Build Joint Attention: Joint attention is the shared attention between communication partners and is the key to language development. Bath time allows the adult to get down on the floor, at the child’s level. At eye level, grab items and put them near your face to create shared eye gaze and identify the object. For example, “Look! A little boat!”
Identify Body Parts: A great time for a child to learn body parts is during bath time. While washing your child’s body, label body parts as you clean them. You can take turns pointing to your nose, child’s nose, etc.
Ask Questions: While playing or competing tasks during bath time, ask your child various who, what, when, where, and why questions. This expands your child’s expressive and receptive language skills. Ask questions such as “Where do we take a bath?”, “What do we need for bathtime?”, and “Why do we take a bath?”
Is your child struggling to form words to express themselves? Are they having difficulty following simple commands you give? Contact us to discuss your child’s speech skills. We would love to share more strategies to help you improve your child’s speech skills!