Free Materials
Here are some helpful tips:
Let your child choose a book (give options).
Be VERY excited :)
Read with your child face to face with the book next to your face.
Pick 2-3 functional vocabulary and emphasize them while reading. Point, act it out, etc.
Have them repeat phrases, sounds, words, etc. Engage them as much as possible.
Even if the sounds are wrong, encourage them and provide positive feedback for trying/verbalizing.
You can make up stories/paraphrase the story as you go if the book is too difficult (or long) for the child.
See the link for more helpful tips!
Reading a Book
Best way to start teaching storytelling is using picture sequencing activates. You can find some for free on Teachers Pay Teachers. At the beginning, help them sequence the pictures, make a story including character, place, problem, feeling, solution, ending, and end feeling. Practice until the child can retell the story on their own. You can then use the stories to tell a story about the child throughout the day.
Storytelling Activities
These are materials made by teachers for teachers. Some are paid materials, and some are free! Endless amounts of worksheets, games, cards, etc. available. Take your time and look through what they have!
Example: Type "expressive language" in the Teachers Pay Teachers search bar. Scroll down and on the left-hand side, click "Free" under Prices.
Teachers Pay Teachers
Under $10
You can use this app to ask, “what do you hear?” and ask for a response using 1 word-4 words. “I hear a cow!”
Peekaboo Farm – $1.99
These are materials made by teachers for teachers. Some are paid materials, and some are free! Endless amounts of worksheets, games, cards, etc. available. Take your time and look through what they have!
Example: Type "Expressive language" in the Teachers Pay Teachers search bar. Scroll down and on the left-hand side, click "Under $5" or "$5-$10" under Prices.
Teachers Pay Teachers - <$10
Over $10
You can start with colors, color+burger, I+want+color, to I+want+color+burger. It is a fun way to learn how to request and build sentences.
The caregiver can hold on to all of the burger and ask the child, “what do you want?” You can start with just color, if they are able to do that with 80% accuracy, move on to the next step of color+burger. You can draw, use color papers to point for visual cues.
Pop the Pig – $19.85
This is an app helps you teach sentence structure in a systematic way. You can start with combining 2 words!
Sentence Ninja - $21.99
This is a great program to teach functional language and increase mean length of utterance.
The program uses these innovative techniques:
each word of every phrase taught is essential to completing the tasks correctly
a limited number of vocabulary words helps students master syntactic relationships
students are empowered to control their environment
train skills with picture cards, toys and objects, group interaction, and the natural environment