Hey there, Halloween enthusiasts! If you’re the parent of a child with hearing loss and working on developing their listening and spoken language skills, you might be wondering how to make trick-or-treating not just fun but also a rich language experience. Well, you’re in the right place! I’ve got you covered with 5 tips for creating a language-rich Halloween adventure! Your Halloween experience will not only be filled with treats but also with memories and language-rich opportunities.
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No Tricks, All Treats🍬
- Narrate the Experience: As you and your child walk from house to house, describe the Halloween scene around you. Talk about the costumes you see, the decorations, and the spooky or silly details. This not only builds their vocabulary but also encourages them to engage in conversations.
- Use Descriptive Words: Encourage your child to use and learn descriptive words during the trick-or-treating adventure. Ask questions like, “What shape is the pumpkin?” or “Can you tell me the color of that costume?” This helps enrich their language skills while having fun. You can also incorporate describing the different jack-o-lanterns you see. Some of them look excited, scared, worried, etc. This is a great way to talk about feelings and expand beyond just using “happy” and “sad”.
- Tell a Halloween Story: Create a simple Halloween story together. For example, “Once upon a time, a little witch (or superhero, or pumpkin) went on a spooky adventure. She saw a scary ghost, and then…” Building a story helps children learn narrative skills. They can work on sequencing, discussing characters, using first, next, then, and last. You can also have them retell the story to you when you get home. This will help build their auditory memory skills.
- Count the Candy: Turn candy counting into a learning game. As your child receives candy, count them together. You can say, “You have one lollipop, two chocolate bars, and three gummy worms!” This supports their math and counting skills. You can also use descriptive language and labeling the candy by what it is called, saying “Hershey Kiss” instead of just “chocolate”, to provide more vocabulary expansion for your child.
- Role-Playing: Halloween is an excellent opportunity for role-playing. Encourage your child to say “Trick or treat” and “Thank you” at each house. Practice these polite phrases before you go out, and reinforce them during the evening.
Halloween can be a fantastic opportunity for children with hearing loss to develop their listening and spoken language skills playfully and enjoyably. By narrating the experience, using descriptive words, telling stories, counting candy, and encouraging role-playing, you can create a language-rich Halloween adventure that ensures a memorable and educational night of trick-or-treating. So, gear up, have a spooktacular time, and remember, learning and fun can go hand in hand on this exciting holiday! 🎃📚🗣
Need a last-minute Halloween activity for your kids? Get a FREE Halloween Listen & Color printable by clicking HERE👻
Before you go, I created some Halloween gift tags to make your life a little easier. These FREE gift tags are perfect to add to your child’s Halloween goodie bags and more! Check them out HERE🧙🏼