Kids, Screen Time and Recommendations
The Real Scoop on Screen Time for Young Children: How Much is Too Much?
Let’s talk about something that’s become a big part of our daily lives: screen time. Whether it’s a quick YouTube video during breakfast, a tablet app to keep kids entertained on a car ride, or a cozy movie night, screens are everywhere. But how much is too much? Does too much viewing lead to language delays? And how can we make sure screen time is a positive experience for our children’s development?
Quantity Matters: Setting Limits on Screen Time
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry suggests that children under 18 months should only have screen time for video chatting with an adult. For kids aged 2 to 5 years, the recommendation is to limit non-educational screen time to about one hour per weekday and up to three hours on weekend days. These guidelines help ensure that children have enough time for other important activities, like playing, reading, and interacting with others, which are essential for their development.
The American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) collaborated with the Children's Screen Time Action Network at Fairplay to develop the Be TechWise series. These printable handouts—available in English and Spanish—focus on screen guidance for families with babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.
The main concern isn't that watching TV directly leads to language delays. It's that kids benefit the most when they're actively engaging in conversations with others. Problems can arise if screen time replaces those important real-life interactions and activities that support their development. Our best strategy? Let's give our kids plenty of opportunities to talk, explore, ask questions, and have meaningful interactions.
Quality Over Quantity: What Kind of Content is Best?
It’s not just about how much screen time children have—it’s also about what they’re watching. Research shows that fast-paced, highly stimulating shows like CoComelon and Little Baby Bum can negatively impact a child’s development. These types of shows often have rapid scene changes, flashy visuals, and non-stop action, which can overwhelm young brains. This overstimulation might lead to shorter attention spans, difficulty concentrating, and potential issues with speech and language development.
On the flip side, slower-paced, educational shows can have a positive impact. Shows like Bluey (Disney+), Sesame Street (PBS), Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood (PBS), and Mister Clay (YouTube) are excellent options. These programs are designed with young children's developmental needs in mind. They promote learning through storytelling, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence, all while engaging kids in a fun and age-appropriate way.
The Importance of Co-Viewing: Watch Together and Talk About It
One of the best ways to make screen time beneficial is to watch together and engage in conversations about what’s on the screen. This co-viewing experience turns passive screen time into an interactive activity. For example, you can pause a show to ask questions like, “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why is the character feeling sad?” This not only boosts comprehension and critical thinking but also enhances language development. Talking about and/or acting out a show after viewing is a great way to facilitate pretend play and language skills.
But when it comes to learning to talk, the most important takeaway concerns the effects of live conversations between children and adults.
Balancing Screen Time with Real-World Interactions
While screens can be educational and entertaining, they should not replace real-world interactions. Research has shown that children learn language best through direct interaction with adults and peers. Conversations, reading together, playing, and exploring the world around them are crucial for building strong communication skills. If screen time begins to replace these real-world activities, it may hinder a child’s ability to develop essential social and language skills.
Gestalt Language Learners can really benefit from using phrasing from songs or TV shows as their initial communication. When parents watch with their GLP (gestalt language processors), they are more easily able to identify the context of the phrase. One of the cons of lots of screen time for GLPS is that, “If a child only views media as their source of language, they might be inclined to continue amassing hundreds of gestalts from media, and potentially struggle to connect with natural language in their environment.” (Meaningful Speech, May 2024). To learn more about Gestalt Language processors click here)
High-Quality Shows to Consider for young children:
Here are some great shows that balance entertainment with educational value:
Bluey (Disney+): This show features a lovable Australian Blue Heeler puppy named Bluey and her adventures with family and friends. It promotes creativity, problem-solving, and social-emotional learning.
Ms. Rachel (YouTube): Focused on early language development, Ms. Rachel engages children with songs, stories, and interactive activities that encourage speech and communication skills.
Super Simple Songs: (You Tube) These songs have a variety of themes and the animations are, well…. simple. I often slow them down so children can sign along.
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (Disney+): A classic choice for young kids, this show combines problem-solving with fun adventures led by Mickey and his friends.
Sesame Street (PBS): A long-time favorite that mixes fun with valuable lessons on literacy, numeracy, and social skills. It’s perfect for co-viewing and discussing topics like kindness, sharing, and understanding emotions.
Mister Clay (You Tube): Mister Clay is a fellow SLP who incorporates picture symbols into his songs. His songs are repetitive, catchy and teach real life concepts in a really fun and humorous way.
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood (PBS): Based on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, this show helps young children learn about emotions, routines, and life skills in a gentle, relatable way.
Boom Learning: These are digital, educational activities developed by educators that parents and children can use together as a shared activity. I use Boom Cards in speech therapy to target speech and language skills. Take a look at my Boom store for interactive activities such as “Who is Knocking on my Door?” and “Vet Clinc for Preschool Children” which are a HUGE hit with young children!
Making Screen Time Work for You
Remember, screen time isn’t inherently bad—it’s all about how we use it. By being mindful of the quantity and quality of the content, and by actively engaging with our children during screen time, we can turn it into a valuable tool for learning and growth.
Think of screen time as one of many tools in your parenting toolkit. When used thoughtfully and balanced with other activities, it can be a positive part of your child’s development. So, let’s make the most of it! Watch together, talk about what you see, and don’t forget to turn off the screens and enjoy some unplugged playtime, too. Your child’s brain—and future self—will thank you!
Fall October Speech Therapy Activities for Young Children
October is one of my favorite months for speech therapy sessions! The crisp fall air, colorful leaves, big chunky sweaters and the excitement of Halloween make it the perfect time to introduce engaging and seasonal activities that help build speech and language skills.
Over the years, I’ve found some go-to activities that my students look forward to each autumn. Here are a few of my favorites that have helped my students work on speech and language goals while having tons of fall fun!
October is one of my favorite months for speech therapy sessions! The crisp fall air, colorful leaves, big chunky sweaters and the excitement of Halloween make it the perfect time to introduce engaging and seasonal activities that help build speech and language skills.
Over the years, I’ve found some go-to activities that my students look forward to each autumn. Here are a few of my favorites that have helped my students work on speech and language goals while having tons of fall fun!
Fall Speech Therapy Activities That I Love 🍂
1. Pumpkin Play dough Smash Mats
I can’t get through a fall season without these! I like to use themed smash mats (such as pumpkins, apples, or leaves) with playdough. These mats are great for working on target sounds, following directions, and sentence expansion. Students can “smash” a playdough ball when they find a picture or word that matches their sound or language goal. It’s always a hit, and it’s a tactile way to reinforce skills while having fun.
2. Fall-Themed “I Spy” Activities
I love creating and using fall-themed “I Spy” sheets! These are great for working on expressive and receptive vocabulary. Students take turns describing what they see, practicing prepositions like “under the pumpkin” or “next to the witch’s hat,” and making inferences. They also help with visual scanning and attention.
3. Sensory Bins with Fall Elements
Sensory bins filled with dried leaves, acorns, mini pumpkins, and little fall-themed objects provide a hands-on way for students to explore fall vocabulary. I often hide small toys or pictures related to our books, and we “hunt” for them while practicing articulation words or using target phrases like “I found a…” or “It’s hiding under…”
Halloween-Themed Activities 🎃
Halloween is such an exciting time for students, so I love incorporating a bit of Halloween magic into speech therapy sessions. Here are a few activities that have worked wonders in my sessions:
1. Haunted House from a Box
One of my favorite activities is creating a haunted house out of an Amazon box (we all have a spare box handy!). I cut out doors and windows and then use it alongside the book Inside a House that is Haunted. As we read, students place corresponding pictures or objects in different areas of the house, working on spatial concepts like “inside the window,” “through the door,” and “up on the roof.” It’s a fun, hands-on way to reinforce spatial language while tying into a Halloween story!
2. Trick-or-Treating Scenarios
We take our haunted house activity a step further by acting out trick-or-treating scenarios! Students take turns sticking their heads inside the box and “knocking” on the door. We practice social language skills by saying, “Trick or Treat,” “Happy Halloween,” and “Thank you.” This simple but effective role-playing game helps students with greetings, requests, and polite language in a context they love.
3. Digital Halloween Activities
For no prep digital activities “Who is Knocking on My Door” is a fun activity to target answering and asking “who” questions while also working on Fall vocabulary. A way to target the following sounds: B, P, T, D, K, G, F, V, S, Z, L, R , TH, DG, CH, SH is with the Pumpkin Articulation Match game for your computer or tablet! Kids LOVE competing with this fall match activity!
4. Spiders and Monsters for Non-Halloween Themes
If Halloween isn’t your cup of tea, don’t worry! I often turn to spider and monster themes, which are just as fun. My students love making “spider eggs” by wrapping small plastic spiders in playdough and hiding them inside. Then we take turns unwrapping the “eggs” to see who can find the spider. This activity is perfect for targeting core words like “in,” “out,” “look,” and “see” as well as phrases such as, “Find it,” “Not there,” and “It’s scary.” For those working on speech sound targets, we sneak in some /sp/ blends with words like spider, spy, and spooky.
5. Monster Blobs with Playdough
For a fun fine motor and language activity, we make “Monster Blobs” by pushing googly eyes into playdough. This activity strengthens pointing skills and can be adapted to work on speech sounds. Students practice producing correct sounds before they get to push an eye into the monster, which adds a playful and tactile twist to articulation practice.
Wrapping Up October with Fun and Learning
With the right mix of fall-themed books and interactive activities, October can be a time of both learning and fun in speech therapy sessions. My goal is always to keep students engaged and motivated, and bringing in seasonal elements helps make each session feel new and exciting.
Favorite Fall-Themed Books 🍁
The Leaf Thief: This fun and engaging story is about a squirrel who’s convinced one of his leaves has gone missing. With help from his friend Bird, they set off to solve the mystery of the missing leaf. The playful language and vibrant illustrations keep my students engaged, making it perfect for working on problem-solving, sequencing, and expressive language. I love to have my students guess who might be the leaf thief, and it always leads to fun discussions.
We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt: If you’re familiar with We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, this fall-themed version is a wonderful choice for early learners. It’s about three friends who venture through the forest, collecting leaves and encountering fun obstacles along the way. The rhyming text and repetitive patterns are perfect for targeting early language skills, and my students love chiming in with the sound effects. We often go on our own “leaf hunts” around the classroom or outside, finding different shapes and colors of leaves, which opens up opportunities to expand vocabulary and descriptive language.
Leaves, Leaves Falling from a Tree: This interactive book is such a gem because it lets students get involved in the story. I use printable leaves that students can move around during the story to “catch” or “fall” as we read. It’s ideal for following directions, matching, and describing what happens to the leaves as they fall from the tree. This story is also available as a no-prep digital version, which I sometimes use for teletherapy or for a change of pace. The interactive elements make it easy to turn the story into a game—students love pretending to catch falling leaves or finding leaves that match certain descriptions.
(affiliate links included. I earn a small amount of money from Amazon links and only recommend books and activities that I use personally)
Understanding Communication Milestones: A Guide to Speech and Language Development for Young Children
When it comes to young children's communication milestones, understanding typical speech and language development is key. As parents, caregivers, or educators, it's essential to know what to expect as children grow and develop. Monitoring these milestones can help you recognize if your child is on track or might benefit from the support of a speech-language pathologist or audiologist.
“NOT ALL CHILDREN MASTER SKILLS AT THE SAME AGE”
When it comes to young children's communication milestones, understanding typical speech and language development is key. As parents, caregivers, or educators, it's essential to know what to expect as children grow and develop. Monitoring these milestones can help you recognize if your child is on track or might benefit from the support of a speech-language pathologist or audiologist.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) provides valuable developmental milestones handouts that outline what most children achieve at specific ages. These handouts cover both communication and feeding/swallowing skills, giving a comprehensive view of a child's development. However, it's important to remember that these milestones are general guidelines. Not all children will master these skills at the exact same age, and that’s perfectly normal! The goal is to observe continuous progress in speech and language skills over time.
Key Points to Remember:
General Guidelines, Not Strict Rules: Milestones are not a diagnostic tool. They're a helpful reference to guide you in understanding typical development. Each child is unique, and variations are common.
Look for Continuous Development: Rather than focusing solely on specific ages, consider the broader range of development that may happen before and after the expected age. This holistic approach allows you to see a clearer picture of your child's progress.
Know When to Seek Guidance: If you're ever concerned about your child's communication or feeding skills, don't hesitate to reach out to a professional. Early intervention can make a significant difference in helping children reach their full potential.
“GET TEXTS ABOUT MILESTONES, SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES AND WARNING SIGNS OF A SPEECH OR LANGUAGE DELAY”
Resources for Parents and Caregivers:
ASHA has partnered with Bright by Text to provide free, expert-backed resources and tips directly to parents and caregivers of children ages 2-6. By subscribing, you'll receive text messages with practical activities and advice tailored to your child’s age. Content is sourced from trusted organizations like PBS and Sesame Street, covering topics from language and early literacy to health, safety, and behavioral tips. You can get texts about speech and language milestones, suggested activities and warning signs of a speech or language disorder or delay. Text TALK to 274-448
For more detailed information on communication milestones and to access ASHA's developmental handouts, visit ASHA's developmental milestones page. These resources are designed to empower you with the knowledge you need to support your child’s speech and language development effectively.
How much of my child’s speech should I be able to understand? Click here for guidelines.
Remember, every child’s journey is different. Celebrate the progress your child makes, and don't hesitate to seek support if you have concerns. Together, we can ensure our children grow into strong communicators, ready to engage with the world around them.
Creative Speech Therapy Ideas: Using Stickers for Articulation, Apraxia and Language Goals
Discover creative speech and language therapy ideas using stickers! This blog post explores how to use stickers to target apraxia, enhance articulation trials, and create engaging sticker scenes. Perfect for achieving various goals in speech sessions, this low-prep, high-impact tool is a favorite among kids and therapists alike.
I want to shine a spotlight on an often underrated but inexpensive versatile resource for targeting goals in our speech therapy sessions. They are lightweight, require minimal prep, and the kids absolutely LOVE them! Yes, I’m talking about……
What is it about sticky pieces of paper that is so intriguing?
Recently, I’ve been using a Paw Patrol Puffy Sticker Book that I found at Marshalls (they also had a construction vehicle one!). It’s become a favorite among my kids, and I just had to share all the ways we can use stickers to target both speech and language goals.
Use stickers for……
Speech Sound Practice
Working with kids with Childhood Apraxia of Speech. When adding stickers to a page or background scenes model “power phrases” like “put on”, “take off” and “my turn” and use self advocacy phrases like “help me” and “it’s stuck”.
Sticker Charts: Create a chart with different articulation targets. Each time a child successfully practices a target sound, they get to place a sticker on the chart. This visual reinforcement can be very motivating (ok, so this one is overused and underwhelming, but I had to add it!)
Sticker Stories: Have the children create a story using stickers. Each sticker represents a word or sound they are working on. They can narrate their story, practicing their target sounds as they go.
Language Development
Sticker Sequences: Use stickers to create sequences or patterns. Have the child describe the sequence, focusing on using words like "first," "next," and "last."
Sticker Descriptions: Give each child a set of stickers and have them describe what they see. This can help with vocabulary building and descriptive language.
Sticker Scenes: Provide background scenes and let children create their own stories using stickers. Have them narrate their story, focusing on sentence structure and vocabulary.
STICKER SCENES
Add sticky magnets from a magnet tape roll to stickers to create magnetic stickers!
Social Skills
Sticker Conversations: Use stickers to prompt conversations. For example, place a sticker of a happy face and ask, "What makes you happy?" or use a sticker of a group of friends and discuss friendship and social scenarios.
Emotion Stickers: Use stickers depicting different emotions and discuss each one. This can help children identify and express their feelings.
Following Directions
Sticker Maps: Create a simple map or scene on paper and use stickers to give directions. For example, "Place the dog sticker next to the tree" or "Put the car sticker on the road."
Examples with Paw Patrol Puffy Sticker Book
To give you some concrete examples, here’s how I’ve been using the Paw Patrol Puffy Sticker Book in my sessions:
Prepositions: Receptive and expressive use. "Put Chase under the tree," "Where is Chickaletta?"
Expanding Utterance Length: Targeting 2+ word phrases. "Go Ryder," "Marshall wants a ride," "Bye ___." I model and repeat these phrases throughout the session.
Working with children with Apraxia: Power phrases like “put on”, “take off” and “my turn”. Self-advocacy phrases like “help me” and “it’s stuck”.
Gestalt Language Processors: Mixing and matching phrases. For example, if a child uses "Rubble on the double" and "I'm fired up," I model a combination like "Rubble is fired up."
Production of 2+ Syllable Words: We worked on "Mayor Humdinger" - a motivating 3-syllable word!
Verb Tense: Using background scenes with minis, we practiced past tense: "The car jumped over the sign," "He drove away."
Negatives: Using stickers on background scenes. "I don’t want it there," "Not in," "Not on my nose!"
PAINT STICKS WITH PACKING TAPE
Use paint sticks or tongue depressors and cover them with packing tape for repeated articulation trials.
Low Prep, Low Expense Ideas
Here are some additional low-prep, low-expense ideas to get plenty of repetitions with stickers:
Paint Sticks or Wooden Tongue Depressors: Add stickers for each target the child gets correct. I add packing tape to my paint sticks so kids can put on and take off stickers over and over for multiple trials!
Body Parts: Stick stickers on different body parts on you and the kids following each production, then have the kids take them off again while practicing their target sounds, words, or sentences.
Matching Games: Add matching stickers onto milk or juice lids, or cardboard circles or squares and play a matching game with them.
Stickers are a fantastic tool for making speech therapy sessions fun and engaging. I hope you find these ideas as helpful and enjoyable as I do. Happy sticking!
Treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a speech disorder that affects a child's ability to plan and execute the precise movements required for clear speech. Treatment differs from other speech sound disorders in that the focus must be on the motor speech movement and not on individual sounds. Treatment should be multi-sensory and targets should be selected based on the child’s interests and needs.
About 15 years ago, I got my first case of Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) that was diagnosed by a developmental pediatrician as “verbal dyspraxia”. From that moment, I did some big digging into what CAS really is. Since then, I have had many children that I have worked with with CAS (most whom I diagnosed) and although complex, I really love working with kids with CAS because of the difference I can make! Kids with CAS are close to my heart and I want you to feel as comfortable as I do know with techniques for treatment. Understanding it better can help us make a significant impact on the lives of our young clients.
I recently took a refresher course by Alonna Bondar that I would highly recommend if you need more information on CAS, choosing targets and applying treatment techniques. There are also some videos on YouTube by Edyth Strand that provide some really practical therapy and treatment information!
1) What is Childhood Apraxia of Speech?
CAS is a speech disorder that affects a child's ability to plan and execute the precise movements required for clear speech. It's like the brain and mouth are not on the same page when it comes to talking. Unlike other speech sound disorders, CAS isn't caused by muscle weakness or muscle coordination problems but rather by neurological issues that disrupt the planning process.
2) How CAS Differs from Other Speech Sound Disorders
Unlike phonological disorders or articulation disorders, CAS is not about substituting one sound for another. It's about the brain struggling to coordinate all the movements required to produce the planning of speech sounds and combinations of sounds. CAS can sometimes be mistaken for other speech sound disorders like phonological disorders or articulation disorders. The key difference lies in the motor planning aspect. In CAS, the child knows what they want to say, but their brain has trouble coordinating the precise movements necessary for speech. This makes CAS unique and requires a different approach in therapy (see the earlier Blog Post: Principles of Motor Learning in CAS).
3) Early Signs of Apraxia of Speech
Limited babbling before 12 months
5 or less consonants between 17-24 months
Limited vocalizations
Simple syllable shapes (vowel or consonant-vowel only)
Late or difficult development of first words
Words that appear then disappear
(Bondar 2023, Bjorem Speech Informal Motor Speech Assessment 2020, Davis and Velleman 2000)
4)What characteristics distinguish Childhood apraxia of speech from other speech sound disorders?
Awkward transition from one sound and/or one syllable to another
Groping behavior while attempting word or sound production
Vowel Distortions
Errors with prosody (stress, loudness, intonation, pitch and rhythm
Inconsistent voicing errors
Inconsistency of word or phrase production over repeated trials
Struggling with longer and more complex words
Inconsistent errors when trying to repeat words
(ASHA 2007, Strand 2020, Bondar 2023)
5) How do we know a child is ready for CAS Treatment?
Does the child have an internet to communicate? Are they using some type of communication to make wants and needs known (i.e. pointing, grunting, pulling the hand of a caregiver)
Is the child able to focus on an activity (i.e focus on a favorite toy).
Can the child imitate motor movements (i.e opening their mouth, pursing their lips)
Is the child able to request items with gestures like pointing or reaching?
Will the child look at an object near your face?
6) Techniques for Children with CAS
Let’s get to the fun part! Treatment! When working with kids who have CAS, we've got to be creative and choose the approach and feedback that best fits the individual child. Whatever treatment approach is used the key is working on MOTOR MOVEMENT. Multisensory approaches work well for children with CAS. Here are a few techniques that have worked for me (and many others based on the research!) this is not ALL of the treatment procedures, I am highlighting some that proven to be successful for my students:
DTTC (Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing):
This is a dynamic approach that combines touch and sound cues. It helps kids improve speech motor planning by guiding them through the correct movements.
With DTTC, there is a specific hierarchy and cueing methodology to facilitate the acquisition and generalization of movement accuracy for speech. It is structured to slowly lengthen the amount of time between the clinician’s production of a motor movement and the child’s production of the word or motor movement. Initially the child says the word at the same time with the clinician, then the child voices the word while the clinician only produces the mouth shapes of the word and later is cued to say the word with no cues.
DTTC is designed for children with more severe CAS and is not intended for long-term use.
For more detailed information regarding the DTTC hierarchy please see the references below
(https://www.bjoremspeech.com/collections/free-resources/products/dttc-hierarchy-flow-chart-for-apraxia-therapy, American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, Strand, Edyth, Vol. 29, 30–48 • February 2020, Apraxia Course, Bondar, Alonna 2023)
Speech Sound Cue Cards:
Visual aids can be a game-changer! Using cue cards with pictures and written prompts can help children understand and produce specific sounds. You can find the speech sound cue cards that I developed for my students with CAS that provide visual (pictorial and hand cues), and auditory cues to aid in motor movement.
Using cue cards with pictures and written prompts can help children understand and produce specific sounds. Using a finger or pointer or marker on a wipe board to move from one sound cue card to another showing the child movement while elongating the sound (if possible) works well for a visual representation.
Promote Functional Communication:
Encourage children to communicate using signs, gestures, or alternative communication methods while working on speech goals. This helps reduce frustration and builds their communication skills.
7) Appropriate Target Selection
Choosing the right targets is key for the child to feel successful in the therapy program. Initially, if a child has very little verbal productions, begin with sounds and sound effects such as animal sounds (“baa, moo, neigh"), sounds like a car sound or “beep” and “uhoh” or” eeekk”. These sounds are fun to produce and promote the child’s engagement. It is important to reinforce the child’s attempts at vocalizations and imitate their vocalizations and assign some meaning to them.
Start with functional verbal words that are relevant to the child's daily life and communication needs if the child is at this level. As progress is made, gradually work your way towards more complex sounds and words. Words like “on, up, pop, bye, ma, poo” are great powerful words for kids to start with, but what is meaningful to the child is the best way to choose the targets. Use words that are meaningful to that child such as favorite toys, family names, friends names and favorite foods.
Using games that have lots of pieces to them can provide many trials and motivation for CV, VC and CVC words like “out, in, up, pop, push, my, me and see”.(Games like Pop-up Pirate, Banana Blast and Jumpin’Jack are great for this!).
Remember, progress may be slow, and that's okay. Every small victory is a step in the right direction. Celebrate those wins, no matter how tiny they may seem! CAS is a unique and challenging speech disorder that requires a specialized approach. By understanding the nature of CAS, spotting it early, and using appropriate techniques, we can make a world of difference in the lives of our young clients.
For more information: (https://www.bjoremspeech.com/collections/free-resources/products/dttc-hierarchy-flow-chart-for-apraxia-therapy, American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, Strand, Edyth, Vol. 29, 30–48 • February 2020, Apraxia Course, Bondar, Alonna 2023)
Preposition and Spatial Concept Acquisition
Preposition and spatial concept acquisition for preschoolers
“Hey Addie, please put your shoes in your cubby”, “Wyatt, stand in front of Cooper”, “Eliza throw the ball up in the air!” These are some real life examples of the functional need for children to understand spatial concepts.
Working with young children, I find that the understanding and use of prepositions is incredibly important for daily life as a child (and the research backs me up!). Prepositions include words like “on, up, under,and behind” are critical in making requests, following directions and locating objects.
I target prepositions daily in my work with pediatric children with speech and language differences. A fundamental skill is being able to tell someone where an object is and being able to find an object when someone describes where it is- like “Mom, your keys are in the fridge”, and “Addie, your cup is under the table”.
Here is a chart that may be helpful for the acquisition of spatial concepts by age. Keep in mind that all children develop at different rates and these are estimates based on a compilation of research literature. Click on the chart to get your own copy.
When Teaching Spatial Concepts or Prepositions the literature makes two important points to keep in mind:
1) Children should be hearing prepositions in many different contexts. “Target words said by a clinician in a variety of syntactic and situational contexts (i.e. with different objects) were more often acquired by the two-year-old late-talking children..” (Alt et al, 2014). Meaning the more kids hear prepositions in different ways, the more likely they are to acquire them.
Example: If a child is learning the location “under”, they hear the word under as they are crawling under the table, “Hey, Jake, you are going under the table”. Later the child hears the word “under’ again, “Your cup is under your blanket”.A third time that day they hear, “My keys fell under my seat” and so on. The objects are changing but the preposition is staying the same.
2) The second point is that it is important to vary those contexts where the prepositions are presented. Those concepts should be presented in different places; at home, at the playground and the grocery store.
Example: If a child is working on the preposition “out”, The adult would say, “let’s go out the door”, then later in a different location, “Take the apple out of the cart” at the grocery store and later, “pull the piece out of the puzzle” when playing at home.
How to Teach Spatial Concepts
Start simple and with objects that interest the child. If you are working on the concept “off” and your objects are a cup and a small pig, place the pig on top of the overturned cup and push the pig off and say “off”. Repeat this allowing the child to push the pig off several times.
Each time you or the child pushes the pig off you say “off”. Pause after at least five times to wait to see if the child says “off”.
Later use the same word, “off” with different objects and repeat the activity.
Ask the child to push the pig off and celebrate when they do.
This simple activity will allow the child to initially learn the concepts you are targeting.
After you have used the guidelines above, the fun part is helping children understand and use spatial concepts in play!
HOW DO WE TEACH SPATIAL CONCEPTS ?
Here are some functional and fun ways to help a child learn spatial concepts:
“Hide” some plastic eggs around the room (allow the child to watch you hide them) and ask the child to find the eggs in different target locations “Find the egg under the table”, “Look under the chair”, “Maybe under the blanket”.
Allow the child to “hide” them and tell you where to find them.
Place sticky notes in target locations in a book (ie. “on top of the dinosaur's head”, “on top of the car”, “on top of his shoe”.)
Use a playhouse to target prepositions “on top of the roof”, “Under the bathroom”, “next to the tree” and move people in the target areas.
Using play dough to target “between”. “Put the blue ball between the 2 yellow balls”.
Use a train track set to target “in front and in back”. “Put the engine in front of the red train”
Fill a bin with water and have items that float “on top” or stay “on the bottom”.
Incorporating motor skills is a great way to engage children in learning spatial concepts. Make a blanket fort or use a chair and ask them to move to different areas, “Hide under the fort”, “Stand behind the chair”, “crawl between your friends”.
Digital Work with Prepositions (click the picture for a preview)
Alt M, Meyers C, Oglivie T, Nicholas K, Arizmendi G (2014) Cross-situational statistically based word learning intervention for late-talking toddlers. Journal of Communication Disorders 52: 207–20.
Hicks, S., Rivera, C., & Wood, C. (2015). Using Direct Instruction: Teaching Preposition Use to Students With Intellectual Disability. Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch, 46, 194-206.
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