What Are Verbal Routines and Why Do They Work?
What is a verbal routine?
A verbal routine is when we say the same set of words, the same way, during the same activity. Verbal routines are excellent tools for supporting language and building vocabulary in babies and toddlers. The research shows over and over that children thrive on routines, repetition, and predictability, and verbal routines work because they help children learn language in a predictable and repetitive way!
You can introduce and model verbal routines during play, book-reading, transitions, and daily routines to support your child’s speech and language skills and promote predictability. Remember: you can also make up unique verbal routines for your family!
To teach a verbal routine, model it a few times, then pause expectantly and give your little one at least 5 seconds to fill in the blank. If they don’t fill it the blank, that’s okay! Do it for them and keep practicing. It might take a day, a few days, or a few weeks!
What are some common verbal routines?
These are some examples of common verbal routines you can use to help your toddler say more words during play and your daily routines.
Ready, set, GO!
Up, up, up, DOWN!
1 … 2 … THREE!
Knock knock … OPEN!
Pop, pop, pop!
Stop and ... GO!
Peek-a … BOO!
[Horse, horse], where are you?
Night night, shhh shhh shhh.
Because verbal routines can be any set of words, you can make up verbal routines that work in a moment or fit your family’s needs, your child’s interests, and your daily routines.
What if my child is not talking yet?
Depending on how old your child is or where they are in their communication journey, they might “fill in the blank” with a gesture, big body movement, or part of a word (“g” for go). That’s a great sign that they are heading in the right direction!
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