September, 2005

Speech and Language Tip of the Month…

"Let's Go!"

 Children are always on the move, so transportation is a great, motivating category to implement into language-learning. Vehicles are a great tool to use with children, and can be used many different ways. Some suggested vehicles are: car, truck, airplane, bus, train, boat, motorcycle, van, helicopter, bicycle, tractor and wagon. You can address this topic through manipulative/figurines, books, puzzles, games, videos or in our every-day environment. Here are some tips for increasing language skills with transportation:

• Labeling - Label vehicles while reading books, using flashcards, doing puzzles, driving down the road or walking around your neighborhood.

• Describing - Talk about the vehicle's description by color, size (big/little), feel (hot/cold, smooth/rough), age (old/new).

• Whole-Part Relationships - Point out the different parts of the vehicle and talk about their functions.

• Categorizing - You can categorize vehicles by where they go (land, sea, air, track), their type (car, truck, plane, boat) or by color.

• Concepts - stop/go, fast/slow, open/close, on/off

Some suggested songs, books and games for transportation are:

• The Wheels on The Bus
  Children perform actions and sounds suggested by the words
  The wheels on the bus go round and round,
  Round and round, round and round
  The wheels on the bus go round and round
  All through the town.
  
  The driver on the bus says Move On Back! Move On back! Move On Back!
  The driver on the bus says Move On Back!
  All through the town.
  
  The people on the bus go up and down, up and down, up and down.
  The people on the bus go up and down all through the town.
  
  Substitute these also:
  The horn on the bus goes beep beep beep.
  The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish.
  The doors on the bus go open and shut.
  The driver on the bus says, "Move on back"...
  The baby on the bus goes, "Wa-Wa-Wa"...
  
  Use a child's name as in "Mark on the bus say Let Me Off!" etc.
   

• Row, Row, Row Your Boat
  Row, row, row your boat,
  gently down the stream,
  Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
  Life is but a dream.
   

• Books - "The Wheels on the Bus", "Cars, Trains, Planes, and Trucks" (Fisher-Price Little People Flip & Learn) (Board book) by Nancy Rindone, "Thomas the Tank Engine's Big Lift-And-look Book" (Board book)
  by Owain Bell, "Cars and Trucks and Things That Go" by Richard Scarry
   

• Games/Puzzles - Go Fish by Fisher Price, Vehicle Sound Blocks by Melissa & Doug, Create-A-Scene Magnetic Playset: Construction Site by Smethport Specialty Co. , Fire Truck Puzzle by Melissa & Doug , Construction Floor Puzzle by Melissa & Doug, Transportation 9-piece Peg Puzzle by Melissa & Doug

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