Descriptive Words

“When The Moon Hits The Sky Like A Big Pizza Pie…”

• Use descriptive words to expand on what your child says (e.g., if your child says “ball,” you say “big ball”). 
• Model descriptive words throughout your child’s daily routines (e.g., during diaper changes, “dirty diaper”; during mealtime, “hot soup” or “I’m hungry”; during bath time, “little toe, big toe, wet, water”; during playtime, “red blocks, big blocks, square blocks”).
• Look through your child’s favorite books.  Point to pictures and describe the objects, actions, and people. 
• Find a book of opposites (e.g., big shoe, little shoe, long hair, short hair, hot fire, cold ice cream).
• Give your child choices (e.g., “Do you want the big ball or the little ball?”).
• Place various objects in a grab bag.  Have your child pick one object at a time and describe it.
• Prompt your child to use descriptive words by asking questions about the objects, such as “What color is it?  Is it big or little? How does it feel?”
• Take walks with your child. Children love to be outside.  Describe how you feel (e.g., “I’m cold”, “I’m hot”, “I’m hungry”).  Describe what you see (e.g., green grass, big tree, pretty flowers), and describe what you hear (e.g., loud fire engines, chirping birds, crying babies).