Children with language delays sometimes struggle to correctly use the past tense of verbs when talking about things that have already happened.  We can help by using past tense picture cards to show them before and after of past events.  Then, we can help them talk about what has happened using the past tense.

Past Tense Verb Picture Examples

In order to practice past tense verbs, it helps to have before and after pictures of the same action. That way, you can ask “what happened between these two images?”

Here are some examples of past tense verb pictures from our Grammar/Syntax Curriculum:

Using Past Tense Verbs: Show the first image to the child and read it out loud, then go to the next one and ask “what happened?”. The child should be able to tell you what happened between the picture on the left and the picture on the right. For example, if the picture on the left has an empty glass and a girl with a milk jug, and the picture on the right has a full glass of milk, the child should tell you that she poured the milk. Make sure that the child is using the correct past tense word, such as adding an “-ed” for regular past tense verbs or changing the word for irregular past tense verbs. If not, model the correct usage.