Fall into Language!
Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash
Fall has arrived, and it is the perfect time to pull out a cozy sweater and pack up the kids for that traditional, fun-filled trip to the orchards! I especially love the autumn because along with it comes so many rich speech and language activities that my clients absolutely adore. Here are a few of their (and my) favorites… these are great for building speech and language skills and easy for parents to naturally incorporate into the day!
SEQUENCING! The pack up is a great activity! Discuss what is needed for the trip, you can verbally sequence and make a list of the items to be packed. For example, “First we need a big bag, next, the picnic blanket, then the cooler, etc.” At the orchard, you can outline the schedule of the day’s events. I.e., “First we will visit the pumpkin patch, then we will have lunch, and then pick apples.” Then see if your child can repeat it back to you! This will help strengthen your child’s sequencing and recall skills.
WORDS! While at the orchard, identify as many words as you can for your kids! Here are just a few examples: orchard, patch, scarecrow, wheelbarrow, hay, corn stalks, apples, pies, harvest, etc. Use opportunities throughout the day to explain/question object-function… this is a great way to monitor comprehension and increase semantic skills.
CATEGORIZING! Apple picking is a great time for sorting! Use various bags to categorize them by color and size or maybe for cooking/ snacking. It’s also the perfect time for talking about the five senses to describe the apples; what do they look like, how do they smell, taste, feel, sound when you take a bite?
OBJECT-FUNCTION! Show and tell about the different parts and functions of the apple! Show your child the skin, flesh, seeds, core, stem, leaf. Then have your child teach you, and name the different parts of the apple.
FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS! Once home, invite your child to cook something delicious with the apples. Bake an apple pie or incorporate the apples into one of your favorite recipes. This is a great way to increase your child’s ability to follow auditory directions and expand vocabulary (with words like: ingredients, mixer, combine, measuring cup, etc.) and sequencing skills.
READ! Top off a memorable family day to the orchards with a bed-time story! “Ten Apples Up On Top!” by Theo. LeSieg (Dr. Seuss) is always a big hit with the kids. Children can practice counting, rhyming (this increases phonological awareness), making predictions, and answering “wh” questions.
Enjoy the day with your kids, and remember that a trip the orchards can be fruitful in more ways than one!