Why not? Everyone loves a good game. The speech language pathologists at Better Speech love March Madness because even if you are not one of the "mad"college basketball fans, you and your child can still participate in the magic.
So here are three of our favorite ways to target language skills during March Madness.
1. March Madness Mascots - Which is Your Favorite and Why?
College basketball is full of some wacky characters. Here is a link to some of the weirdest mascots in college basketball. Take a look and pick your favorite. Then ask your child the following questions (you can model yourself answering the questions as well so they can hear what a reply might sound like):
What do you think a mascot is?
Why does a team have a mascot?
Which is your favorite?
What do you like/not like about them?
Why are they your favorite?
March Madness is a great time to learn new things.
2. What are They Thinking and Feeling?
We love watching videos without anyone talking. It gives our little clients a chance to look at body language to try to figure out what is happening. Take a look at this video clip of some of the opening moments of previous March Madness games.
Ask your child why the mascots are behaving the way that they are? What are they saying to the people in the crowd, to their team, or to the other team?
3. Figurative Language Fun
There is a lot of figurative language around March Madness. You can talk to your child about what these might mean and why we use them to talk about the game.
First, define what figurative language is and give them some examples. It's when you use a word or phrase that does not have a literal or normal, everyday meaning. Some examples are:
It's raining cats and dogs.
She slept like a log.
The wind howled.
Here are some terms you can talk about with your child relating to March Madness:
Final 4
Basketball fever
Cinderella story
March Madness
At Better Speech, we offer online speech therapy services convenient for you and tailored to your child's individual needs. Our services are affordable and effective - get Better Speech now.
About the Author
Cheri Gipson
I am a speech-language pathologist who specializes in language skills and pronunciation. I obtained my Master’s of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Western Illinois University and I have worked in the field of speech pathology for over 20 years. One of the things I enjoy most is helping people learn.
In my spare time, I enjoy writing tips on how to improve online teaching for both the larger language schools and also as a private ESL teacher. Teaching is my passion, and I love seeing students make progress. Every day is a new adventure, and I am grateful for the opportunity to help people learn and grow!
