When children learn to integrate humor into the little, but growing language set they've already attained, this opens up a whole new world of fun and motivation to learn new, funny words and phrases. It's pretty simple. People love to laugh, and they especially love to make others laugh. Children feel a sense of reward when they make others laugh with them (not at them, as I'm sure you're well aware of).
And so, this sense of reward can be utilized to facilitate learning and strengthening memory. Try teaching a lesson in a humorous way. I bet they'll remember the lesson and be able to recall it easier than if you had taught them the lesson in a dry, humorless manner.
Using humor in speech therapy is also a great tool. If you're practicing articulation, try using funny tongue twisters. Quick repetition can create silly speech, making the child laugh and the lesson more memorable. If your child is just learning to read, pick out a book that's funny. As they learn to read it, they'll learn to practice narrative skills. They'll also pick up on the notion that fluency creates a greater comical response than dis-fluency, which will motivate them to practice their fluency. Another great practice is to teach kids words and phrases by pairing them with funny pictures. Again, a laugh creates a strong memory, and so this will strengthen word and picture association, facilitating memory of meaning.
Watching your child grow and develop into a little adult can be the funniest time period of your life. Utilize the humor in ways that foster learning and development! Thank me later.
Resources
Stuckey, Kevin, M. E.d., CCC-SLP. "Humor as a Learning Tool"
Handy Handouts (2009): http://www.superduperinc.com/handouts/pdf/230_HumorandLearning.pdf
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