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EXPLORE SPEECH & LANGUAGE AT....

First Night Alexandria

Free Family Activities

December 31st, 2:00PM to Midnight in Old Town Alexandria, VA

Spend the last few hours of 2014 enjoying the free activities offered by

First Night Alexandria and reviewing key speech and language skills of the year!

TALKING

EXPLORE: Descriptive Vocabulary
ENRICH: Expressive Language

ENGAGE: Practice using descriptive vocabulary to describe face painting

 

PARENT PROMPT:

  • Go to the George Washington Masonic Assembly Hall and ask to       have your face painted (free for children 12 years and younger).

  • Help your child use color, shape, size, and texture adjectives to describe the type of image he/she wants painted on his/her face.

  • For example, "I want a small, pink butterfly" or "I would like a furry tiger with orange and black stripes."

 

BONUS: If your family decides to stay up until midnight, watch the waterfront fireworks! Practice the use of adjectives to describe how the fireworks look, sound, and feel.

h Sounds

EXPLORE: Following Directions
ENRICH: Comprehension of Multi-Step Directions

ENGAGE: Practice following oral directions to complete a project

 

PARENT PROMPT:

  • Create a New Year's button, mask, or crown at the Torpedo Factory Art Center.

  • Find out the directions for creating your art project from a staff member or one of the artists on staff. After hearing the directions, have your child repeat the steps using sequencing vocabulary: For example, "First, pick a circular piece of colored construction apper. Next, draw your picture on the paper. Last, place your paper on the button-making machine and push down on the handle to make the button.

  • Follow the directions to create your artwork, giving your child verbal reminders if he/she forgets a direction, such as "Remember, there were three steps, we already did the first one - we chose our paper. What did we need to do next?"

 

BONUS: Participate in the First Night Alexandria Fun Hunt (requires $20 paid badge for each participant) and practice oral comprehension skills while solving the clues to complete the scavenger hunt!

 

LISTENING

WORD PLAY

EXPLORE: The /f/ Sound
ENRICH: Articulation of Individual Sounds for Clear Communication

ENGAGE: Practice producing the /f/ sound with correct articulatory placement

 

PARENT PROMPT:

  • First, remind your child how to produce a good /f/ sound: bite your bottom lip slightly with your top teeth and allow air to be released. Have your child imitate you.

  • Have your child practice his/her /f/ sound using the following phrases: First night, Family art, Fireworks show.

  • Challenge your child to find 10 more words that begin with the /f/ sound throughout the afternoon.

SOCIAL LANGUAGE SKILLS

EXPLORE: Polite Interactions
ENRICH: Use of polite expressions

ENGAGE: Practice using "please" and "thank you" when requesting desired items

 

PARENT PROMPT: 

  • Go to the Amazing Clowns event to have a free balloon sculpture made (for children 12 and under).

  • Remind your child to use "please" when asking for his/her balloon sculpture and "thank you" after he/she receives it.

  • Support your child while he/she interacts with the clowns and asks for a baloon sculpture. Younger children can use a short phrase, e.g. "Dog, please." Older/higher functioning children can practice a complete sentence, e.g. "Can I please have a balloon crown?"

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