The easiest way to improve your child's speech and language skills is by recasting. Recasting might sound fancy, but it is very simple. It might even come naturally to you. When used with consistency, it is incredibly effective.
You can use recasting to help develop a 1-year-old's early language. Or you can use recasting to help your 2-year-old to expand his sentence length. Or you can even use recasting to help your 3 year old to perfect her production of the "s" sound.
Recasting involves:
- listening
- interpreting
- evaluating
- repeating
- modelling
- emphasising
Recasting with Miss 1:
(a) Listen: Miss 1 says "da" (Makes eye contact with parent and moves body forward)
(b) Interpret: Using context - Miss 1 is trying to communicate desire to move on the swing
(c) Evaluate: Miss 1 does not have the vocabulary for "push" or "go"
(d) Repeat, Model, Emphasise: Parent says "Go" or, to create anticipation, "Ready, set... go"
Recasting with Mr 2:
(a) Listen: Mr 2 says "I winis my buzzle mummy"
(b) Interpret (with context): He finished the puzzle
(c) Evaluate: Mr 2 substituted the "f" sound with "w" (as well as some other errors, but we choose one to focus on)
(d) Repeat, Model, Emphasise: Parent says "Oh, you finished the puzzle!" (with emphasis on "f")
Recasting with Miss 3:
(a) Listen: Miss 3 says "I finished the printheth puthle"
(b) Interpret: She finished the princess puzzle
(c) Evaluate: Miss 3 used a "th" sound (lisp) in place of the "s" and "z" sound
(d) Repeat, Model, Emphasise: "You finished the princess puzzle" (emphasis on "s" and "z" sounds)
(PS - Miss 3 actually does not lisp much these days, but I used this for the purpose of an example...)
Though recasting has been shown to be effective for improving speech and language development and outcomes, it may need to be supplemented with other therapy. Please consult your local speech pathologist if you have significant concerns with your child's speech sound development, language development or speech fluency (stuttering).
(PS - Miss 3 actually does not lisp much these days, but I used this for the purpose of an example...)
Though recasting has been shown to be effective for improving speech and language development and outcomes, it may need to be supplemented with other therapy. Please consult your local speech pathologist if you have significant concerns with your child's speech sound development, language development or speech fluency (stuttering).
