Kami L. Sammetinger, M.S., CF-SLP

Kaitlyn Losey, M.S., CCC-SLP



Mealtime is a great time to teach your child about language. From requesting to multisyllabic words to following directions, talking about food and eating touches on a variety of nuances in language. Read this post to learn how to use mealtime to your advantage when helping your children develop their language skills!

Language and Mealtime

• Requesting: Requesting can target both wants and needs during meal time. Be sure to provide your kiddo with options to choose from. Ex. - “Do you want juice or milk?” “Do you want more or are you all done?”
• Ideas: Implement simple signs and gestures!
• Using verbs/action words: Narrate what you are doing by using action words to increase both receptive and expressive language! Target both your actions and your child’s to work on pronouns.
• Labeling/identifying objects: This one is pretty simple; be sure to correctly label and identify objects with your child. Alongside this, implement adjectives into your descriptions! Adjectives can include color, size, shape, and texture.
• Ideas: Make grocery shopping fun! Play “iSpy” at the grocery store with snacks/food items your child is familiar with.
• Multisyllabic words: Increase intelligibility by increasing syllable length. Target different syllable lengths according to your child’s ability.
• Ideas: Clap out syllables - example: “Ba-Na-Na!” “Wa-Ter!”
• Following directions: Feel free to “upgrade” or “downgrade” your directions based on your child’s ability to follow them! Directions can be single stepor multi-step.  You can also use gestures or visuals.
• Ideas: Add prepositions “on, in, under” to your directions!

Graphic from Graceful Expression Speech Therapy (@gracefulexpression.slp on Instagram)

Get Into a Mealtime Routine

Getting into a routine can be very beneficial to your child's language development. Below are some tips for mealtime routines:

• Set apart time without technology where the family sits together for a meal
• Encourage kids to sit at the table for duration of the meal (can build up their tolerance if resistant or unable to at first)
• Follow an eating schedule--including a snack schedule (grazing/snacking all day is detrimental to a child’s hunger cues)

Keep Mealtime Fun

Keeping mealtime fun encourages your child to look forward to eating, which means they look forward to these language learning opportunities!

• Don’t be afraid to let kids get messy--it’s all part of the learning and sensory experiences!
• Serve family style so your child has some control over what goes on their plate-- can use a teaspoon and tablespoon to serve; child has to put at least of teaspoon of every food on their plate but can use the tablespoon if they want a bigger serving of something.
• Give a set out time where kids are encouraged to play and construct with food to relieve some anxiety.
• Get the kids in the kitchen to promote a bond and love for food!

For more tips and ideas to help your child reach developmental milestones, check out our other blog posts here! If you are worried your child may be behind in their language skills, try our Interactive Screening Tool to track and identify potential areas of improvement.