As children transition from preschool to elementary school, their world of communication expands dramatically. They are learning to read, writing stories, participating in classroom discussions, and navigating more complex social interactions with their peers. While the focus might shift, the power of play in fostering school-aged language development remains incredibly important.

For school-aged children (typically ages 5-10), play becomes more structured and often involves rules, strategy, and collaboration. These elements provide rich opportunities to practice higher-level language skills necessary for academic success and confident communication in various social settings.

Here are some top games and activities that I have personally use with children to foster school-aged language development in therapy, along with detailed ideas and scripts for how you can use them at home to continue nurturing their speech and language skills:

Build-a-Story Dice or Cards: Weaving Narratives, Building School-Aged Language Development

Narrative skills – the ability to tell and understand stories – are fundamental for reading comprehension, writing, and effective conversation. Dice designed to spark storytelling are invaluable tools for working on story structure, vocabulary, sequencing, and descriptive language with school-aged children. Examples include Rory’s Story Cubes, story prompt cards, or even simply a collection of interesting pictures or objects.

Why they are great for language:

Narrative Structure: Understanding and using story elements like characters, setting, initiating event, problem, plan, actions, and resolution.
Sequencing: Ordering events logically in a story.
Vocabulary: Introducing and using new words related to characters, settings, objects, actions, and emotions.
Descriptive Language: Using adjectives and adverbs to make stories more interesting and detailed.
Verb Tenses: Practicing past, present, and future tense as the story unfolds.
Complex Sentences: Encouraging the use of conjunctions (e.g., “and,” “but,” “so”) and descriptive clauses to connect ideas.
Inferencing and Predicting: Thinking about character feelings or what might happen next in the story.

How to play and build language (using story prompt cards or cubes):

Introduce the Story Elements:

Before you start, briefly review the parts of a story. You can use simple visuals if helpful (e.g., a picture of a character, a place for setting).
- You say: “Every good story has characters – that’s who the story is about. It has a setting – that’s where it takes place. Something happens to start the story, maybe a problem, and then the characters try to fix it. At the end, the problem is solved!”
Start Building the Story Together (Scaffolding):

Draw or roll a few prompts (e.g., a character, a setting, an object). Start the story and have your child add the next part, prompting them using the story elements.
- You say: “Okay, our character is a brave knight [show character card]. Where does our story take place? Let’s pick a setting… a spooky castle! [show setting card] So, ‘Once upon a time, there was a brave knight who lived in a spooky castle…’ What happened next?” (Wait for their idea or show an initiating event card like ‘found a mysterious map’).
- If they give a simple idea, expand it:
  - Child: “He saw a dragon.”
  - You say: “Ooh, a dragon! A big, scary dragon? Where did he see the dragon? ‘One day, the brave knight saw a big, scary dragon flying over the spooky castle!'”
Focus on Vocabulary and Description:

When a new character, object, or setting is introduced by a card or idea, pause and talk about it.
- You say: “Look at this prompt! It’s a shimmering key [show object card]. What does ‘shimmering’ mean? It means it’s sparkly and shiny! The knight found a shimmering, sparkly key.”
- You say: “How is the dragon feeling? Is he a happy dragon or a fierce, angry dragon?”
Work on Sequencing:

As you build the story, emphasize the order of events using transition words.
- You say: “‘First, the knight found the map.’ What happened next?”
- You say: “‘…He rode his horse to the mountain.’ Then, he saw a cave.”
- You say: “How did the story end?”
Target Specific Language Goals:

Adapt the prompts or ask specific questions to target your child’s individual goals.
- For Inferencing: “The character has a frown on their face. How do you think they are feeling? Why do you think they feel that way?”
- For Predicting: “The character is walking towards a dark forest. What do you think might happen when they go in?”
- For Complex Sentences: “The character was scared [pause] because the monster was very loud.” “The character needed help [pause] so they called their friend.”
Encourage Independent Storytelling (as skills develop):

As your child becomes more comfortable with story elements, have them tell a larger portion of the story or even the whole story using the prompts. Record them or have them draw pictures to go along with their story.

LEGOs/Building Bricks: Constructing School-Aged Language Development Brick by Brick

LEGOs and other building bricks are fantastic for school-aged children because they involve following instructions, problem-solving, spatial reasoning, and creative design. These activities are ripe with opportunities for practicing descriptive language, prepositions, sequencing, and complex sentence structures.

Why they are great for language:

LEGOS
Following Directions: Understanding and executing multi-step instructions from building guides or verbal prompts.
Spatial Concepts: Using and understanding words like “on top of,” “under,” “next to,” “behind,” “in front of,” “to the left,” “to the right,” “above,” “below.”
Descriptive Language: Describing the bricks (color, size, shape, number of studs) and the creations (tall, short, wide, narrow, detailed).
Sequencing: Talking about the steps involved in building something (“First, find the red brick. Then, put it here.”).
Vocabulary: Naming specific LEGO pieces (e.g., “plate,” “brick,” “tile,” ” minifigure”) and parts of structures (“wall,” “roof,” “door,” “window”).
Problem Solving: Discussing challenges and solutions during the building process.
Requesting and Clarifying: Asking for specific pieces or asking for directions to be repeated or clarified.

How to play and build language (using a LEGO set with instructions):

Review the Instructions and Identify Pieces:

Look at the instruction booklet together. Talk about the different types of pieces you’ll need for the first step.
- You say: “Let’s look at Step 1. What pieces do we need? We need one big blue brick and two small yellow bricks.”
- You say: “Can you find the big blue brick?”
Narrate and Model Directions (Taking Turns):

Take turns being the “builder” and the “instruction-giver.” Describe the steps as you do them or tell your child what to do.
- You say: (As the instruction-giver) “First, take the blue brick. Then, put the two yellow bricks on top of the blue brick.”
- You say: (As the builder, narrating) “Okay, I found the blue brick. Now I’m putting the yellow bricks on top. One, two!”
Focus on Spatial Concepts:

Emphasize the location words as you build.
- You say: “Where does this red piece go? Does it go next to the door or above the window?”
- You say: “Put the small grey tile in front of the minifigure.”
- You say: “Is the green brick to the left or to the right of the blue one?”
Encourage Descriptive Language:

Ask your child to describe the pieces they need or the part of the structure they are building.
- You say: “What kind of brick do you need next? Describe it to me.” (Guide them if needed: “What color is it? How many studs does it have?”)
- You say: “Tell me about the roof you are building. What color is it? What shape is it?”
Problem Solve and Discuss:

If you encounter a tricky step or make a mistake, talk through it together.
- You say: “Hmm, that doesn’t look like the picture. What went wrong? Let’s look at the instructions again.”
- You say: “How can we fix this? What should we try differently?”
Go Beyond the Instructions (Creative Play):

Once a set is built, or with a collection of loose bricks, encourage free building and storytelling.
- You say: “Now that we built the house, who lives here? What are they doing?”
- You say: “Let’s build a tall tower! How tall can we make it?” (Use comparative words like “taller,” “the tallest”)

Card Games: Dealing with Questions, Descriptions, and Social Rules

Many popular card games can be easily adapted to target a variety of language and social skills for school-aged children. Games that involve asking questions, describing cards, or matching based on attributes are particularly useful. Examples include Go Fish (with modified cards), Guess Who? (using cards), or commercially available language-focused card games.

Why they are great for language:

Headbanz Game

Asking and Answering Questions: Practicing formulating and understanding “yes/no” questions, “wh” questions (who, what, where, when, why), and descriptive questions.
Descriptive Language: Using attributes (color, size, category, function) to describe cards or guess what someone else has.
Vocabulary: Learning and using new vocabulary related to the pictures or concepts on the cards.
Inferencing: Making educated guesses based on the information given by other players.
Turn-Taking: Following the rules of the game for taking turns.
Social Communication: Initiating communication, responding to others, staying on topic, handling winning and losing gracefully.

How to play and build language (using a descriptive card game, e.g., cards with objects/animals/people that players describe for others to guess):

Introduce the Game and Rules:

Explain the rules clearly, using sequencing words.
- You say: “First, we deal the cards. Next, the first player picks a card and describes it without saying the name. Then, the other players guess what it is. Finally, if they guess right, they get a point!”
Model Descriptive Language:

Go first and model how to describe a card using several attributes.
- You say: “Okay, my card is something that is an animal. It is big and grey. It has a long trunk and big ears. It lives in the jungle. What is it?” (Answer: Elephant)
- You say: “I described its category (animal), size (big), color (grey), parts (trunk, ears), and habitat (jungle).”
Prompt and Guide Your Child’s Descriptions:

When it’s your child’s turn to describe, provide prompts or sentence starters if they need help.
- You say: “Okay, look at your card. Tell me something about it. What color is it?”
- You say: “What does it do? Or what is it used for?”
- You say: “Can you tell me two things about your card?”
- Model: “You could say, ‘It is a kind of…’ or ‘It has…'”
Focus on Asking Questions (when guessing):

Encourage players to ask descriptive questions when trying to guess the card.
- You say: “Okay, it’s my turn to guess. Can I ask you a question? Is it an animal?”
- You say: “Is it something you eat?”
- You say: “Does it have wheels?”
Work on Inferencing:

After a description is given, talk about the clues and how they led to the answer.
- You say: “You said it was an animal with a long trunk. That made me think it was an elephant because elephants have long trunks. You used good clues!”
Practice Social Skills During Play:

Comment on good plays, offer encouragement, and model good sportsmanship.
- You say: “Good guess!”
- You say: “Nice job describing your card!”
- You say: (If you win) “Good game, everyone! That was fun.”
- You say: (If you lose) “You played really well! Congratulations!”

Craft Kits and Art Supplies: Creating Communication and Following Steps

Engaging in arts and crafts is a wonderful way to work on language skills in a hands-on, creative way. Following instructions in a kit, describing materials and the creative process, and explaining the finished product all provide valuable language practice.

Why they are great for language:

Window Art

Following Directions: Understanding and executing sequential instructions from a craft kit or verbal prompts.
Sequencing: Talking about the steps you took to create something (“First, I cut the paper. Next, I glued it.”).
Vocabulary: Naming materials (e.g., “glue,” “scissors,” “paint,” “glitter,” “beads”), colors, shapes, and actions (“cut,” “glue,” “paint,” “draw,” “fold,” “tie”).
Descriptive Language: Describing the materials (sticky glue, bumpy glitter) and the finished product (colorful, shiny, unique).
Explaining a Process: Describing how they made their craft to someone else.
Requesting: Asking for specific materials or help.

How to play and build language (using a simple craft kit):

Review the Instructions and Materials:

Look at the steps in the craft kit together. Identify the materials needed for the first step.
- You say: “Let’s see what we need for Step 1. We need the blue paper and the scissors.”
- You say: “This says first, cut the blue paper.”
Follow Directions and Narrate Steps:

Take turns following the instructions and describing what you are doing using sequencing words and action verbs.
- You say: (Reading or explaining a step) “Next, glue the stars onto the paper.”
- You say: (As you glue) “I’m putting the sticky glue on the paper. Now I’m gluing the star on.”
- You say: “What do we do after we glue the stars?”
Focus on Vocabulary and Description of Materials:

Talk about the different art supplies you are using.
- You say: “This paint is very smooth.”
- You say: “Be careful, the glue is sticky!”
- You say: “Look at the sparkly glitter!”
Encourage Requesting:

Keep the materials in a central spot and encourage your child to ask for what they need.
- You say: “What color paint do you want?”
- You say: “Do you need the scissors?”
- You say: “What do you need?”
Describe the Finished Product:

Once the craft is complete, have your child describe what they made. Ask questions to encourage more detail.
- You say: “Tell me about your creation! What did you make?”
- You say: “What colors did you use?”
- You say: “What is your favorite part?”
Explain the Process (Sequencing):

Ask your child to explain how they made their craft, using sequencing words.
- You say: “How did you make your robot? What did you do first?”
- You say: “Then what did you do?”
- You say: “What was the last step?”

The Continued Importance of Your Engagement

Your active involvement is the most significant factor in using these toys and activities to boost your school-aged language development.

Be an Engaged Play Partner: Join in the game, show genuine interest, and make it enjoyable.
Model Rich Language: Use varied vocabulary, complete sentences, and different sentence structures.
Expand and Elaborate: When your child speaks, repeat and add more information or make their sentence more complex.
Ask Thought-Provoking Questions: Go beyond simple yes/no questions to encourage them to explain, describe, compare, and predict.
Provide Wait Time: Allow your child ample time to formulate their thoughts and responses.
Focus on Communication, Not Just Winning: While rules are important at this age, prioritize the language interaction over who wins the game.
Celebrate Their Communication Efforts: Praise their attempts to use new words, form sentences, tell stories, or participate in conversation.

By continuing to prioritize play and interaction, you are providing your school-aged child with invaluable opportunities to practice and refine the complex speech and language skills they need to succeed in school and connect with the world around them. So, gather some games, set up a craft, and enjoy building language together!

For more information check out these resource:

MDS: Top Educational Apps for Kids: Boost Speech & Language Development by Age

First Words Bright Futures Facebook Page

First Words Bright Futures Instagram Page

Disclaimer: This article provides general information and suggestions for educational purposes. It is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment from a certified Speech-Language Pathologist. Please consult with a qualified professional if you have specific concerns about your child’s speech and language development.