On a recent trip to Party City, I discovered a 59 cent gem! To some, this may look like a cheap plastic piece of junk….BUT to a Speech Pathologist, the language opportunities are huge! Here’s why I have been having so much fun playing with my “Popper” this week with my little friends:
- It builds anticipation. Nothing engages a toddler more than an excitable voice that builds up to a big event! I love to tell my friends, “Are you ready?!” “Here we go!” “Ready….Set…..POP!”. I always pause before the last word of a repetitive phrase and allow the child to fill in the blank.
- It encourages a toddler’s understanding of cause and effect. Research shows that developing a child’s understanding of cause and effect allows children to better their ability to solve problems, make predictions, and understand how their behavior impacts others.
- It exposes a child to over 10 new vocabulary words! Here is just a short list of new words you can teach your child with the “Popper”:
- Ball
- Cup
- Push
- Uh-Oh!
- POP!
- Up
- High
- Go
- In
- Out
- It helps build the foundation for asking and answering WH questions. After the ball lands, you can ask your child, “Where is the ball?”, and then answer your own question, “It’s on the couch!”. This will help your child to understand the expectation of WH questions and provides the model for the appropriate answer.
I hope you enjoyed my post! Check back soon for more!
Ryan
