 'coat'." Billy says a word approximating "coat", and the teacher says, "Yes, coat. Here, let me help you with the buttons.."
It is very important to be positive rather than negative in the ways you encourage language. Telling a child "No, that's wrong." does not encourage a child to try again. Don't criticize, don't reprimand, don't drill, or lecture. Instead, make a child want to communicate because the interaction is rewarding.
Cook, Ruth E.; Annette Tessier; Virginia Armbruster. Adapting early childhood curricula for children with special needs. 2nd edition. Merrill Publishing Company, 1987.
Schwartz, Sue; Joan Heller Miller. The new language of toys: teaching communication skills to children with special needs. Woodbine House, 1996.
Allen, K. Eileen. The exceptional child: mainstreaming in early childhood education, 2nd edition. Delmar Publishers, 1992.
Note by Editor: Ms. Greenstein has developed a series of worksheets that parents/providers can use to aid in their interactions with special needs children. There worksheets will be made available through the National Network for Children at their web site: http://www. Exnet.iastate.edu/Pages/families/nncc