Narration and Repetition – How to Use It for Speech Development | Speech Education Part 6

Video Transcript:

Kelli Floyd:
Hi, guys. I am so glad that you have come back and joined us for another video. If this is your first time
joining us, welcome, and we are so glad to have you here. My name is Kelli Floyd, and I am a speech
language pathologist at Bright Start, and I am really excited to share more tips today with you. If this is
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they do kind of build together, and I’ll even maybe reference back to some of them during this video. So,
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because you are doing all the things we’ve already talked about and you’re ready for more, welcome,
and I’m so glad that you’re here.

So, we have been talking about tips to really increase your child’s speech and language. And this applies
to kids whether they have a language delay or they don’t have a language delay. And today what we’re
going to talk about is narration, and we’re also going to talk about repetition. So, whenever we have
discussed some of this before you maybe have heard me use narration. You maybe haven’t heard me
use repetition, because I usually just give an example and then I move on. But narration and repetition
are two of the tools that I like to use in sessions, and two of the tools that I like to teach the families that
I work with.

And here’s what I mean by that. So, narration. That simply just means talking about what you see, what
you hear, what you smell, what you’re doing, what your child is doing. You are literally providing the
language foundation for the activity that you happen to be in. That activity might be play. That activity
might be getting in the car. That activity might be changing your clothes. That activity might be having
dinner. It doesn’t matter. You are going to begin to provide the words that your child needs for every
activity and moment in their life. Does that mean you need to talk all day? Absolutely not. I could not
talk all day if I wanted to. You would be exhausted. But what it does mean is, when you think about it, or
maybe you just choose a time, and you dedicate that time and intention to narrate and talk about what
it is that’s happening. Like I said, what you see, what you smell, what your child is doing, what you’re
doing, all of those things.

So, let’s pretend that we are going to get dressed. That’s a really easy one to choose, and we do that
every single day, sometimes multiple times a day if you have a little one who spits up all over
themselves, like I did when I was a first-time mom. You might get them dressed all the time. So that
might look like you saying, “Oh, my goodness. You got something on your shirt. We need to change.
Okay, let’s go back to your room. Let’s see what we’re going to get. Hmm. We need to get some socks
and some pants and a new shirt. Maybe we’ll even change your diaper while we’re doing this. Okay.
Let’s see what we have. Oh, should we get the bear shirt or the dog shirt? Hmm.”

If they’re big enough, they could choose. Sometimes they might point and tell you what they want.
Sometimes they’re not big enough, and so you’re just narrating to them. “Oh, yes. The bear shirt. I like
the bear shirt too. Okay. Let’s get the bear shirt. Okay. Let’s find some pants.” Again, you can give them
a choice if they’re old enough. Or even if they’re not, you can always still give them a choice just to get
yourself in the habit of doing that. Or maybe you just choose the ones that go with the bear shirt that
you picked out.

“Oh, these pants are perfect with the bear shirt. Okay. Now we got to get undressed. Okay. Can you lift
your arms up? Good job. We’re going to take your shirt off. Oh, we’ve got to get it over your head. Pull,
pull, pull, pull, pull. Good job. All right. Now let’s get your pants off. Can you sit down? Good job. Okay.
Let’s tug tug tug tug tug this leg. Oh, let’s tug tug tug tug tug this leg. Good job. We got them off. Oh, it
looks like your diaper’s dry, so we’re going to go ahead and get dressed again.”

“Okay. Where’s the shirt? Hmm. Where did I put that shirt? Oh, there it’s. All right. Let’s get it. Let’s put
it over your head. All right, pull. Want to help me pull? Good job. You got it over your head. Okay. Let’s
put our arms through. Okay, first this arm. Good job. You pushed your arm through. Then this arm. Good
job. You pushed your arm through. That’s great. All right, let’s pull it down. Get it over your belly. Oh, I
see your belly. There it is. Good job. Okay, where are your pants? Let’s get your pants on. Okay, can you
give me your leg?”

And maybe you wait on them to actually lift their leg, because that’s body parts, right? They’re starting
to learn their body parts. “Good job. Okay, let’s put it on. Ooh, we got to tug tug tug tug tug tug. Good
job. All right, let’s get it on the other leg. Oh, good job. You put your other leg through. You did it by
yourself. Can you stand up? Can we pull them all the way up? Good job. Do you want to help? Oh, good
job. Pull, pull, pull, pull, pull. Yay. We put our clothes back on.” And that is how you narrate putting your
clothes on.

Did you catch all the vocabulary that happened in there? I’m going to name just a few: shirt, pants,
head, leg, arms, belly, on, off, pull, push, up, down. Do you see how you use so many words? Well, guess
what? This is where the repetition comes in. How many times a day do you get dressed? Once, twice, if
you’re lucky with a little kid? Well, that gives you two opportunities or one opportunity every day to use
those same or similar words. You can narrate that activity, and before long, what you’re going to find
out is, after narration and repetition, is your child might begin to participate in that activity. They might
begin to be the ones to say the words. They might be able to have language around that routine.

And that’s our goal, right? We want to develop their speech and language. So repetition, narration.
Those are great tools to use all day, every day, as much as you can. And if it’s only once or twice a day,
quality over quantity. Always remember that. I hope that you’ve enjoyed this tip, I hope you come back
for more, and I hope you like, follow, and subscribe so you get notifications whenever we put this
content out. Have a great day.