Want some more tricks to add to your speech bag? Then look no farther than your–and your child’s–imagination. Having a healthy sense of imagination actually increases vocabulary. Want to know what else it does?
- Helps kids take control–they can practice skills, be anything they like (astronaut, doctor, or as my daughter said recently, “A therapy girl”)
- Helps kids learn social skills and social rules like sharing, resolving conflicts, and taking turns
- Helps kids learn to problem-solve…as they get older they will take these skills to school and become better at negotiation and dealing with difficult situations because they have already “acted them out.”
What’s a Parent to do:
- Read books–>find differnt types of stories to introduce your kids to. Look for new titles at the library.
- Share stories–>about your day, your childhood, whatever
- Relish their artwork–>Hang it, frame it, whatever you have to do to let you know you think it’s a big deal. A great book for teaching kids the value, uniqueness, and process of art is “Willow”
Willow (Picture Books) by Denise Brennan-Nelson
- Encourage pretend play and provide props–>real-life ones are best, so save those empty food containers and medicine bottles
- Accept their imaginary friends–>they are actually good, developing creavitity, emotional competence, and fostering intelligence
- Decrease computer time and TV time
- Try not to worry too much about messes (I know, this is totally hard for me!)
- Enjoy the off-beat–>so what if your kid’s a bit kooky at times? Just make sure he knows what’s “home behavior” and “out-and-about” behavior
Just remember to have fun!! Let us know what you do to stoke the fire at home.
Leslie A. Lindsay 
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