Creating Stories Using Sensory and Objects

Hello,
I wanted to share a post with you that I thought you would enjoy! This is one of my favorite things to write about.

Movement Songs and Language Development

Today, I wanted to talk to you about “Movement Songs” things like Head Shoulders Knees and Toes or Shake your Sillies out. These songs are often a toddler or preschoolers favorite songs. They are also great for encouraging gross motor activity and body awareness. Making the connection, between your hands as a body part and the label for that body part, helps to build vocabulary and speech. Songs like this also enforces listening skills by forcing the child to listen to what the song is telling them to do. For, instance touching your head or your knees or your toes. If the child doesn’t’ listen carefully or move fast enough they are bound to touch the wrong body part.  Another fun song for this is “Simon Says”. I use these songs on a daily basis in my class and its fun to watch the children’s listening skill and coordination improve over time. Another fun thing you can do in a group is using a parachute. This activity uses full body movement. You can add balls to the parachute and move different ways to keep the balls IN the parachute. Young children truly enjoy this activity and its personally one of my favorites.

Advice One ( Increase communication and verbal skills.)

 Books with Repeated words or sentences like  Brown Bear are great for this because they tell them selves. A Child can look at the pictures themselves and tell what the words are supposed to be as long as they can recall the name of the animal and the name of the color. Another story that I love to use for this is “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”.  This story works to show children order of a story at the same time that it teaches numbers using the amount of food eaten on a given day of the week.

             Advice Two ( building communication skills with sensory activities. )

create a what is it box. Use several objects into a box or bag, and let your child put their hand in the bag and give them clues about he object. Let them take guesses as to what might be in container. This helps build vocabulary and critical thinking skills. Activities like this cause the child to connect the clues to actual objects .

 

Advice Three (Stories From Pictures)

Get pictures from magazines or books that show people doing different tasks. Show the child or children the pictures and ask them what they think is going on in the picture. As the child or children tell you their ideas, write them on a board and string them together to make a story. These stories usually end up fun and sometimes silly sounding. This will engage the children in the activity, remember that the point is to build vocabulary, communication and critical thinking.

 

What is your biggest struggle this month? I hope you enjoyed reading this? I hope this information gives you come creative ideas on how to help your child build communication skills. I would love to hear about the things you are struggling with personally with your child. I will do my best to answer you concerns on my blog thecreativecampus.blogspot.com  and possibly in future newsletters.

 

Have A Wonderful Month!

Theresa at The Creative Campus Preschool