+1 Routine for Increasing Language
At Speech & Motion Therapy, we are here to give you tips and strategies to help increase your child’s language using tools you can integrate into your daily interactions. One simple way to help encourage your child to extend their sentence length is to follow the +1 Routine.
The +1 Routine is a strategy to increase your child’s utterance length by modeling phrases one word longer than what your child says. This exposes your child to language just above their current level and encourages them to follow in your footsteps.
When using the +1 Routine, repeat what your child says and add one word. For example:
- Child says “ball.” Parent says “red ball.”
- Child says “me up.” Parent says “pick me up.”
- Child says “help.” Parent says “help me.”
Follow your child’s lead when using this routine- try it after they have already started the conversation. Let them speak first, then you will expand upon their word(s). Also try and vary the type of word you add (example, do not just add “please” to the end of every sentence). While they may not repeat the +1 phrase right away, you are setting an example and foundation for your child to increase their utterance length.
Looking for other ways to expand language? Check out our posts on verbal routines and repetitive text.
References: Speech Room News, LLC
