Three Valentine’s Day Activities For Your Kids

by Courtenay M. Articulation Disorders Arts and Crafts At Home Ideas Language Development Parents' Corner School Speech Disorders Speech Therapy Techniques
Valentine's Day Crafts

Valentine’s Day Activities           for Your Kids!

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we want to share with you three fun ideas to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your students and kids! Of course, you can pull out some arts and crafts, stickers and colored paper to make homemade cards, but we’ve gone a bit further with some crafty and creative ways to get your involved with your kids, and provide an opportunity for language building and speech therapy techniques. We gathered these activities from some of our favorite Speech Therapy websites, so, grab your scissors, paper and tape and get ready for some Valentine’s Day fun!

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Five Common Speech Disorders in Children

by Courtenay M. Articulation Disorders Language Development Pronunciation & Lisps School Speech delay Speech Disorders Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques
Speech Disorders

Five Common Speech Disorders in Children

You have determined that your child has more than just a speech delay, now what? How do you determine what kind of speech disorder your child has and more importantly, what do you do about it? We have listed below five common speech disorders in children. Of course, we always recommend a visit to your pediatrician if you feel your child has any of these symptoms, and an appointment with an SLP may be necessary to begin an effective speech therapy treatment plan.

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Speech Delay or Speech Disorder?

by Courtenay M. Articulation Disorders Language Development Parents' Corner School Speech delay Speech Disorders
Speech Disorder

How Do I Know if My Child Has a Speech Disorder, or if it’s a Simple Language Delay?

So you think your child’s speech and language development may be coming in a little slow?  Those cute babbles have yet to turn into clear words, as she is about to enter pre-school. But, how do you know it’s a speech disorder, rather than a simple speech delay? And, if indeed it is a speech disorder, what does that mean? Will my child be able to communicate effectively, will she be able to read, participate in class and most importantly, gain self-confidence?  These are just some of the questions parents face as their child begins to learn speech patterns and language skills as a toddler.

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Ta-da! Music Is A Terrific Tool for Speech Therapy!

by Courtenay M. Articulation Disorders At Home Ideas Games and Activities Language Development Parents' Corner School Speech Disorders Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques

 

Music as Speech Therapy Tool

Song, Music and Melodies are Excellent Speech Therapy Tools for Kids!

We finalize our in-depth look at tools for speech therapy with Music. Yes…music can truly be an effective tool for speech therapy! Think about it, rhymes, patterns, sounds and movement all help bring about speech language comprehension and articulation. According to “Use of Music in Speech-Language Therapy,” an article by Mary B. Zoller, “Using music is a multi-sensory experience that enhances a number of other skills that impact on speech and language development.” The use of music as a speech therapy tool serves to energize and engage a child, and encourages the child to actively participate. And the good news?  You do not need to be a musician or a great singer to reap the benefits of music as therapy! Even using a silly voice and acting out the lyrics is helpful in engaging your child and a way to get them to listen attentively and unknowingly engage them in speech therapy exercises. As we have mentioned throughout this series, this does not serve to replace a proper evaluation or treatment from an SLP, rather music as a tool for speech therapy that you can do at home or in conjunction with your current speech therapy regime. Continue reading →

Books Are Excellent Speech Therapy Tools!

by Courtenay M. Articulation Disorders At Home Ideas Language Development Parents' Corner School Speech Disorders Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques

 

Books are Excellent Speech Therapy Tools

Reading to your children helps build language skills and encourages correct sound production.

Yes, Books are excellent speech therapy tools and effective way to improve articulation disorder. As we continue our in-depth look at tools for speech therapy, we take a look at books. Reading to your child is one of the most important things you can do as a parent or caregiver whether or not you child has a speech disorder. As we have mentioned before, reading to your child helps make connections with what he or she is hearing and functions as a building block to language development. Reading comprehension is an essential tool for a child’s future academic achievement and social well-being. Not only does reading books serve as an effective form of speech therapy, it’s an excellent way to engage and entertain your child. The books listed below are not intended to replace speech therapy with an SLP. Rather, these are books that you can read at home with your child, to encourage sound production and set them up for correct articulation patterns.

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Are Tactile Tools for Speech Therapy An Effective Option?

by Courtenay M. Apps Articulation Disorders At Home Ideas Parents' Corner School Speech Disorders Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques

Tactile Tools for Speech Therapy
Our in-depth look at tools for speech therapy turns toward non-traditional speech therapy methods today. We have touched on terrific apps for families and children with articulation disorder and sites and resources for SLP’s looking to incorporate technology into their practice. Another piece of speech therapy worth discussing are hand-held, tactile tools. Hand-held items are often effective tools for speech therapy. Tactile tools target a range of skill sets from fine and gross motor, articulation, voice and stuttering, listening and sensory skills. Tactile tools allow kids to practice speech sounds, provide appropriate sensory options and can be used in any setting, whether it be home, at a speech therapist’s office or even at school.

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Super Low Cost Speech Therapy Tips and Tricks!

by Courtenay M. Articulation Disorders Arts and Crafts At Home Ideas Language Development News Parents' Corner School Speech delay Speech Disorders Speech Therapy Techniques State Resources
Activities such as blowing bubbles are excellent low cost speech therapy activities that you can do at home!

Activities such as blowing bubbles are excellent low cost speech therapy activities that you can do at home!

Speech and language disorders affect children of all races and social-economic groups. If left untreated, speech disorders can affect a child’s ability to interact and communicate with others. Parents are constantly searching for low cost speech therapy tools and ideas. But where do you begin? The Internet is jam-packed with tools, gadgets, whistles and websites that can be confusing and misleading for parents. We have narrowed down a few low cost speech therapy ideas for you to try. Of course, we always recommend that you check in with your pediatrician or licensed speech therapist first before taking on any therapies on your own.

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Little Ways To Make Learning Fun!

by Courtenay M. At Home Ideas Games and Activities Language Development Parents' Corner School Speech Therapy Techniques

 

Card Games, Field Trips and Playing with Your Kids are Excellent Ways to Make Learning Fun! Image Courtesy of Shutterstock.

Card Games, Field Trips and Playing with Your Kids are Excellent Ways to Make Learning Fun! Image Courtesy of Shutterstock.

School is just about back in session after the long holiday break and your kids are chomping at the bit to get back to the books!  Is this the case at your house? Perhaps NOT!  For many kids, the thought of school, homework and learning are dreary tasks and not something typically viewed as fun. For many, learning and study correlate with serious and tedious. Believe or not, there are ways to make learning fun and effective and something your children will look forward to. Of course, there is always the moaning and groaning about getting back to a busy homework schedule, tests and turning in assignments but with a few tips and tricks, you can turn the negative into a positive and make the learning experience more fun for the kids.

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Four Easy and Inexpensive Ways To Keep Your Kids Entertained During Christmas Break

by Courtenay M. Arts and Crafts At Home Ideas Games and Activities Parents' Corner School
How Do You Keep Your Kids Entertained During the Holiday Break?

How Do You Keep Your Kids Entertained During the Holiday Break? Don’t Worry! We’ve Got You Covered!

 

Here we go! For some families, two and three weeks off for Christmas and New Years begin now! And yes, the thought of sleeping in a bit, not packing lunches and staying in pajamas until noon sounds appealing, after about three days, the excitement wears off and cabin fever starts to set in! Do you wish you had time to leisurely browse Pinterest for creative ideas to keep your kids busy? What are busy moms and dads supposed to do to entertain their kiddos with shopping, wrapping, cleaning and cooking left to get done, without resorting to the television?

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Tips for Building Early Language Skills with Your Child

by Courtenay M. Games and Activities Language Building Skills Language Development Parents' Corner School Speech Disorders Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques
child reading with mom

Reading with your child is one of the best ways to help build language skills. Source: news.appstate.com

Mama!  Dada!! Like many parents, you have likely been waiting months for your child to finally say a real word!  Sure, the grunts, pointing and babbling sounds are cute, but that moment your child utters her first word is priceless!   Once the first word is spoken however, there is no turning back. What was once a semi-peaceful trip to the grocery store is now filled with endless, “Ball”, “Mama”, “Apple”, “Want Dat”.  Car rides are no longer excuses to escape with Adam Levine.  Instead the sounds of “Stop,” “Go”, “Car”, “Fire Truck” are yelled triumphantly and continuously from the back seat. Are there ways in which parents can start building speech and language skills early?  How early is too early?
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