Supercalifrag...

What to do with this activity?

Here's a really long word your child will love to try and say or sing - "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious". Breaking it into smaller chunks helps you to read it - "su-per-cal-i-frag-i-lis-tic-ex-pi-a-li-do-cious". The word was made up for a song in the favourite old Disney movie "Mary Poppins". Listen to the full song in the movie here. The singer Julie Andrews even manages to say the word backwords in the clip!

The word has a positive sound because it mixes in bits of positive words like "super", "delicious", "fantastic", and "excellent". Here are some of the words of the song.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious!
If you say it loud enough, you'll always sound precocious
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Um-diddle-diddle-um-diddleye
Um-diddle-diddle-um-diddleye

An updated and enjoyable version of the story called "Mary Poppins Returns" starring Emily Blunt came out at Christmas 2018. However, it doesn't include this super song.

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Why am I doing this?

Children improve their language by hearing how words are used in everyday life. Chatting to your child helps build their communication skills. Getting your child to tell you stories or explain things, helps them to put ideas in the right order. This is an important skill for listening and speaking.
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How can I do more?

When you’re out and about with your child ask them to recall little things that happened on previous trips. For example, “Do you remember what we saw here yesterday?” This helps your child to recall, listen, speak and to become more aware of their surroundings – good skills for listening and speaking.

But remember, to listen well, first let your child finish what they are saying. Avoid too many questions that might interrupt their train of thought. Try not to think about what you want to say next. Concentrate on what your child is saying. Check with them that you understood, for example, “So what you are saying is…”