| Hands-on learning games are a great way of | | | | they leave the house to go on the trip. If you |
| helping your child build his expressive language | | | | plan to travel by car, take a picture of your child |
| skills. Being able to express one's self is a crucial | | | | sitting in the car. You will use all of these pictures |
| skill that affects every aspect of your child's life. | | | | to act as cues to help your child tell a story about |
| Not being able to explain himself, persuade his | | | | his trip. |
| listeners, or simply share a funny event because | | | | Materials: |
| he has an expressive language disorder can | | | | Card stock (to print out the pictures on) |
| seriously impact your child 's self-esteem. | | | | Regular size photo album (to store the pictures in |
| Imagine being unable to explain why you had a | | | | a story format) |
| bad day in class, or why you want to go to a | | | | How to Play: |
| friend's house. Or, what if you wanted to | | | | 1. You're going to make a story of your child's trip |
| convince your sister to let you borrow her bike, | | | | using the pictures you took. First, organize the |
| but you didn't have the words you needed to | | | | pictures in the order in which they occurred. You |
| persuade her? | | | | can separate the pictures according to the |
| You may find your child is easily frustrated, since | | | | different events that took place during the trip. |
| he can't use language effectively. He might | | | | 2. Your child should sit on the floor or at a large |
| resort to hitting, kicking, or even biting when he | | | | table with plenty of space to move the pictures |
| doesn't get his way, because he cannot use | | | | around. Point to a picture of your child, and ask, |
| language to help him solve conflicts with others. | | | | "Who's this?" in a playful manner. |
| The best way to help your child is to give her | | | | 3. Place that picture to your child's left. |
| plenty of opportunities to play with language, in a | | | | 4. Now take an event picture, and place it to the |
| fun, engaging activity that doesn't pressure her to | | | | right of the first picture. You have now created a |
| produce. This hands-on learning game is perfect as | | | | sentence, only with pictures instead of words. |
| it allows your child to strengthen her language in a | | | | 5. Say to your child, "This is – (your child |
| totally naturally way, and even lets her use visuals | | | | should say his name, or "me ," if he is able to.) |
| to help get her point across. | | | | Next point to the event picture, and ask your |
| In order to play this game, you will need to take | | | | child to name it. |
| a trip first with your child to a fun place. During | | | | 6. Lastly, your child should put the two together : |
| the trip, make sure to take separate pictures of | | | | "I rode on the merry-go-round." |
| everyone who goes with you on the trip. You | | | | 7. Underneath the merry-go round picture place |
| should also take pictures of all the main events. | | | | another event picture. Point to the picture of your |
| For example, if you go to an amusement park, | | | | child, prompting him to say, "I rode in |
| take a picture of each ride and game that your | | | | the bumper cars." |
| child plays. | | | | 8. Continue with the rest of the pictures. |
| You should also take pictures of your child as | | | | |