Using Signs to Work on Language Development: Early Intervention Series

Welcome back to another post in the Early Intervention Series. I’m sorry that it’s been so long since I posted Language Development on the Go, time just seems to slip away! This post is dedicated to yet another way you can work on Language Development no matter where you are, using signs!

Signs are everywhere. 

Whether you are driving down the road, at a restaurant, museum, or at the grocery story, there are signs all around you. Which makes signs a great tool for language development.

Using Signs

Depending on the age of your child you can do a variety of activities with signs while you are out and about.

Toddlers:

You can talk about colors.

Saying things like, “I see a sign, what color is that sign?”

If your child is still learning colors than you can model the color and have them repeat it back to you. If your child has mastered most colors, then encourage them to tell you what color the sign in.

You can also discuss shapes.

Signs come in all shapes and colors and may even have different shapes printed on them. Talk about what shapes you see in the signs around you on your next outing.

Preschoolers:

For children 3-5 you can begin to discuss the meaning of the signs.

A conversation might go like this, “What do you see on that sign?” “An arrow.” “Great job, that is an arrow.” “What do you think it means?”

This activity helps kids begin to understand that the purpose of a sign is to tell us something and that it is important to pay attention to signs.

You can also use this to work on letter recognition and beginning reading skills.

I love having my kiddos read the letters they see on signs to me. Then, I read it back to them! This gives them excellent practice with letter recognition, but also helps them see that those letters make words and words have meaning.

So there you have it! A quick and easy way to get in some language development practice on the go. These activities don’t have to take a lot of time or be labor intensive.

Just use the world around you as a discussion piece for you and your little ones. You will be amazed at what they already know and how quickly they pick up on things.