As the month changes, so does the page on the calendar. Use this opportunity to build vocabulary with the child who has a hearing loss.
Have you turned the page to October on your calendar yet? The changing month is a great opportunity to introduce or reinforce vocabulary with your child.
Talk about the names of the months. Go back to January and turn the pages saying the name of each month. Say Last month was ____. This month is _______. Next month will be ________.
Do calendar math. Count the number of months, or count the days in October. For older kids, try counting by twos (even or odd numbers). Ask your child to show you a specific number. Or point to a number, and your child what it is.
Discuss seasons, holidays, and birthdays. Calendars that truly reflex the season are best for this. Consider using family photos that emphasize the seasons to create your own calendar for next year.
Countdown to Christmas. Not to add stress to the quickly approaching holidays, number the days until Christmas so that it shows how many days are left. Let your child cross off each day/number as you go.
Designate a calendar just for your child. Perhaps you will post it on the refrigerator, or perhaps you will give your child a calendar to carry around. Dollar stores offer colorful calendars for this purpose.
Above all, consider the precious days that you have with your child. Each one grows up way too quickly. As you take time to talk about calendars, enjoy the time with your child. Perhaps there is something that can be marked off your own calendar that will allow more time for parent-child exploration of the world.
