Language Development Relies on Conversation & Reading with Kids

by Jacky G. News
Reading with Kids - Music for Unborn Child

Image source: Blog.stephenpbrown.com

The importance of reading with kids is undeniable, but what about conversing with them? Picture this: You come home from your banking job and begin talking with your child about the problems with PPI mis-selling and how banks are supposed to be paying out, but are instead rejecting claims that are later approved by the FOS in droves. The only problem? Your youngster is just 3 months old and instead of responding with a few lines about the Ombudsman’s FOS complaint time limits, he’s just thrown Cheerios at you. Despite the fact that your 3-month-old infant is currently incapable of grasping the intricacies of loan insurance scandals, speaking with him and giving him the opportunity to respond well may offer key benefits for his speech and language development, according to a study from researchers at UCLA. But do try to stick to conversations that he can participate in.

Continue reading →

Essential Tricks & Tips for Using Flashcards for Kids

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Toddler Using Flashcards for Kids

Image source: Notjustcute.com

Flashcards for kids are often saddled with a bad reputation. And indeed, drilling a child relentlessly with the same set of flashcards in the same manner over and over again might cause the youngster to get a little bored with them. On the other hand, repetition is critical for articulation practice and other speech therapy techniques. So what’s a parent to do? Try incorporating games that your child will enjoy into the flashcards routine. Customize the games to your child’s particular interests, if possible. And as always, talk to your child’s speech-language pathologist (SLP) and find out what games she is using in speech therapy to keep your child engaged. She can also offer some advice for customizing flashcard games and the flashcards themselves to your child’s particular speech and language needs.

Continue reading →

The Secret to Giving Your Child the Best Preschool Education

by Jacky G. News

 

Language Development for Preschool Education

Image source: Childhealth-explanation.com

Parents will always worry about the effects of peer pressure on their children. For example, can you remember a time when you dated someone who ate more than you did, and you ended up inadvertently overindulging? Researchers studying the relationship between eating habits and peer pressure have actually found that when you’re in a group, you subconsciously change your eating habits to match those of others in the group. Now, research has also shown that a similar effect applies to preschool education. Apparently, dieting and special education have more in common than you might think.

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have long known that a language-rich home lends itself to speech and language development in young children. This is why they urge parents to maintain a steady flow of conversation around babies, even before the youngsters begin to babble and say their first words. Now, two separate studies support the idea that a child’s preschool education is critical to his language development. More specifically, the other preschoolers around the child can have an impact on that child’s progress.

Continue reading →

Essential Speech Therapy Activities & Techniques

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Speech Therapy Activities - Baby Reading Paper

Image source: Mylot.com

Are you the type of person who dips a toe in the pool to test the temperature or do you prefer to dive in headfirst? It’s often difficult to navigate an entirely new field of study, whether you’re just beginning to learn about speech therapy activities or whether you’re analyzing MySQL performance with TCP/IP network traffic. The technical jargon might seem impossible at first, but if you keep reading everything you can on the subject, it will eventually become second nature to you. Although your child’s speech-language pathologist (SLP) will be doing the lion’s share of the work, your child can greatly benefit from doing speech therapy activities at home with you. By accelerating his progress, you can watch him overcome his speech disorder even sooner. So without further ado, here are some of the common speech therapy activities and techniques your child’s SLP might use with him. Bear in mind that every child and every SLP are different, so be sure to consult your SLP about the best speech therapy activities for your youngster.

Continue reading →

Top 4 Cleft Palate Speech Therapy Techniques

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Child with Cleft Palate

Image source: Nhs.uk

Orofacial clefts, or cleft lip and cleft palate, are among the most common birth defects. In fact, according to KidsHealth, about 1 to 2 out of every 1,000 babies in the U.S. is born with clefts. This medical condition occurs due to improper development in the womb. If your baby has a cleft palate, it will almost certainly be diagnosed at birth. Your child’s pediatrician will evaluate him for treatment. Most of the time, surgery can help. However, surgery may not be performed right away, and your baby may need additional surgeries later on. Your little guy might still experience speech difficulties after surgery, which can be addressed by a speech-language pathologist (SLP).

Continue reading →