Whether a child with a language delay has challenges with expressive language, receptive language or both, reading aloud regularly will help him learn to use language more effectively. The more language a child hears, the more of it he will retain. Use read-alouds as an opportunity to call attention to details about a story. Make predictions as a class and discuss reasons that an author chose a particular word, phrase or picture. Read a story aloud, then have children draw or retell the story in their own words. Children who have difficulty with this can work with a partner to develop a more detailed retelling.
An understanding conversation buddy is a low-stress way for a child with a language delay to practice verbal skills. Pair up children so that those with language delays are matched with patient classmates. Have students interview each other and find something that they have in common. Choose one member of the group to share a similarity. Maintain these pairings through the school year and every few days choose a different topic to discuss. This continuity will help a child with a language delay to feel more comfortable talking and practicing language skills.
Use both verbal and nonverbal cues to engage children both with and without language delays. Verbal cues are small hints that help a student to remember the correct answer. You can use them to help a student who gets frustrated when he has trouble remembering the answer to a question. If you ask what 3 plus 3 is and the student hesitates, you could say, "sss" to help him remember that the answer is 6. For a nonverbal cue, ask a student which part of Pinocchio's body grew when he lied, then point to your nose if he is having trouble remembering the answer. If you use cueing, give students at least 10 seconds to think before providing a cue.
Engage a child with language and communication delays by going beyond the verbal. Since a child with language delays can have trouble both understanding and expressing himself verbally, he will often struggle in a classroom. Instead of relying on class discussions and lectures, incorporate more hands-on activities. Allow a child with a language delay to show you what he knows by drawing a picture or demonstrating a skill rather than writing or talking about a topic.