For children with delayed speech and language, real play is the most evidence-based home intervention available. Here is how it works.
Please seek professional assessment
This page is for informational purposes only. If you have concerns about your child's speech or language development, please speak to your GP or health visitor, and request a referral to Speech and Language Therapy (SALT). Early intervention is highly effective.
Speech and Language Therapy for under-5s is almost entirely play-based. This is not because therapists lack more sophisticated tools, it is because play is the most effective vehicle for language learning in the early years. The play environment, shared objects, adult narration, turn-taking, joint attention, provides the exact conditions that language acquisition requires.
Parents can support language development at home through what SLTs call "responsive interaction": following the child's lead in play, narrating what they do ("you're pushing the fox!"), expanding on their words ("fox! yes, the fox is going fast!"), and waiting, creating space for the child to communicate rather than filling silence.
Key citation
RCSLT (Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists) · Paul, R. & Norbury, C. (2012). Language Disorders from Infancy through Adolescence. Elsevier
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