Increase your child’s language skills at bedtime!

Bedtime stories are a great way to build your child’s language and communication skills. Bedtime stories help build your child’s imagination, help them learn new vocabulary words, help set a routine and create a stronger relationship with your child! Here are some ways to boost your child’s speech and skills through bedtime stories:

1. Let your child read the story in their own words- Give your child the book and let them flip through the pages. Encourage them to use the pictures to tell the story in their own words. This helps stimulate your child’s imagination!

2. Expand on your child’s language- While your child is looking and commenting on the pictures, expand on their utterances by adding descriptive words to help them learn new vocabulary words. For example, if your child says “I see a train!” You can expand on their language by saying, “I see the big blue train driving on the tracks!”

3. Ask your child questions about the story- As you flip each page, ask your child a question about the pictures or what you just read to them. You can ask them a variety of questions (what is the character doing, where is the character going, how does the character feel, etc). Let them ask you questions as well to stimulate new conversations.

4. Create a reading habit- By incorporating bedtime stories into your child’s nightly routine you can improve their attention span. When a child is engaged in a book, they are more likely to stay focused and attend to the story. Your child will get into the routine of reading every night and this will help strengthen their attention skills!
5. Increase their exposure to different experiences- Many children learn about new experiences through reading about them. For example, if your child has never been exposed to the zoo, they might not know what it is. Reading about the zoo will help them learn that it is a place where many animals are kept. They can learn about the different kinds of animals you see at the zoo, the sounds they make and the people who take care of them. This is a great way to introduce your child to new experiences and places that they might not have a chance to learn about.