Cornerstone Speech Therapy Strategies: Self Talk and Parallel Talk
Two of the most effective and easy-to-use strategies for supporting your child’s language development are self-talk and parallel talk. By incorporating these techniques into your daily routines, you can create a rich language environment that stimulates your child’s communication skills. Let’s explore how these strategies work and how you can use them to help your child thrive.
What Are Self-Talk and Parallel Talk?
Self-Talk: This involves narrating your own actions, thoughts, and experiences as you go about your day. It provides your child with a model of language paired with real-world actions.
Parallel Talk: This strategy focuses on describing what your child is doing, thinking, or experiencing in the moment. It helps expand their vocabulary and comprehension while encouraging interaction.
Both strategies are simple, natural, and can be seamlessly integrated into everyday activities.
How to Use Self-Talk
Self-talk is all about narrating your actions as you perform them. This helps your child connect words to actions, objects, and experiences.
Examples of Self-Talk:
Making Coffee: “Let’s make mommy’s coffee! Open the cupboard. Take out the coffee. Take out one filter. Put the filter in the machine. Scoop the coffee. 1, 2, 3! Let’s get the water! Fill it up. Pour the water. Turn it on. All done!”
Playing with a Baby Doll: “Hi baby! Oh, you’re hungry? Let’s get your bottle. Mmm, milk. Drink milk. Ohh, you’re all done? Wipe your face. Hug! Are you tired, baby? Let’s go night night. (Sing Twinkle Twinkle.) Here’s your blanket. Pat, pat, night night!”
Making a Sandwich: “It’s time to make a sandwich! Let’s get the ingredients. Open the fridge and take out the bread, cheese, and veggies. Lay the bread on the counter. Now, let’s spread on mayonnaise. Spread, spread, spread. Grab a slice of cheese. Put it on top! Let’s add some lettuce. I’m cutting the tomato. It is juicy! Yum! Put the tomato on top. Now, take the other slice of bread and press it down gently. Cut the sandwich in half. Cut, cut, cut. Perfect! Let’s eat it.”
Taking a Walk: “It’s a beautiful sunny day! Let’s go for a walk. Step outside. Wow, it’s warm. I feel the sun on my face. I see the tall trees. They’re green and beautiful. I see the leaves moving. ‘Whoosh’—the wind is blowing. Look, an orange butterfly! It’s fluttering from flower to flower. Flit, float, flit, float. Listen, I hear birds chirping! Chirp, chirp. They’re singing! Nature is amazing!”
Tips for Using Self-Talk:
Use simple, clear language.
Pair your words with gestures or actions to reinforce meaning.
Be consistent—use self-talk during everyday activities like cooking, cleaning, or playing.
How to Use Parallel Talk
Parallel talk involves describing what your child is doing, thinking, or experiencing in the moment. This helps them connect words to their own actions and observations.
Examples of Parallel Talk:
Playing with Cars: “The car drives fast! The red car crashed! Driving. Vrooooommm. Beep beep. Watch out! The car is coming. Go car, go!”
Taking a Bath: “You’re splashing in the water. Pop the bubbles. Pop, pop, pop. Amy’s touching the soap. The soap is smooth. Rub, rub, rub. All clean! Pour the water. Pouring.”
Building with Blocks: “You’re building a tall tower. Stack them up. Up, up, up. Wow, it’s getting sooooo tall! Ohh, will it fall? The blocks are balancing. Red block. Blue block. BOOM! It fell! Do it again.”
Reading a Picture Book: “You’re turning the pages. You see a tree! You’re touching the tree. Oh, a happy puppy. Woof woof! The puppy barks. Turn the page. Go back! There’s the boy. The boy is laughing.”
Playing with Play Dough: “You have a ball of play dough. Squeeze it! Squish, squish, squish. Oh, you’re poking the dough. Roll it up. Roll it. Roll it. It’s a long snake. Stretch it. Stretch it. SSSSS, eep! Press it with the cutter. You made a star! Play dough is fun!”
Tips for Using Parallel Talk:
Use playful sounds like “Boom!” or “Vrooom!” to make it engaging.
Highlight what your child is focusing on (e.g., “You’re looking at the wheels. They spin!”).
Keep your language simple and match your child’s level of understanding.
Why These Strategies Work
Build Vocabulary: By hearing words paired with actions and objects, your child learns new vocabulary in context.
Encourage Interaction: These strategies create opportunities for back-and-forth communication, even before your child is speaking.
Support Comprehension: Describing actions and experiences helps your child understand the meaning behind words.
Foster Curiosity: Highlighting what your child is doing or noticing encourages them to explore and ask questions.
Key Takeaways for Parents
Be Consistent: Use self-talk and parallel talk during everyday activities like mealtime, playtime, and outings.
Keep It Simple: Use short, clear sentences that match your child’s language level.
Make It Fun: Add playful sounds, gestures, and enthusiasm to keep your child engaged.
Follow Their Lead: Focus on what your child is interested in and build on their natural curiosity.
Final Thoughts
Self-talk and parallel talk are powerful tools for supporting your child’s language development. By narrating your actions and describing your child’s experiences, you create a language-rich environment that encourages communication and learning. These strategies are easy to use, require no special materials, and can be incorporated into your daily routine.
For more tips on supporting your child’s speech and language development, explore our blog or reach out to a speech-language pathologist today!