tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48529246634602313342024-03-27T00:35:07.709-06:00Speaking of KidsAnswering your questions about speech and language developmentUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-70666704265293126962013-07-25T19:36:00.001-06:002013-07-26T15:52:41.580-06:00Reading To Your Kids #3: Make Predictions and InferencesHi. It's me. Sorry for the delay. We have been having a summer full of fun and excitement! For example, we found out we are adding another boy to our family in November! I'm so happy and blessed to be a mom. I get so much joy from watching my children learn and grow - nothing compares! Even being a speech therapist - as much as I love it - doesn't quite bring the same amount of satisfaction. I'm lucky I get to do both! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7SbQmf3SpKhQ3Y1eL-tGni2bMCJbL3LYwLCSzdB33RxiGZC7_W3NtY1rkH7EbxrjtRqhjLi-jRKGJ418Yul7c1Q3rhHJzORhwiC2_wpL1hKo6QKWtfKmCbquWTKoOoKLwUPPFXTnb_io/s1600/2013+5+23+Natalie+Wedding+Family+Photos+(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7SbQmf3SpKhQ3Y1eL-tGni2bMCJbL3LYwLCSzdB33RxiGZC7_W3NtY1rkH7EbxrjtRqhjLi-jRKGJ418Yul7c1Q3rhHJzORhwiC2_wpL1hKo6QKWtfKmCbquWTKoOoKLwUPPFXTnb_io/s320/2013+5+23+Natalie+Wedding+Family+Photos+(5).jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
Now this series on reading to your kids is for all you fellow moms out there. My next suggestion is technically two - but they go so well together that I wanted to talk about them at the same time. In general terms, here are the definitions:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Predictions and Inferences have to do with using context clues (from pictures or from words) in order to make a guess about the story. <i>Predicting</i> is guessing what <b>will</b> happen; <i>inferencing</i> is guessing what <b>already happened</b>. </span></div>
<br />
1) A great example of teaching 'predicting' is something that you will see most lower elementary teachers do every time they grab a book. They will show the cover to their class, read the title, and ask, "What do you think this story is about?" Try doing this with your kids every time you pick up a book. They will start out by making guesses based on the picture on the front. That's great! Encourage every guess. It's important to teach your child that there is no wrong answer. Then read the title. Sometimes the title of the book doesn't match the picture exactly...this provides a good opportunity for discussion. For example, in many copies of "The Mitten" by Jan Brett, the cover shows the mitten but it also shows a lot of other animals that will make an appearance.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51iYZCZ7HHL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51iYZCZ7HHL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Talk about how the mitten is probably the main part of the story since it is the title. Then make predictions about the mitten. <i>Whose is it? Why is it on the ground? What do you think happened next? What are the animals going to do with it?</i> See how you have already had some great discussion and you haven't even opened up the book yet?<br />
<br />
2) Make predictions as you go throughout the book about what might happen next. You will need to talk about <b>why</b> you think something will happen next. For example, in one of my favorite books for preschoolers, "Good Night Gorilla", there are hardly any words which can allow for some great conversation. There is a page where the gorilla is stealing the keys from the zookeeper.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQP3b_4pluBSV9mKcXITf5libVl2N-7uIZ1iKjG_ytUBeBEThl3" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="129" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQP3b_4pluBSV9mKcXITf5libVl2N-7uIZ1iKjG_ytUBeBEThl3" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
You can ask, "What is the gorilla going to do next?" Talk about how the gorilla is reaching for the keys, so he is probably trying to take them and unlock his cage and escape. (That was actually using clues to make an inference which then helps you make a prediction. They go together very well. But you can see how it can get quite complex and children may need it explained step by step).<br />
<br />
3) Many picture books have plenty of opportunities to teach inferencing, because the illustrator can't very well draw every single thing that happens in the story. Oftentimes you have to use your imagination and clues from the story to fill in the blanks. Returning to my "Good Night Gorilla" example, the page after the gorilla is sneaking the keys is a picture of the gorilla following the zookeeper and they are now at the elephant's cage.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://exampleschildrensbooks.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/good-night-gorilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="http://exampleschildrensbooks.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/good-night-gorilla.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Clearly some things have happened since the last picture, namely, the gorilla opened his own cage with the keys that he stole. Many children have a difficult time grasping these events when they didn't actually see them occur. Explain to the child that something happened and we didn't see the picture of it, but we know it happened because of the clues the pictures gave us. So....what do you think will happen next? See - another predicting opportunity. This particular book is great because there are a TON of opportunities for inferencing and predicting. I think that once you start paying attention you will notice how often we apply these skills in books without even realizing it! If your child learns how to do this with pictures then it will be a great foundation for them to start applying it when they learn how to read on their own, then when there are no pictures at all. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
I hope you find this helpful and that you have fun reading books with your kids!</div>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-20712841066448826082013-05-17T08:11:00.000-06:002013-05-17T08:13:07.466-06:00Reading To Your Kids #2: Try Avoiding the TextSometimes it's fun to deviate a little bit from the exact printed words on the page and tell a story your own way. It's good for a child to hear the same story told in different ways. They learn the skill of re-telling which is crucial for academic and social success. Besides, when you read the same book OVER and OVER and OVER again, we parents sometimes require a little change of pace. It's essential to our sanity! My son is a little obsessed with Berenstain Bears books right now. They are fun and they teach great morals - but sheesh - sometimes they seem way too long! So sometimes I shorten it up. I'm modeling how to summarize stories for him - so it's a win-win! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/BEAR-FAMILY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/BEAR-FAMILY.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Did you know there is research that shows that wordless picture books help readers "understand the elements of story structure, develop visual literacy, think and write creatively, and cultivate language and narrative abilities"? <a href="http://libraryschool.libguidescms.com/content.php?pid=282825&sid=2342823" target="_blank">(Masters Program in Library and Information Sciences</a>). This <----- about="" articles="" books.="" great="" has="" link="" other="" p="" picture="" related="" research="" some="" to="" wordless=""><br />
There are lots of great wordless picture books out there. My friend Lynn did a post about some of them last month. Check it out <a href="http://www.hearsaylw.com/2013/04/listen-and-learn-with-wordless-picture.html?showComment=1368759603821#c4614665526912026728" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
One of my favorite books isn't technically <i>wordless</i> per se, but it has very limited words and the pictures are so much fun! It can create so much great discussion! The book is Good Night Gorilla and it's a favorite among all the kids I work with. It'll probably come up again in this series when we talk about inferencing. <br />
<br />
<!---------><!---------><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://childrensbookalmanac.com/wp-content/uploads/Goodnight-Gorilla.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://childrensbookalmanac.com/wp-content/uploads/Goodnight-Gorilla.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<!---------></----->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-73103330821608202842013-05-15T19:05:00.000-06:002013-05-15T19:05:33.752-06:00Reading To Your Kids #1: Take Your Time<br />
I have promised a few friends and a few parents that I would do this series and I think it's time! Summer Break is approaching and that's a great time to establish a reading routine with your kids. I'll just be posting a new concept each time and I don't know exactly how many posts I will end up doing....we shall see! My first tip is a short and simple one, but a very powerful one at the same time. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55zgqK1VaQJq8JQOVIlHkWSErOkjg_yZrWD-7XZ-zFzEKn_iBU-ZirTba0ihdjbw6Xjl2JFgQY_jNCxfhH1kIbpD_hz1yb6Sf_aqvrbzwuJya-ZrP8T96VCVf5pncTd9IyN2i4HVBTS0/s1600/2010+Summer+(70).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55zgqK1VaQJq8JQOVIlHkWSErOkjg_yZrWD-7XZ-zFzEKn_iBU-ZirTba0ihdjbw6Xjl2JFgQY_jNCxfhH1kIbpD_hz1yb6Sf_aqvrbzwuJya-ZrP8T96VCVf5pncTd9IyN2i4HVBTS0/s320/2010+Summer+(70).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Reading Tip #1: Take Your Time</span></div>
We all have nights where we are home late from a baseball game or something, we just want the kids to go to bed so we read a quick book and get it over with. That's OK! But hopefully most of the time you are able to sit down, relax, and let your child take the lead. Let them turn the pages, ask questions, talk about the pictures, etc. There's no need to rush to get through it. Many children need a long time to absorb what was just read and apply it to the pictures on the page. Especially if it's a first-time read-through. You might find that after you read the text and give your child a few minutes to let it sink in, they suddenly start asking questions. Those are the times when you can catch a glimpse into your child's amazing mind. Let me know how it goes!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-51267074968072283232013-05-08T12:43:00.001-06:002013-05-08T12:43:48.105-06:00Why Should I Spend the Money on Private Practice?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IXHn9CGJVmLuE4IPVqqUdEXfhPQKbNYU7O77VXMV0HGeNTo0mimsbb1M2AkJrNjl8Vl6guKmbyx9EeI-N_N8sDHIPT5afLKo1OFh1xri0_XU-BmQta_9y77Gs2s4Cms8Zdr7glNQorQ/s1600/desktop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IXHn9CGJVmLuE4IPVqqUdEXfhPQKbNYU7O77VXMV0HGeNTo0mimsbb1M2AkJrNjl8Vl6guKmbyx9EeI-N_N8sDHIPT5afLKo1OFh1xri0_XU-BmQta_9y77Gs2s4Cms8Zdr7glNQorQ/s320/desktop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
As a parent of a child with a speech or language delay, you probably have a lot of questions about what to do and where to go to receive help. Here are some reasons why the parents who come to Speaking of Kids are especially pleased with their choice of private practice.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1. The child is getting one-on-one attention once or twice a week.</span><br />
Many times, especially for younger children, a school district will qualify a child for services, but only for 30 or 60 minutes a month. In other cases, they are unable to serve a child because their needs aren't severe enough to meet their criteria. Still, in other cases, the child is getting services 30 minutes a week, but they are being seen in a group of 3 or even more students, so the time spent in the SLP's room is not always super effective. Please know, I'm not in any way trying to bash schools. They have to set guidelines and procedures to help them accommodate such a wide variety of needs. Many speech therapists have anywhere from 70-100 kids on their caseload!!! And I know MANY great things are done in schools to help students. There are many amazing SLP's out there who make such a huge difference in the lives of the kids they serve. Frankly, I don't know how they do it sometimes! But for the reasons listed above, some parents think private practice is an excellent supplement or replacement to the services in the school setting. I always say - more is usually better! And I am happy to collaborate with the student's speech therapist from the school so we can work on the same goals together. <br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. They are "in the know".</span> <br />
One of the main reasons why I have tried to hard to serve children in a private practice setting is because of my strong belief that parents need to be empowered and educated. In a school setting it is much more difficult - almost impossible - to keep parents fully informed of their child's status and progress. I love taking time to sit down with parents and explain their child's strengths and weaknesses, and brainstorm together ways we can help the child improve.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. They receive materials and support to continue the child's learning at home.</span><br />
This goes along with number two, but in addition to receiving added information, I try to give parents ideas, materials, and resources so that they can continue helping their child fortify the skills they learn each week. 30 minutes/week isn't going to help a child progress as quickly as if a child also practices those skills at home with a parent who is confident enough to encourage and reinforce the progress.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. The child maintains progress because there are no breaks.</span><br />
For some students, this isn't an issue. But for many students out there, Christmas break, Spring break, and especially Summer break are times when a child completely forgets much of what they have learned and have to back up significantly to regain that previously-known knowledge. In private practice, we don't take breaks. Many parents find that private practice during the Summer only is a great addition to the services the child will receive in the school when it starts back up again. <br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5. Parents are highly involved.</span><br />
Depending on the child's needs and the family situation, I try to encourage the parents to be involved in the therapy, or at least to sit back and observe. I often hand out notebooks to the parents so they can write down what we worked on that day, what strategies I give them on how to incorporate concepts at home, websites or other resources they can go to, or any questions they might have. Then at the end of the session, I review what we did, how the child did, and answer any other questions they might have.<br />
<br />
So there are some of the reasons why many parents find private speech therapy to be an excellent option for their children. If you know anybody thinking about this possibility, please feel free to share this link! If you live in northern Utah and would like to contact me about speech therapy, please see my personal website at speakingofkids.org. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-66337630633802100092013-04-24T17:45:00.002-06:002013-05-09T20:57:23.546-06:00Speaking of Kids is Growing Up!There have been some very exciting changes going on with my private practice. My husband and I have been busy finding an office, painting it, buying furniture, and moving in! This space is so fantastic, I can't get over it!!! You want to see it? OK - wish granted!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMp1_Z19A-IatDVL0h9bWNQSRuIY94W4aYxu4fUgyW5omUKHp8HOZ3Op1hfmP6OuqJW0Z2XMQmligFA9Fxloi96nNp-4c1W8e-VskYW94tqqnM8J5H-f2ey2CZ5NmGbz2DIaWtHAYq8ho/s1600/New+Office+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMp1_Z19A-IatDVL0h9bWNQSRuIY94W4aYxu4fUgyW5omUKHp8HOZ3Op1hfmP6OuqJW0Z2XMQmligFA9Fxloi96nNp-4c1W8e-VskYW94tqqnM8J5H-f2ey2CZ5NmGbz2DIaWtHAYq8ho/s640/New+Office+2.jpg" width="524" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUJhv-hoOiAyKU-_ed3OjTduwjZyQhJ1XkcwDKPSZBMjlDUupl4IiLiowMJl05YsZWWLFaScjo2B9dA-rb2_e-rDg8t33B647zhdeSHkyfHJu7BCPlRqGgseoSdFTKv_VQDx76zam1Y0/s1600/Office.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUJhv-hoOiAyKU-_ed3OjTduwjZyQhJ1XkcwDKPSZBMjlDUupl4IiLiowMJl05YsZWWLFaScjo2B9dA-rb2_e-rDg8t33B647zhdeSHkyfHJu7BCPlRqGgseoSdFTKv_VQDx76zam1Y0/s400/Office.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
On the opposite side of the room there are a couple of chairs for parents to sit back and observe. There is also a nice waiting area outside of the room if that works better for the client and family. I will be posting more about my adventures in private practice so stay tuned! Also - be sure to check out the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SpeakingofKids" target="_blank">facebook page</a> and like it! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-52429705820407952562013-02-13T20:51:00.002-07:002013-02-13T20:51:55.262-07:00ASHA Leader Blurb<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.asha.org/uploadedImages/ASHA/Publications/leader/2013/2013_Feb1_feature.jpg?n=7723" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="http://www.asha.org/uploadedImages/ASHA/Publications/leader/2013/2013_Feb1_feature.jpg?n=7723" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I was mentioned in this month's issue of the <a href="http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2013/130201/Blogjam--February-2013.htm" target="_blank">ASHA Leader</a>! I've always wanted to be published - now maybe I can cross that off my bucket list. I guess the writers over at ASHA liked my post about the Story Champion Chart. Thanks to Katie at <a href="http://www.playingwithwords365.com/2012/11/improve-story-telling-skills-with-a-story-champion-chart/" target="_blank">Playing with Words 365</a> for hosting me on her popular and exceptional blog and allowing me to get a little recognition. <br />
<br />
In my original post, I write all about how I make the chart, but I wasn't able to post the PDFs for it. So I will go ahead and do that now - all the images were obtained from Microsoft Word and I'm pretty sure they are all on their website so I shouldn't be breaking any copyright laws.....Just click on the words and it will take you to a google doc where you can save or print!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1R7pkap4KIleWdHRG1pcGR4a2s/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">1) Large Symbols (for teaching)</a><br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1R7pkap4KIlNFVfTU5SU18xZzQ/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">2) Small Symbols (print two - one for each flap on the book)</a><br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1R7pkap4KIlZC04RW5DbHFGMlE/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">3) Trophy Image </a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Check back soon for more ideas on how to teach narratives!</span></div>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-35340670345760369262013-01-22T09:45:00.002-07:002013-01-22T09:48:58.572-07:00AD/HDOne of the reasons I love my job so much is that it is so broad. Did you know that a speech-language pathologist works not only with speech sounds, but also with following directions, grammar, story-telling, voice disorders, hearing rehabilitation, stuttering, and cognitive skills, such as self-talk, initiation of goals, and attention? To name a few. With regards to the latter, my current caseload includes a lot of children with attention deficit disorders, and I have been trying to figure out how to serve them better. Looking at the Linguisystems website, I found a course called "<a href="http://www.linguisystems.com/ceu/course/index?courseid=18" target="_blank">Attention Disorders"</a> (Clare B Jones, Jill Fahey). It was free and just what I needed to increase my knowledge with AD/HD and how it affects communication. I particularly liked it because I could print out the notes, study it on my own time, and take the test whenever I was finished. PERFECT! It was worth 2 CMH's, which is 1/15th of what I need to do every 3 years - not so bad! Haha!<br />
<a href="http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/rrs0094l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/rrs0094l.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
Here are some highlights from the course:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>AD/HD affects approximately 6-8% of school-age children.</li>
<li>25% of children with AD/HD also have anxiety. 36-38% also have depression.</li>
<li>Individuals with AD/HD have about 5% smaller brain size.</li>
<li>AD/HD is not solely an attention disorder, but an <b>executive functioning</b> disorder. This means it not only involves attention, but also other areas such as goal selection, planning, organization, persistence, self-regulation, inhibitory control, self-talk, and flexibility.</li>
<li>There are 3 core symptoms: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. </li>
<li>Many children with AD/HD are poor at following directions. As an SLP, it is critical to distinguish whether the child does not understand the directional concepts (such as left, right, before, next to, between, etc.) OR whether the child has poor language/auditory/working memory. This will entirely affect how to write a goal and how to address it. If they do not understand the concepts, you need to spend time discussing them separately. More than likely, if the child has AD/HD, the main problem lies in their ability to hold the information in their memory while they proceed to obey the command. Thus, an appropriate goal would be to work on<b> auditory memory</b> - not necessarily understanding directional concepts. </li>
<li>When working with a child with AD/HD, assess and treat the language of thinking, planning, and doing. </li>
<li>Remember that inattention most frequently undermines <b>spoken language comprehension</b>, <b>working memory</b>, and <b>organization of thoughts for oral expression</b>. </li>
<li>Common goal areas that could be appropriate include: repeating sentences, requesting confirmation, restating, using self-talk recognizing social cues, auditory scanning tasks, and visual scanning tasks.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-bertin-md/adhd_b_2330041.html" target="_blank">Here's a great article</a> published by the Huffington Post on AD/HD and its effects on communication. </li>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-348403862136429772012-12-11T12:13:00.001-07:002012-12-11T12:13:57.582-07:00Encouraging Language in Toddlers: Part Six<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Encouraging Language: Be Patient</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
My next tip is simple but sweet. When you are trying to encourage language, whether it be their first word or whether you are trying to encourage them to put words together: Use wait time. This means that after you ask your child a question and you want them to respond, give them LOTS of time to answer. Wait there quietly for a good minute. You will be able to tell if your child is thinking or formulating a reply. Sometimes we think that lulls in a conversation are awkward or even incorrect - but they're not! Especially with younger children. Some children have slower processing speed and they just need MORE TIME. Some children might have difficulty coordinating the movement required for speech (such as apraxia). Some children take time to process what the actual question was. For these reasons and many more - remember it's okay to wait.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLFcFH_Twzd8nWgeSf1-CAggmMJzyrYO1A3ZG10w-aehdSI03YVzkRHeGEsI8h-Vx8N04K1KyGEZf5zyv8LH6rfgBetZYpsSqwVGdb5UWFq_Rp4M_tBvLICIJreRf1lWuSzzYjxOlKbY/s1600/2012-12-01+10.19.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLFcFH_Twzd8nWgeSf1-CAggmMJzyrYO1A3ZG10w-aehdSI03YVzkRHeGEsI8h-Vx8N04K1KyGEZf5zyv8LH6rfgBetZYpsSqwVGdb5UWFq_Rp4M_tBvLICIJreRf1lWuSzzYjxOlKbY/s320/2012-12-01+10.19.21.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Show them that it's okay for them to think about their answer and that they don't have to answer immediately. Take off the pressure. Smile. Get down on their level. And wait. I'm not making any promises, but give it a try! You might be surprised!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-62016299800040885972012-12-07T11:12:00.004-07:002012-12-07T11:13:46.178-07:00Encouraging Language in Toddlers: Part 5<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Encouraging Language: Focus on Power Words</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
When you're trying to encourage your young one to start saying more words, try focusing on 2-3 specific words for a while. Good words to use would be <i>'power words</i>'. I've also heard them referred to as <i>'stereotypical phrases</i>.' These are words that can stand alone yet still give a clear meaning. They are used often throughout the day and they are very functional. There is often a clear action or gesture associated with them as well. Some examples include: Bye, Go, More, Uh-Oh, or Hi. Pick one or two of these and then look for ways to fit them in naturally throughout the day. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://nspt4kids.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/child-car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://nspt4kids.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/child-car.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
One of my favorites is "Go!" You can make it very exciting by adding suspense before doing anything fun by counting to three, then saying, "Go!" For example, when playing with a car, you say "One, Two, Three.......GO!" Then push it across the floor. You can do it while making lunch. You need to pour in the milk? "One, Two, Three,.....GO!" After you do this a few times, pause for a second before you say "Go!" and then see how your child reacts. He might lean forward, or bounce, or reach his hand forward. He might even say "O" which is terrific! Keep bombarding your child with these words in natural contexts, and they'll start to pick up on it in no time!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-90220166363848910382012-11-27T11:51:00.000-07:002012-11-27T11:51:08.242-07:00Encouraging Language in Toddlers: Part Four<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Encouraging Language: Give your Child an Opportunity to Use Words</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
As parents, sometimes we have to be mind-readers. Our newborn is crying, and we have to figure out why. Do they want changed? Are they hungry? Are they bored? Eventually we start to learn that different cries mean different things. We know just what they need, and we want to satisfy that need as soon as possible. It's part of being a good mom, right? Right. Well, there comes a point where you need to stop being such a great mind-reader...or at least your child needs to think that your ability to read minds has suddenly disappeared. Even though you secretly still know what they need. What I'm trying to say is, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Give your child an opportunity to use words. </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCcqJs0QIKg1AO1u6YpPWqQZNELy5tUuxzSQ_tYtpY8CEU5f4LbyQUNvyAGUl3VMktauXkIpVZQ0oZ5YfVVKRspE9cXtBJBU7Wx4dULeyjGGPFr7x-6su_vY3tFOyXNSxouEV8R0nedQ/s1600/2010++(56).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCcqJs0QIKg1AO1u6YpPWqQZNELy5tUuxzSQ_tYtpY8CEU5f4LbyQUNvyAGUl3VMktauXkIpVZQ0oZ5YfVVKRspE9cXtBJBU7Wx4dULeyjGGPFr7x-6su_vY3tFOyXNSxouEV8R0nedQ/s320/2010++(56).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Here's an example: Your 14 month old is whining, and you know for a fact that he is hungry and wants a bottle of milk. Before you just give him the bottle, take a few minutes and give him the chance to actually request it. Take him into the kitchen and say "What do you want?" Maybe he will point to the cupboard where you keep the bottles, or maybe to the fridge where the milk is. Pointing is a good first step! Encourage a word too. "You want some milk? A bottle?" Pick a key word to use consistently and model it each time your child wants some milk in a bottle. Or whatever the situation may be. After you have given him the chance to respond and you have encouraged some communication on his part, then go ahead and give him the bottle. Don't take so long that he gets really mad or really hungry. The main point here is to give your child a chance to talk. They might surprise you!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-70841541937030039272012-11-26T15:19:00.000-07:002012-11-26T15:19:18.908-07:00How to Encourage Language in Toddlers: Part Three<div style="text-align: center;">
Encouraging Language: Talk to Your Child</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Now that you've determined that your child has good hearing, you can rest assured that the language input that you work so hard to give them will be heard. Now we can focus on the language input itself. So here is my next tip. Are you ready?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vnYS4GMoVvgGTfZLn9M2mFGJyhhi3goCL9hrjxJ75Zi2IVNXP08zUz7xMWCqt4mXqEmeqGDkIKtcrlbb4Kv3o8XoDBRz_rxqgXYAaRLs3yTnmXICdfBs4jEAgQfpVCIchHvvya3Imgg/s1600/2012-11-11+01.18.30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vnYS4GMoVvgGTfZLn9M2mFGJyhhi3goCL9hrjxJ75Zi2IVNXP08zUz7xMWCqt4mXqEmeqGDkIKtcrlbb4Kv3o8XoDBRz_rxqgXYAaRLs3yTnmXICdfBs4jEAgQfpVCIchHvvya3Imgg/s400/2012-11-11+01.18.30.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">Talk to your child</span>.</b> </div>
Talk about everything you see. Talk about everything you are doing. Talk about everything you are eating. It's never too soon to start introducing your baby to language. I think most parents are pretty natural at this. But maybe there are times in which you find yourself thinking about other things such as errands, what to cook for dinner, what to buy at the store, etc, and so your mind is preoccupied. Well that's going to happen to an extent, and that's fine. When you're at the store, be one of those moms who looks like she is talking to herself. "I'm looking for the ketchup! Oh here it is! I found the ketchup. Do you want to hold the ketchup? Now we need some milk. Let's go this way. Over here! Down this way. Stop! There it is! There's the milk. Do you see it?" And so on. I'm not saying you need to be constantly jabbering away and driving your child (and everyone around you) to craziness. Certainly the child will need some time to think, process, and absorb. Try to find a good balance. Make sure it works for you and you are comfortable with it. The main point here is that your child learns so much from YOU. So make sure you are giving them plenty to learn from. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-37623840028413961762012-11-23T15:58:00.000-07:002012-11-26T15:20:07.038-07:00How to Encourage Language in Toddlers: Part Two<div style="text-align: center;">
Encouraging Language: Rule out a Hearing Loss</div>
If you are worried about your child's speech and/or language development, here's the first thing you should do: <i><b>Rule out a hearing loss</b></i>. This does NOT mean standing behind your child and clapping your hands or jiggling some keys around to see if they notice. A hearing loss can be very mild or very severe. Each and every type of hearing loss can go undetected for one reason or another. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6x_zogXfkGVNJvf0y4A9SChSxO-0JhRRZMGpfBhuqg7pH2CknU6BsPSGuBodUc98YHZnHF6f50J3j_bl8FzpM-g0v6F-ipZyNGkyRfAPtRcx8TQA9epvXUFAo-AqhcHhsegAajtye24/s1600/2012+01+06+Chase+is+Born++(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6x_zogXfkGVNJvf0y4A9SChSxO-0JhRRZMGpfBhuqg7pH2CknU6BsPSGuBodUc98YHZnHF6f50J3j_bl8FzpM-g0v6F-ipZyNGkyRfAPtRcx8TQA9epvXUFAo-AqhcHhsegAajtye24/s320/2012+01+06+Chase+is+Born++(2).jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(This is my little guy after he passed his newborn hearing screening - yay!)</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div>
Most every newborn nowadays gets their hearing checked at birth - which is a great thing - but sometimes a hearing loss develops as the child grows. In addition, newborn hearing screenings are conducted at slightly louder levels, which means that they could pass the test but still have a very mild hearing loss. <i>What all that means is, even if your child passed a newborn screening, they could still have a hearing loss. </i> I'm not trying to scare you here. There's a very good chance that your child doesn't have a hearing loss. But you'll never know unless you get them tested. Find a local <i>pediatric audiologist</i> who can give your child a quick test. I always say that nothing is worse than not knowing. Do you agree? <i>The key here is to recognize that even a mild hearing loss can cause significant delays in speech and language development. </i> Once you have a hearing loss ruled out then you can rest easy knowing that your child will have no problems hearing all the language that you model for them.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-48244969072160614502012-11-20T09:01:00.000-07:002012-11-20T09:01:50.406-07:00How to Encourage Language in Toddlers: Part One<div style="text-align: center;">
Encouraging Language in Toddlers: Introduction and Disclaimer</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92fXJxsJh9fGxbFdd3je4r2iVJd4bXbucHl1QEsdx72QzjDdpGR-dZe10Ioa1lUVMsFgK1zkdpKTkoNfOH3TNylnOxvgJxVXpP4ve1iEJ6PZxkvcjhzs2uRCuSc77hNcw2dHQxtgLLxs/s1600/2012+4+25+Outside+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92fXJxsJh9fGxbFdd3je4r2iVJd4bXbucHl1QEsdx72QzjDdpGR-dZe10Ioa1lUVMsFgK1zkdpKTkoNfOH3TNylnOxvgJxVXpP4ve1iEJ6PZxkvcjhzs2uRCuSc77hNcw2dHQxtgLLxs/s320/2012+4+25+Outside+(1).JPG" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
Lately I've had a few parents of one and two year olds ask me: "My child isn't really talking yet..should I be worried?" followed by "What should I do?" In moments like this, my role as an SLP requires me to not only give a correct answer, but also make it somewhat short, without using a whole bunch of acronyms or strange vocabulary, give good resources and advice, and also assure Mom that she is doing a good job. So I told myself, "It's time for Speaking of Kids to do a series on this subject!" <br />
<br />
<i>Let me start off with a little disclaimer: This series is not meant to replace a thorough speech/language evaluation. If you have concerns about your child, you really ought to <a href="http://speakingofkids.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-to-find-speech-therapist.html" target="_blank">find a local friendly Speech-Language Pathologist</a> who can evaluate your child's own specific strengths and weaknesses to determine a) what the problem is, b) what to do about it, and c) if there are any other underlying factors to take into account (such as apraxia, autism, syndromes, etc.) The tips I will share are the tips another SLP would probably give you, so why not start now??</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
The first step is to decide if your child is behind or not. Sometimes that can be very obvious, other times it's not. But in this series I will be mostly focusing on <b>Expressive Vocabulary,</b> so here are the facts:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">At twelve months old, your child should be just starting to use words, maybe using one or two fairly consistently. (Usually "Momma", "Bottle", "Up"....) (More on that <a href="http://www.playingwithwords365.com/2012/10/your-childs-speech-and-language-first-words/" target="_blank">here</a>)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"> By 18 months, they should be using at least 10 words, and possibly up to 50. (More on that </span><a href="http://www.playingwithwords365.com/2012/10/your-childs-speech-language-12-18-months/" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: large;">)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">At 24 months, a child should be using between 200 and 300 words. They should be starting to put two words together soon. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">By 36 months, they should use about 1000 words. Wow! (More on that <a href="http://www.playingwithwords365.com/2012/11/your-childs-speech-and-language-3-years-to-4-years/" target="_blank">here</a>)</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
Now you are armed with knowledge! If you think your child is behind, don't panic. Find a speech therapist to talk to you specifically about your child. Nothing is worse than wondering. Just take action and see where it takes you. In the meantime, I hope you're excited because the next post will be about the FIRST step to take if you think your child might be a little behind in language development. See you next time!</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-25981931186326912722012-11-16T14:36:00.000-07:002012-11-16T14:37:43.729-07:00Referral Tracking SheetDid you know that I recently got a new job? I work at a fantastic charter school one day a week. I love the schedule, the environment, and all the people I work with. I get to work with another SLP there, although we can't work on the same day since we share a small office space. It works out pretty well but we are getting totally SLAMMED with referrals. It's great that the teachers are so on top of it, but we found ourselves needing to get really organized. No sense in having to brief each other on everything on a day when one of us doesn't work. Thus my referral tracking sheet was born. I figured if we can use it, maybe somebody else can! Enjoy!<br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1R7pkap4KIlNUI0cW4zSkdQZ1U" target="_blank"><img height="308" src="https://docs.google.com/viewer?pid=explorer&srcid=0B1R7pkap4KIlNUI0cW4zSkdQZ1U&docid=15aceae67e6fc48324bb7ef9b7ea3530%7C79f664f0a614ba7163582d0d2bf8da3e&a=bi&pagenumber=1&w=800" width="400" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-31745704284667126792012-11-14T21:01:00.002-07:002012-11-14T21:02:29.658-07:00What is a Narrative?Hey friends! Guess what? I will be featured in a guest post tomorrow at <a href="http://www.playingwithwords365.com/" target="_blank">Playing With Words 365</a>! This is exciting news for a few reasons. A) Because it has been a LONG time coming. It's a little humorous how long it's been in the works. We just ran into all sorts of small glitches that kept putting it off longer. B) It's exciting because that website rocks!! Seriously I can't say enough good things about Katie - she is so smart and so clever. C) It's about narratives! We don't see that much info out there about the importance of narratives and how to teach them. So check it out tomorrow and learn a thing or two. Pick up some cute freebies too!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-78570195252266576082012-11-13T20:24:00.001-07:002012-11-13T20:24:28.545-07:00Crafts and Toddlers and Language<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmcf53mnrmglV6bbf4L_bB20izQZBCfm_ALJxxepSS9f_AnNUgmKIJ4U8cV2fy4N8lcR7bscex3unUaupYGWL58m0LDP5eZBKtu_YMauVRaZdXXioYWIqUpLMSpPmN6V2AVNypDF2tI8/s1600/2012-11-12+13.47.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmcf53mnrmglV6bbf4L_bB20izQZBCfm_ALJxxepSS9f_AnNUgmKIJ4U8cV2fy4N8lcR7bscex3unUaupYGWL58m0LDP5eZBKtu_YMauVRaZdXXioYWIqUpLMSpPmN6V2AVNypDF2tI8/s320/2012-11-12+13.47.34.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Crafting with toddlers is good for so many reasons! First, it makes you feel like a good mom/speech teacher. I like it for that reason alone. Also - it's fun! But here are some other reasons why it's a good idea:<br />
<br />
1) Making a craft is certainly better than drilling a child with flashcards or boring pictures. Sometimes that works better for older kids but isn't it best to teach language in a natural way? The child doesn't feel stressed or under pressure. You can incorporate basically any goal into a craft. Which leads me to number two.<br />
<br />
2) Any goal can be targeted while you work on a craft. Does the child need to work on answering questions? Just ask them questions related to the craft: "What do we need to stick the eyes on?" "Where does the tail go?" Or even just ask them more abstract "wh" questions and hold off on the required material until they complete the task. Articulation works too. "Say 'book' five times, then you can have the next popsicle stick." <br />
<br />
3) Crafts lend themselves well to teaching basic concepts such as color, size, shapes, and numbers. "What color is this feather?" "How many feathers are there?" "What shape do you want next?"<br />
<br />
4) Theme-related crafts always add an element of fun, and it makes your therapy session easier to plan. 10 seconds on Pinterest and you can find a craft based on any holiday or any season. Then you can build around that. Make a snowman and read a book on snowmen, then sing a snowman song. Make sure you have a clear idea of how you are targeting their goal, and don't just do those things for fun. <br />
<br />
5) These fun holidays and seasons seem to come and go so fast, it's great to take the opportunity to teach the child the related vocabulary. Valentine, Jack O Lantern, Turkey, Shamrock, (I could go on and on) are all fun words that are important for the child to learn. One reason for that is it builds their<i> schema,</i> or their background knowledge that will help them in reading later. For example, next time they read a book about a turkey, they will form an idea in their mind based on what they have experienced with a turkey. It leads to better comprehension because they already have a foundation knowledge of what it is, what it looks like, what it does, etc.<br />
<br />
6) Sitting down and doing a craft is a good way of lengthening a child's attention and gets them prepared for school, where they will be required to sit down and follow directions given by a teacher.<br />
<br />
7) Cutting, taping, pasting, and drawing are all great ways to build those fine motor skills. Practice practice practice!<br />
<br />
8) You can indirectly teach sequencing by structuring the craft in the right way. Use words like "First, Then, Next, and Last" to teach the child that things have to happen in a certain order.<br />
<br />
9) Crafting is a great way to focus on following directions - a crucial skill in the classroom environment. It's easy to adapt the directions to one step or two steps, depending on the child's level. You could start by simply saying, "Get the gluestick" and then when the child is older and smarter you can say things like, "First hand me the sticker, then you write your name."<br />
<br />
10) Take it home and talk about it! Creating something leads to a feeling of ownership and pride, which can lead to great conversation and carry-over when the child proudly presents his new creation to Mom or Dad!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-10579418640921086792012-11-12T09:52:00.004-07:002012-11-12T14:17:24.965-07:00What Your 3 Year Old Should Be DoingRight now I am working with a darling little boy who is turning 3 in a few weeks. It's almost been 6 months since we first started doing therapy together and that means it's time to do some new language testing and see where he stands with hearing, language, and speech milestones. As you can imagine, little kiddos change SO MUCH in a very short time so it's important to be constantly monitoring progress. <i>Every session should be diagnostic in nature</i>, so no test results should be much of a surprise, but it's good to get a broad overview and look at standard scores, etc. I made a little chart here of Speech/Language Milestones that should be reached between the ages of 2 and 3. Just thought I would share it with you! Just click on the image to open, save, and print!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1R7pkap4KIld2w1aFJuZDZjY00" target="_blank"><img height="308" src="https://docs.google.com/viewer?pid=explorer&srcid=0B1R7pkap4KIld2w1aFJuZDZjY00&docid=11db95dcd0c16ab6c2f9c97f1943a45d%7C25df86a4b3f53bc426eebd4869f4df84&a=bi&pagenumber=1&w=800" width="400" /></a><br />
PS For all you moms who are like "What in the heck are phonological processes?" Never fear! I will be doing a series on all things related to Phonological Processes very soon. Be excited!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-10631931366770168032012-11-10T21:33:00.000-07:002012-11-10T21:34:03.296-07:00I'm BaaaaaackHello Readers! I apologize for my extended absence, but I'm back now. And with some exciting news! My basement office is finally finished! Well - there are still some small details to work out, but any room is a never-ending project anyway, right? I thought I would share a picture with you before I get back into more regular posts.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qu36lCNUJZMMkWIKpXqZgUXOnKAdrlqm_NK6pwb15PTh0UYra4WbPnl40IpTkRQOPcPtU_max0BmEchCcUBbfVFPn8nv13GvWG6_4Xy3op4_bAAbYnXGfYi8KLYG7b6C_1YqeaFLHCs/s1600/2012-11-10+10.12.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qu36lCNUJZMMkWIKpXqZgUXOnKAdrlqm_NK6pwb15PTh0UYra4WbPnl40IpTkRQOPcPtU_max0BmEchCcUBbfVFPn8nv13GvWG6_4Xy3op4_bAAbYnXGfYi8KLYG7b6C_1YqeaFLHCs/s400/2012-11-10+10.12.03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
It's so nice to have all my materials and games in one spot. I just love it. And in case you are envying my furniture, I got it all at IKEA. Point of note: Food at IKEA is disgusting. But everything else is AWESOME.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-83085191359425409972012-10-01T16:48:00.003-06:002012-10-01T16:48:56.301-06:00Blog Hopping Day<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I ran across this great post over at Playing With Words 365. Katie, the author of the blog, is so smart and creative - I can't stand it! Today her post is on<a href="http://www.playingwithwords365.com/2012/10/five-playful-ways-to-work-on-listening-skills/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=five-playful-ways-to-work-on-listening-skills" target="_blank"> 5 Ways to practice listening and following directions</a>. Check it out! </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-21457293554230278652012-09-25T09:55:00.001-06:002012-09-25T09:56:31.652-06:00Preschool Matching Activity: PetsToday I am taking my 3 year old to the pet store. What a great place to use language! Pets is always a fun theme for younger children. Talk about the similarities and differences between each pet. What do they sound like? What do they eat? What do they like to do? Do you have any pets at home? Here is a little activity I came up with. Since most younger children can't read, it ends up being a good listening activity. It also established the early foundations of <a href="http://speakingofkids.blogspot.com/2012/08/defining-words-part-i.html" target="_blank">defining words</a>, which we talked about in detail a few weeks ago. <br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1R7pkap4KIlQkNIdHVEZ2NqcVk" target="_blank"><img height="640" src="https://docs.google.com/viewer?pid=explorer&srcid=0B1R7pkap4KIlQkNIdHVEZ2NqcVk&docid=d0e430f7191553141ca43ed85137c5ce%7C8a2ccda8026c8b215a9cde27de13f89d&a=bi&pagenumber=1&w=800" width="494" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-48094642894353267932012-09-24T10:09:00.002-06:002012-09-24T10:11:51.640-06:00Have you heard of this app?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://a4.mzstatic.com/us/r1000/080/Purple/v4/13/76/1c/13761cfa-1b6b-2121-da22-4e756a777ca6/mza_9151593453601591793.320x480-75.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://a4.mzstatic.com/us/r1000/080/Purple/v4/13/76/1c/13761cfa-1b6b-2121-da22-4e756a777ca6/mza_9151593453601591793.320x480-75.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Peek-a-boo Barn </span></div>
Have you heard of this darling app? Peek-a-boo Barn is great for very young kids, ages 1-4. I like using it with late talkers to encourage vocalizations. It is good for teaching animal vocabulary and animal noises. Animals rotate hiding in the barn and the child has to tap the screen for the door to open. I like it for children with hearing loss too because before you open the door, the animal is making a very quiet noise. When the door is opened it becomes louder. It's fun to guess what animal is hiding by listening to the sound they are making. Young children with Down Syndrome or Cerebral Palsy also particularly like this app. It does not require fine motor coordination. Because of that my 8 month old loves it! There is a lite version which is free. The regular version is $1.99. Take a look!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-88366843406736415562012-09-20T10:05:00.003-06:002012-09-20T10:05:47.315-06:00Book Review: The Noisy Noisy Farm<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://img2.targetimg2.com/wcsstore/TargetSAS//img/p/13/44/13441039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://img2.targetimg2.com/wcsstore/TargetSAS//img/p/13/44/13441039.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://target.scene7.com/s7viewers/dhtml/images/spacer.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://target.scene7.com/s7viewers/dhtml/images/spacer.gif" /></a></div>
The Noisy Noisy Farm is about some animal friends who become worried one morning when Rooster does not wake them up. They spend most of their morning calling to Rooster and gathering more friends. He still doesn't answer so they go look for him in his shed, only to discover that Hen's eggs had hatched and Rooster is a proud daddy! Isn't that a darling story? It is sweet and simple. The artwork is beautiful and on almost every page is a button for the child to push and hear an animal sound. I have read this book with preschoolers with Down Syndrome or other disabilities and they totally love it! Often, when I am working on a child with severely delayed speech, we back up to animal sounds. This book is a good way to reinforce those sounds and some children really like to imitate it when it is coming from a book. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-89568829772638229672012-09-18T12:21:00.002-06:002012-09-18T12:21:34.789-06:00Preschool Sorting Activity: Farm and Jungle Animals<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello reader! Thank you for stopping by. Are you a follower? If you're not would you please become one? I would love some more. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My last sorting activity was pretty popular so I thought I would share another one with you! Animals are always a fun and easy concept to teach to preschoolers. It's important for them to start distinguishing that animals live in different places and have different characteristics. You can also use this activity to teach the animal sounds. This activity could also be a great describing activity. Instead of cutting the animals out beforehand, show your child the sheet with animals and describe what you're going to cut out next. See if they can guess what you're talking about! You can vary the difficulty level. For example, "I'm going to cut out the animal that says 'Moo'". Or you could make it more challenging and say, "This animal has a mane, a tail, and you can use a saddle to ride on it." You can also turn the tables and let your child try to describe an animal. Kids love being the teacher! After the animals are cut out you can do the same listening/describing activity again as you glue them onto the animals' home. Kids love repetition - don't shy away from it! </span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1R7pkap4KIlejlydlRLYmozWjQ" target="_blank"><img height="640" src="https://docs.google.com/viewer?pid=explorer&srcid=0B1R7pkap4KIlejlydlRLYmozWjQ&docid=212e2fe9a69063a61511abce0f454480%7C7979114c8c6c0a7a7de20bcd85f21f07&a=bi&pagenumber=1&w=800" width="494" /></a><br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1R7pkap4KIlZ1RuQ1FxM2VNN0E" target="_blank"><img height="640" src="https://docs.google.com/viewer?pid=explorer&srcid=0B1R7pkap4KIlZ1RuQ1FxM2VNN0E&docid=6946dc418cc622eddb2de0e4262bc98d%7C40790a32daada69aaa149c6607223517&a=bi&pagenumber=1&w=800" width="494" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-39223088464408540582012-09-14T13:01:00.001-06:002012-09-14T13:02:08.901-06:00Fun Fact Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6ZeXYoo_5BwXc0pwjW1yjldgnq4AoHKlvx7u0FNDHrFqS-NHpD2QCQ16YjOrVhi3kGU3WmV2J6XTqFPSa3Yr-PptdksJtdl6LY7-D-8p2LhTLSF8B7bcc6axGQJCuFaw-5_YHSXCn7U/s1600/2012+7+Summer+Fun+(8).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6ZeXYoo_5BwXc0pwjW1yjldgnq4AoHKlvx7u0FNDHrFqS-NHpD2QCQ16YjOrVhi3kGU3WmV2J6XTqFPSa3Yr-PptdksJtdl6LY7-D-8p2LhTLSF8B7bcc6axGQJCuFaw-5_YHSXCn7U/s400/2012+7+Summer+Fun+(8).JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My three year old recently explained to me that 'dehydrated' is when you don't drink enough. That was his ploy for me to give him more juice. Yeah, it worked.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did you know that by the time a child is three years old, he has approximately 1,000 words in his expressive vocabulary? A 5 year old has about 2,500, and by the time a child is 12 years old, they know and use about 50,000 words. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Kids are SO AMAZING!!!</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4852924663460231334.post-53917425946297286502012-09-13T21:01:00.002-06:002012-09-13T21:01:53.696-06:00Sneak Peek Into My Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've been busy over here at my house. And by 'we' I mean mostly my husband. He loves me enough to be simultaneously starting a new job, getting a real estate license, starting grad school, AAAAAND.......</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">refinishing our basement so I can have an office! Here are some 'work in progress' pictures. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are the stairs going down. Before this it was very dark. Very dirty. Very scary. Lots of cobwebs and termites and a very old and mildewy smell. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pAKQgcCV2LLRbGLhXXNm-svIJ3FK58M5JfP2leAsg4FA2oX0uDVCtiVQkL21b8cB8-gyHV827NyrF-ioniODXgoAD84wgLzuweECZF8Avhyphenhyphentd9cqD5uom0nrrSrb_q44RgO4E5kNsb4/s1600/2012+7+Basement+Remodel+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pAKQgcCV2LLRbGLhXXNm-svIJ3FK58M5JfP2leAsg4FA2oX0uDVCtiVQkL21b8cB8-gyHV827NyrF-ioniODXgoAD84wgLzuweECZF8Avhyphenhyphentd9cqD5uom0nrrSrb_q44RgO4E5kNsb4/s320/2012+7+Basement+Remodel+(2).JPG" width="180" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This little corner will be my office space.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiUHt2sECQxqYH80lgAUAwwYwuz2JqFa_dPzVv1c0gvgof-mq2uZSaCxunPg-3L0DbXLyTMw3leBLRSnlb58vBO_i06CxYJdoCab-rLjhUx0XBd-ibePfJ2aEfvxXV7i_ARW1T4Z5lAM/s1600/2012+7+Basement+Remodel+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiUHt2sECQxqYH80lgAUAwwYwuz2JqFa_dPzVv1c0gvgof-mq2uZSaCxunPg-3L0DbXLyTMw3leBLRSnlb58vBO_i06CxYJdoCab-rLjhUx0XBd-ibePfJ2aEfvxXV7i_ARW1T4Z5lAM/s320/2012+7+Basement+Remodel+(3).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The other half will be a living room/waiting area for parents.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VewaBu5_BFBAuhfz4P-609fgjocEiARoX1YkyZ9ctTDT6gh2s4t8XehZRTeQigCVNzSewrD6xS5EuGh3ZDESWrjCq2Zh0V-d4gtMQTNQua-Jz2XSSiWHcqk_AjGOd63oZE7n5C4L5ro/s1600/2012+7+Basement+Remodel+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VewaBu5_BFBAuhfz4P-609fgjocEiARoX1YkyZ9ctTDT6gh2s4t8XehZRTeQigCVNzSewrD6xS5EuGh3ZDESWrjCq2Zh0V-d4gtMQTNQua-Jz2XSSiWHcqk_AjGOd63oZE7n5C4L5ro/s320/2012+7+Basement+Remodel+(1).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Be excited for the 'After' shots. Coming soon!</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0