EXPLORE SPEECH & LANGUAGE AT....
My Reptile Guys
at the Chevy Chase Library
Saturday, March 14th from 10:30-11:30am
Has your child ever held a crocodile? Draped a snake around his or her neck? New experiences are a wonderful opportunity to practice speech and language skills -
join My Reptile Guys for an interactive show and petting zoo that is sure to get
your child talking!
TALKING
EXPLORE: Making Comparisons
ENRICH: Expressive Grammar and Vocabulary
ENGAGE: The ability to compare the qualities of different reptiles
PARENT PROMPT:
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Because reptiles are such unique-looking creatures, they lend themselves easily to describing and comparing. Use the following activities to work on both comparative vocabulary and comparative sentence structures during the hands-on portion of the show:
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Level 1: Using descriptive opposite pairs, ask your child which comparative adjective describes the relationship between two of the reptiles. For example, "Is the iguana longer or shorter than the crocodile?" Here are some examples of comparative adjective pairs you can use:
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Size: bigger-smaller, taller-shorter, longer-shorter, fatter-thinner
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Tactile: rougher-smoother, harder-softer,
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Other characteristics: faster-slower, louder-quieter
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Level 2: Using the comparative adjective pairs from Level 1, have your child respond using a complete sentence in the following structure: The __(reptile 1)__ is __(comparative)__ than the __(reptile 2)__. Using the example from Level 1, your child should respond, "The iguana is shorter than the crocodile." If they are unable to formulate the sentence on their own, give them a verbal model using other reptiles and have them use your model to formulate their own sentence.
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EXPLORE: Auditory Comprehension
ENRICH: Listening for Details
ENGAGE: The ability to listen for and recall key details
PARENT PROMPT:
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While listening to the interactive presentation, ask your child to recall one key piece of information about each reptile that is introduced. Here is how you can do this activity with children at a lower language level and with those who are more advanced:
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Level 1: Tell your child, "Listen carefully to learn about the (reptile). After they finish talking about the (reptile), I am going to ask you a question to see how much you remembered." After the presenter is finished talking about that reptile, ask your child one of the basic wh- questions listed below, based up on the information given in the talk. If your child responds with a single word or phrase (e.g. "bugs and fruit"), rephrase their answer in a complete sentence and encourage them to repeat you (e.g. "An iguana eats bugs and fruit").
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What is this reptile's name?
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What does this reptile eat?
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Where does this reptile live (in the wild)?
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How does this reptile move?
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Level 2: Tell your child, "Listen carefully to learn about the (reptile). After they finish talking about the (reptile), I am going to ask you to retell me one important or interesting fact you learned about the (reptile) in a complete sentence." If your child is unable to recall any facts, give him/her two facts about the reptile, one true and one false, and have him/her tell you, in a complete sentence, which one is true. For example, "Which fact is true: A bearded dragon lives in Africa or a bearded dragon lives in Australia?"
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LISTENING
EXPLORE: Blends
ENRICH: Articulation of Individual Sounds for Clear Communication
ENGAGE: Practice producing /r/ blends
PARENT PROMPT:
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Start the day by reminding your child of strategies that help with producing a strong /r/ sound within a blend (a sequence of 2-3 consonant sounds either starting or ending with an /r/):
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Curl or bunch your tongue towards the back of your mouth
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Round your lips slightly so that your teeth are showing
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Turn on your "motor" (vibrate the vocal cords)
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As you watch the show, make a list of the reptiles names that contain /r/ blends, such as toRToise, tuRTle, GReen iguana, beaRDed DRagon, coRN snake, and boa conSTRictor
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Have your child practice these words at his/her ability level:
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Level 1: Say each word in isolation five times, then use it in a short phrase (e.g. "big toRToise")
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Level 2: Use each word in a complete sentence. As a challenge, make up a sentence using two or three of the words. (e.g. "The beaRDed DRagon is from auSTRalia.")
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h Sounds
WORD PLAY
EXPLORE: Social Use of Language
ENRICH: Polite Expressions
ENGAGE: The ability to politely express likes and dislikes
PARENT PROMPT:
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Some children may have negative reactions the first time they encounter reptiles. Rather than simply saying, "Ew," have your child practice expressing their feelings in an appropriate way.
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Level 1: Ask your children, do you like the [reptile]? If he/she says "yes," have him/her tell the Reptile Guys after the show, using a complete sentence. E.g. "I really liked the green iguana!" If he/she says, "no," have him/her tell the Reptile Guys and give a reason why. E.g. "I didn't like the green iguana because his long tail scares me."
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Level 2: Perform the above activity, but challenge your child to also ask a question to learn more information about the reptile to make themselves feel more comfortable with that reptile. For example, "I didn't like the green iguana because his long tail scares me. Are their tails strong enough to knock me down?"
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