Easy Receptive Language Strategies for Parents to Use at Home

Hey SLP friends! 👋

Let’s be honest—receptive language can be one of the trickiest areas for us as speech therapists to target. We know how important it is, but it can be tough to help parents feel confident carrying those skills over at home.

If you’ve ever had a parent say, “They just don’t seem to understand me,” or “I’m not sure how to help,” you’re not alone. Receptive language—the ability to understand or comprehend language—is foundational to all communication. And as we know, language isn’t just spoken words. It includes gestures, signs, written language, and even Braille.

Our job as SLPs is to help kids understand language in any form. But that progress doesn’t just happen in the therapy room—it happens in daily routines, playtime, and interactions with caregivers. So let’s make it easy for parents to build receptive language naturally at home.

Here are some tried-and-true ways to encourage understanding and carryover that you can share with families today!

1️⃣ Use Books (and Pictures!)

Books are an SLP’s best friend—and for good reason! Reading exposes children to rich language, new vocabulary, and visual cues that support comprehension.

If your student isn’t ready to follow along with text, that’s totally fine. Encourage parents to:

• Point to pictures and label what they see (“Look, a dog! The dog is running.”)

• Describe what’s happening on the page

• Let their child turn pages and make comments (even if it’s just a sound or gesture)

These small, interactive moments build understanding and attention without feeling like “work.”

2️⃣ Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

Remind parents that less is often more when it comes to receptive language. If a child struggles to process multi-step directions or long sentences, encourage parents to break it down.

✔️ Keep directions short and simple (“Get your shoes.” instead of “Go grab your shoes from your room so we can get ready to leave.”)
✔️ Focus on core vocabulary—words like “go,” “stop,” “eat,” “help,” “more,” and “all done.”

Reducing verbal overload helps children focus on what matters most and decreases frustration for everyone.

3️⃣ Model and Assist

For kids still developing comprehension, modeling actions or using hand-over-hand guidance can make directions clearer.

Instead of repeating “Put the block in the box,” show them exactly what that looks like. Demonstrations take the pressure off and create success through errorless learning.

Parents can also pair words with gestures or visual cues to help connect meaning (pointing, showing, or holding up items).

4️⃣ Use Picture Boards or Visual Choices

Visuals are a game-changer! Even simple ones can make a big difference. Suggest that parents save food labels, snack boxes, or take photos of favorite toys and use them to offer choices.

Example: “What would you like to eat? 🍝 Macaroni or 🌭 hot dogs?”

This helps bridge the gap between words and meaning—and gives children a way to respond before they’re ready to verbalize.

If you're looking for done-for-you visuals, be sure to check out my Physical Drill Cards for Speech Therapy!

5️⃣ Teach What to Do When You Don’t Understand

Many children don’t yet know how to communicate confusion. We can teach this! Encourage parents to model what they do when they’re unsure:

🗣 “Hmm, I didn’t understand that sentence. Let me read it again.”
🗣 “I heard the first part, but can you repeat the rest?”
🗣 “Oops! Those are my shoes—I need my gloves!”

By showing repair strategies, we help children learn that communication is a two-way street.

Receptive language growth happens everywhere—during mealtime, play, errands, and bedtime stories. The best part? Parents don’t need fancy materials or hours of extra time. They just need simple, consistent ways to build understanding through real-life interactions.

Encourage families to reflect on when communication breaks down during the day and try one or two of these strategies to bridge that gap. With a little guidance, those small moments at home can turn into huge gains in therapy. 

Happy speeching!

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