Our pediatric Speech Therapists understand the power behind using the very best interactive games in order to optimize both language and social development. It is natural for a child to enjoy interacting with the family during a fun board game and not even realize it is speech therapy. A well-designed game is a fun way for your child to learn those vital speech skills without feeling like they are working at all. There are countless games that focus on many social skills while improving language and speech at the same time. If you think about it a game requires skills such as story telling, taking turns, drawing conclusions and expressing or appreciating humor.
One great thing about a well-designed game is that the learning comes so naturally within the family setting at home. For example, there are games intended for those children who are just beginning to learn how to play. These games will be designed in a way that does not require too much in the area of speech therapy. These games are designed with the goals of basic cooperative play including improvement of attention skills. Essentially the games at this level can promote improved understanding of cause and effect while basic vocabulary is introduced and reinforced in a fun, rewarding way. These games may also be the type that introduces the basic concepts associated with shapes, numbers and letters.
Another level of games can add onto the idea of taking turns and improved social skills by adding on more dimensions of thinking and learning to the game. These games can include more storytelling opportunities or word game play. Often these games are more complex, which invites the concept of following established rules. Following directions is an important social skill when it comes to playing games. Some popular games include the Cranium games such as “Hullabaloo”, “Scattegories” and “I Spy.”
Some popular games such as “The Cat In The Hat, I Can DO That!” build confidence as your child learns that they can have fun while building essential language and social skills for life.
There are many games that are great for social and language skill development. Our Speech Therapy Stafford professionals would be happy to provide you with a list of the best games suited to the developmental needs of your child. Who does not love a good night of playing games with the family? You might as well make the most of your time together at home and reinforce those vital speech skills while laughing and making fun memories. Too many people have the misconception that all learning must be done in a stale, controlled environment. The truth is that social and speech learning most often is learned best through the creative implantation of structured fun and games. In order to make the most of this type of speech therapy play invest in the best games on the market today and enjoy the bonding time as you play those favorites over and over again. Feel free to meet with our experts who know the best options for language development for your child.