Language and communication
Explore related activities, guides and research. Use an age collection when you want a starting point for your child.
Communication in play includes describing, listening, asking, choosing and telling a story. Children can contribute through speech, gesture, pictures, movement or their usual communication aid. Reading and long spoken answers are not prerequisites for participation.
Give communication a real purpose
A pretend delivery needs a destination. A shared construction needs a plan. A story needs someone to choose what happens next. These situations give players a reason to exchange information instead of answering a string of adult questions.
Leave time for a response. A comment about what is happening can invite participation just as well as a question. Follow the child’s contribution and check its meaning when you are unsure.
Adjust the explanation
Show the action while giving a short instruction. Use familiar words, keep choices visible and offer a demonstration if the rule is unclear. Avoid treating an unfamiliar word or a quiet response as failure at the whole game. Parents can use a language that makes the interaction comfortable.
Describe opportunities honestly
These activities offer occasions to communicate. They are not language assessments, speech therapy or evidence of a guaranteed vocabulary gain.
Read the guided-play guide, then choose Shape Delivery for practical exchanges or Story Changes Direction for shared storytelling.
Background research
Read the study context and limitations. These sources are not tests of our products.
