Whether it’s speech therapy homework or school homework, it can be that one difficult task that takes up so much time (for both parents and children!). Of course we all want to support our child’s learning in whatever way we can, but when they aren’t remotely interested and there are still 50 other things to do before bedtime, it can be the last thing on everybody’s list.
We’ve popped together the strategies we use as speech pathologists to engage children and foster an interest in learning. Regardless of physical, mental or social barriers, these strategies provide a relaxed and safe environment for minds to work.
Game #1: Taking Turns
What: Swap between yourself and your child for who has to answer the questions or complete the activity.
Why:
- Builds social skills
- Provides a short mental-break
- Creates clear steps to reach full understanding
BONUS TIP!
Try getting active at the same time! Depending on the activity, you could:
- Pass a ball back and forth. If you are holding the ball, it’s your turn.
- Create a start and finish line. Take a step forward for every correct answer.
- Set up pillows scattered around the floor. Jump to another pillow for a new question.
This will also get the blood pumping to release endorphins and create a more fun experience.
EXAMPLES FOR DIFFERENT AGES
Using Turn-Taking During Homework for Toddlers
- Sound-Play: Take turns making noises in play – animal sounds with animal toys (e.g. moo, baa, neigh) or vehicle noises (e.g. CRASH, beep beep beep, zoooooom)
- Interactive Books: Share books that encourage interaction, such as books with lift-the-flaps or sound buttons.
- Songs and Rhymes: Sing songs or recite rhymes together. You can leave out a word of a common song that your little one has to fill in (e.g. Caregiver: “Twinkle, twinkle little….” *WAIT* Child: “star!”)
- Routine Building: When strapping into the car, use simple language to describe what you are doing (e.g. “my turn to open the door, now your turn to climb onto your seat, my turn to strap you in” etc.)
BONUS TIP: Don’t forget you can acknowledge the difficulty in waiting: e.g. “It’s hard to wait but it will be your turn soon”
Using Turn-Taking During Homework for Primary School Kids
- Reading: Take turns reading aloud sections of the passage. Toys and puppets can have a turn reading too.
- Vocabulary Building: Take turns quizzing each other on the meanings of words. You could start by defining a word for your child to guess, then they could define a word for you to guess, and continue alternating turns until all words have been practiced.
- Writing Prompts: Give your child a prompt to start their story, then they could give you a prompt to continue the story and continue swapping turns until both of you have written a complete story.
This also works well for spelling, addition, subtraction, multiplication and science experiments (take turns being the scientist and the assistant!).
Using Turn-Taking During Homework for High School Kids
- Debating Current Events: Take turns presenting arguments for and against a chosen topic. For example, you could start by presenting your argument, then your child could counter with their perspective, and continue alternating turns until both sides have been thoroughly discussed.
- Essay Writing: Take turns brainstorming ideas and outlining the essay together. For example, you could start by generating ideas for the introduction, then your child could contribute ideas for the body paragraphs, and continue swapping turns until the essay is fully outlined.
- Math Problem Solving: Alternate turns on solving a complex maths equation until the problem is fully solved.
You could also use this for foreign language practice, or analysing a piece of literature or poetry.
Game #2: Playing Teacher
What: Give your child the role of teacher who needs to teach you how to do something.
Why:
- Builds on creative expression
- Helps to understand other people’s perspectives
- Supports self-esteem and confidence in communication
EXAMPLES FOR DIFFERENT AGES
Playing Teacher with Toddlers
Encourage them to show you or even one of their toys or pets the positive behaviour, action or skill they showed you before. It might have been with gran yesterday, or with your speech pathologist earlier in the week. Ask them to show you how they did it and help you to do it too.
For older toddlers, try some of the primary school kids’ tips too!
Playing Teacher with Primary School Kids
First, model what you want them to do/say, and then ask them to be the teacher and explain the concept back to you.
A helpful tip when using this strategy is to set up a space like a classroom e.g. use some chairs and a whiteboard/chalkboard or play dress-ups!
If you are talking about a specific topic, try acting like a professional in the field. You might be a scientist, a doctor or a speech therapist.
Playing Teacher with High School Kids
It’s unlikely you’ll find a teenager who’s happy to dress up and play teacher with you (even though dress up parties are all the rage!). Here are some tips to draw out more information on a topic:
- Get curious and ask questions.
“I haven’t learned about that in years, how did your teacher/speech therapist teach you about [topic]?”
“I don’t know much about that topic, can you tell me more about it?”
“What’s the most interesting thing you learned about [topic]?” (or if they don’t like the topic – ask about the least interesting part. It will still encourage repetition and retention)
- “Tell me (or write down) everything you know about [topic] in 60 seconds.”
This can help your child feel in control of their breaks and not become overwhelmed by large tasks/blocks of time.
Homework tasks can be broken into 10-minute blocks with a 5-minute break in-between.
Make sure your child can see or hear the timer so they know how much longer they have left!
Top tip – use a sand timer or bright clock for extra visual support.
Game #3: Seek and Find
What: Search around the house or an area for items related to the problem being solved.
Why:
- Apply skills to different situations
- Learn how the concept appears in everyday experiences
- Promotes observation
EXAMPLES FOR DIFFERENT AGES
Seek and Find with Toddlers
You can work on different skills by asking your toddler to find you 5 things around your house related to a certain topic. Here are some examples:
| WHAT TO FIND | SKILL BUILDING |
|---|---|
| Start with the sound ‘s’ | Understanding pre-literacy skills (first-sound recognition) |
| Are squishy | Understanding of adjectives/descriptive words |
| Fit into your hand | Understanding early concepts like size |
| Are red | Understanding early concepts like colour |
| Can go fast | Understanding of verbs/action words |
Seek and Find with Primary School Kids
You can set your child an activity to find things around the house, at the park or even during activities they do every day, like watching a TV show or movie.
| WHAT TO FIND | SKILL BUILDING |
|---|---|
| Starts with a vowel | Understand phonics and vowel sounds |
| Has more than 5 letters | Improve vocabulary and spelling |
| Can absorb water | Explore material properties and basic science principles |
| Makes a sound | Explore auditory recognition and sensory awareness |
Seek and Find with High School Kids
If your high schooler is less likely to run around the house, you can still use this technique in their recreational activities. Challenge them to find examples on food packaging, in catalogues, during a YouTube video or in a game.
| WHAT TO FIND | SKILL BUILDING |
|---|---|
| An example of alliteration | Understand literary devices and language skills |
| A play on words | Understand humour and homonyms |
| Examples of Newton’s laws of motion | Principles of physics |
As speech pathologists, we’ve seen firsthand how effective these methods can be in overcoming various learning challenges. So next time you’re faced with a mountain of homework and a reluctant learner, try turning it into a game. You’ll be surprised at how much more manageable and enjoyable it can be for both you and your child.
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