Helping Language Bloom: Using Verbal Routines in Everyday Moments

Tamara Gonzalez-Scheulov
Jun 14
5 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

Did you know that using the same simple phrases during everyday routines, like snack time, getting dressed, or play, can help your child learn to communicate more confidently?

This strategy is called script therapy. It works by giving your child repeated exposure to key words and phrases that are meaningful, predictable, and tied to real-life moments - even the busy, on-the-go ones.

Why Use Scripts?

Scripts give children a reliable framework for communicating in familiar situations.

Think of it like a verbal routine. When the language is predictable and practiced, children are more likely to participate and build toward spontaneous communication.

These scripts are easy to use during everyday routines, even when you are on the go - like singing “This is the way we go to school, early in the morning” or playfully saying “ready to go!” while grabbing shoes.

Benefits of Script Therapy on Language

Supports functional communication.
Encourages participation and turn-taking in social interactions.
Builds sentence structure and vocabulary.
Reduces frustration by giving a verbal plan for common routines.
Can help language blossom naturally over time.

How Caregivers Can Use Script Therapy at Home:

Pick predictable family routines

Think about parts of the day that happen over and over again, like washing hands, getting into the car, eating lunch, bedtime, or going for a walk in the neighborhood. These are perfect moments for using scripted phrases because your child already knows what to expect and repetition helps language stick.

Examples:

Morning Routine: Waking up, getting dressed, brushing teeth, combing hair.
Mealtime: Making breakfast/lunch/dinner, setting the table, sitting down to eat, requesting food, cleaning up
Handwashing & Bath Time: Turning on water, using soap/bubbles, rinsing, drying off
Getting Ready to Go Out: Putting on shoes, zipping sweater or jacket, grabbing bag
Playtime: Setting up toys (opening/closing, finding toy, turning on/off, etc.,), taking turns, cleaning up together
Story-time: Choosing a book, urning pages, saying familiar lines
Bedtime: Pajamas on, brushing teeth, reading a bedtime story , hugs, kisses, lights off

You can turn these daily routines into language-rich moments by using the same words, songs, or phrases each time.

Choose simple, repeatable phrases

Using short, familiar phrases during these routines helps your child understand what’s happening and encourages them to join in. For example, if you always say, “Big hug!” as you wrap your arms around your child, they may begin to associate those words with the comforting feeling of being held. Over time, your child might lean in, smile, or even say “hug” when they hear the phrase, showing they understand and want to participate.

Examples of Verbal Scripts Across Daily Routines

Remember to keep your tone warm, your words simple, and your pace slow enough for your child to process or potentially take a turn.

3. Say the same phrase each time

When your child hears the same words and phrases during familiar routines, they begin to connect those words to actions, objects, and events. This process, known as word mapping or fast mapping, is how children learn vocabulary.

For many children, just a few exposures may be enough to understand and use a new word. But for children with language delays, more repetition and intentional exposure is often needed before that connection is made.

For example, if you always say, “Up on Daddy’s shoulders!” before lifting your child, they may begin to associate that phrase with the fun and physical feeling of being lifted, seeing the world from up high, and spending time together. Over time, just hearing the phrase may bring a smile, a reach upward, or even the word “up!” as your child learns to anticipate the routine and join in.

4. Pair with gestures or visual cues

Adding gestures, signs, or pictures to your words gives your child extra support for understanding and communicating.

Children with language delays often benefit from seeing what you mean as well as hearing it. These visual cues can help reduce frustration, support comprehension, and give your child more ways to express themselves - even before they’re using words.

Examples:

Pointing: Point to the toothbrush when you say, “Time to brush your teeth,” or point to the door while saying, “Let’s go outside!”
Baby signs or simple ASL: Use signs like:
- “More” (fingertips together)
- “All done” (hands turning outward)
- “Eat” (fingers to mouth)
- “Help” (flat hand supporting a fist)
Pictures or visual schedules: Create a simple picture chart showing the steps in a routine (e.g., wake up → brush teeth → get dressed → eat breakfast → go outside). You can use printed photos, drawings, or apps.A visual schedule shows the steps in a routine using pictures or symbols, helping your child anticipate what’s coming next.

Low-tech AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication): A low tech AAC or communication board with pictures can support your child’s understanding and expression. A communication board or binder with images for common needs (e.g., “eat,” “play,” “toilet,” “bed”) gives your child a way to express themselves when words are hard to find.

Even just pairing your words with a consistent gesture, sign, or AAC support can make a big difference. Over time, your child may begin to use the same gestures, signs, or AAC tools to express their needs and participate more actively in daily routines.

Use simple songs to support routines

Singing adds rhythm, repetition, and fun, making it easier for your child to understand and join in. You don’t need perfect pitch - just slow it down, emphasize key words, and repeat the same songs during familiar routines. Over time, your child may start to hum along, fill in words, or use gestures.

Songs to Support Daily Routines

Use an expectant pause to invite participation. For example, during cleanup you might say, “Clean up, clean up everybody everywhere…”, then pause and look at your child before finishing, “Clean up, clean up everybody do your share”. Or during a toothbrushing routine, you might sing, “This is the way we…” and pause expectantly before adding, “brush our teeth!”

Over time, your child may start to fill in the missing word, hum along with the tune, gesture toward the toothbrush, or begin the action themselves.

Celebrate any response

Whether your child repeats a word, uses a gesture, or simply looks at the object, they’re communicating, and that’s worth celebrating!

Every small response is a sign that your child is making connections and learning how communication works.

Even if they aren’t speaking yet, they’re actively building the foundation for language. Through shared routines, your child learns that words have meaning and that communication is a back-and-forth exchange of attention, actions, and connection.

By consistently using the same simple words, songs, or phrases during everyday routines, you can turn ordinary moments into language-rich opportunities that nurture your child’s confidence and communication skills.

References

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2024). Augmentative and alternative communication. https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/AAC/

Bloom, P. (2002). How children learn the meanings of words. MIT Press.

Carey, S. (1978). The child as word learner. In M. Halle, J. Bresnan, & G. A. Miller (Eds.), Linguistic theory and psychological reality (pp. 264–293). MIT Press.

Charlop-Christy, M. H., & Carpenter, M. (2000). Modified incidental teaching sessions: A procedure for teaching complex language to children with autism. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 2(2), 77–91. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098300700002002

Gray, S. (2004). Word learning by preschoolers with specific language impairment: What predicts success? Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 47(5), 1117–1132. https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2004/083)

Nelson, N. W. (1989). Techniques for naturalistic intervention. In M. Rice & R. L. Schiefelbusch (Eds.), The teachability of language (pp. 165–195). Paul H. Brookes.

Romski, M., & Sevcik, R. A. (2005). Augmentative communication and early intervention: Myths and realities. Infants & Young Children, 18(3), 174–185. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001163-200507000-00002

Roskos, K., Burstein, K., & Sullivan, S. (2013). A small-scale study of the effects of supplemental vocabulary instruction on preschoolers with vocabulary delays. Creative Education, 4, 15–22. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2013.47A1003