As I write this article, the looong summer holidays have just come to an end and my children are newly back at school. Our routines went out the window over this lovely, lazy break. And this is fine and perfectly normal. Everyone needs and deserves a break now and then.
But, if we want to see results in whatever it is we're focusing on, whether it be speech sound errors, school subjects, or other things in our life, we DO need some discipline, routines and consistent practice.
So, how do we start this, or if we were in a good routine, but it has fallen away, how can we get back to this?
Here are my top four tips for getting back into routine and practice after a break.
1: Let your child settle back in: be prepared for tiredness. They'll be getting used to the new routines, expectations and circumstances. Don’t push it in the first couple of weeks.
Be responsive to your child. If they want to do the practice, that's great, go for it, but if they are extra tired, and/or resistant then please don't push it at the beginning.
This is because if it goes badly at the beginning, you and your child will be much less likely to want to continue over the longer term.
Perhaps do a reduced version of practice: instead of aiming for 100 times saying a word containing the sound, just commit to saying 10 or 20.
Support your child if they are extra tired or resistant, by reducing the complexity of what you are working on, e,g. by dropping back a level, increasing your prompts on how to make the sound, or taking turns: they say a word, then you say a word.
2: Once your child has settled in, get a strong routine for practice going: identify parts of your daily routine where you can easily fit practice in. Suggestions of times to connect practice onto are:
Just after breakfast
Travel to and from school
Just after the after school snack
School homework time
3. Make it fun and motivating for your child:
Can you play a favourite game while you practice, e.g. take a turn each time you say a word?
Can you do a tally of how many times you’ve said the sound you’re working on, so your child has something to work towards and look back on, to see what they've achieved?
4: Get some support. It can be exhausting doing everything on your own, and it often goes into the too hard basket, falls by the wayside and progress stalls.
If your child has speech and language needs, I strongly encourage you to get some support from a Speech Language Therapist, whether that be through the public system, privately, or with my video courses and membership.
To remind you of these points, I made a printable handout, with tips for practicing with your child. Available by clicking the button below.