Boosting Communication Skills: Why I Love YouTube as an SLP
By: Maggie Wade, CCC-SLP
Let’s face it, our kids are growing up in a digital world. Screens are everywhere: in classrooms, in entertainment, and in the quiet moments when we all just need a break. As an adult, I’ll admit I enjoy watching YouTube to relax and unwind, and based on conversations with my clients and their families, so do the kids!
While I was once hesitant to use videos in therapy, I’ve discovered that when used intentionally, YouTube can be a powerful tool for building language and communication skills. Here’s how you can use it at home to help your child grow.
Build Early Language Skills
Many children’s songs include simple repeated words and phrases that make it easier for kids to learn new vocabulary. I especially love songs that highlight “core words” like go, see, or stop, and if they include actions, even better!
Some of my favorites:
What Do You See?
The Ants Go Marching
Freeze Dance
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
Encouraging Your Child to Make Requests
Giving your child a chance to choose a song is a great way to encourage communication. I often pause the music a few times, creating natural opportunities for ids to request “more,” “play,” or name the song. If your child can put a few words together, they can even use AI assistants to request their favorite tune.
Fun ideas:
Have your child use their voice to ask Alexa or Siri for a song
Encourage them to name their favorite artist or YouTube channel
Answering Questions
Many songs naturally include questions, which can help children learn about answering who, what, where, and when.
Some go-to picks:
Who Took the Cookie?
Where is Baby?
How’s the Weather?
Practicing Articulation
Singing along is a fun, low-pressure way to practice speech sounds. Choose songs that feature your child’s target sounds so they can hear and practice them playfully.
Favorites for speech and sound practice
ABC Mouse: The Letter Song
Jack Hartmann: Learn the Alphabet
ABC Song—Story Bots
YouTube isn’t just for screen time. It can be a bridge to learning, laugh, and growing together. By choosing the right songs and getting involved, you can turn a simple video into a rich language-learning experience.
If you’re looking for private speech therapists who take insurance in the greater Charlotte, NC area, Child & Family Development is here to help. Our team of licensed Speech-Language Pathologists offer individualized, one-on-one support for children working on articulation, language development, social communication, feeding and so much more. Contact us today to learn more or schedule a consultation, using our easy self-scheduling tool!
