Page 61 - Issue 112 May-June 2021

Language through play About the author Rosie Quayle, BSc (Hons) SLT, Cert MRCSLT, PGDip Auditory Verbal Therapy, LSLS Cert. AVT. Rosie qualified as a speech and language therapist in London at University College London. rosie.quayle@avuk.org @RosieQuayle Rosie Quayle AVUK will be running an online course on using “Sensory Play to Maximise Listening and Speaking” on 9th July 2021. To register visit: avuk.org/Events/sensory-play-to- maximise-listening-and-speaking-2 “Encouraging them to think of multiple solutions” Other train-play problems can include: animals on the line, the bridge is too low, and no people to get on the train. All these problems create a need for the child to use their language to share their thinking, all while they are having fun solving the problems! Four-year-old play – generating multiple solutions Pre-school play is characterised by a shift from more concrete, toy based play to increasingly imaginative play with complex worlds and often firm ideas from the child. Four-year-olds will have no qualms in telling you when you haven’t done something how they wanted you to within the play “No, you can’t be a pirate because we need someone to be a goodie!” So then, how can we as adults use their play to create different scenarios where they are stretched to use their language in new ways? Imaginary role play – Frozen Four-year-olds have shifted to setting up play with an increasing number of roles and rules. They have firm ideas about how things should be done so one of the key ways we can stretch their play is through encouraging them to generate multiple solutions for a problem and share their thinking around that. Key phrases you could offer to stimulate this thinking might be: ‘I wonder what other characters we could have?’ “Any ideas what else we could use as a castle? Let’s think of some other options!” “Ella doesn’t want to be a princess, what shall we do? Any other ideas?” By encouraging them to think of multiple solutions, they have to push their language and thinking beyond their natural first idea, creating a need for them to use many more complex language constructions such as “We could...” “Wonder if we might...” “Let’s....” “Perhaps....” The adult needs only to intervene for a moment to allow the children to problem solve, and can then step back and allow the play to progress. Over to you We hope this article will have encouraged you to consider the importance of the adult role in using play to create opportunities for children to enhance their language skills through creating real life ‘needs’ for communication. The practical examples are only to get you going, do share your ideas with us via social media @AuditoryVerbal on Twitter or @AuditoryVerbalUK on Facebook. 61 senmagazine.co.uk SEN112