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In my last post Book reading I talked about reading and shared attention. Often I find that having a visual example helps demonstrate the task and how to carry it out. With this in mind I am sharing a video from one of our bedtime stories. In this video you will see the pair engaged in the same activity. Watch as they read together with joint focus. Notice how Dad points to the pictures that go with the words he is reading and how baby imitates his actions. You will hear her repeat words and she will insert her own comments about the words she hears and the pictures she sees! As promised, all you need is a book, a little bit of uninterrupted time, and cooperation to make reading a learning and bonding experience that can help boost language development too! **Please Baby Please by Spike Lee is a favorite of both my girls. We have had this particular copy for over 12 years (notice the torn pages.) The vivid illustrations and repetitive text are easy for little readers to attend to.

I have written a lot about the importance of play for children on this blog as well as on my Facebook page. I believe strongly in the importance of play! Play is children’s work. It is how they learn and practice new skills. The best thing a parent can offer a child is their time and the opportunity to be their partner in play. Children learn how to share, take turns, problem solve, and communicate through play. Fellow SLP blogger Activity Tailor recently shared on her blog about the importance of play and it’s benefits. “The genius of play is that, in playing, we create imaginative new cognitive combinations.” You can read her blog in it’s entirety here. Play comes in many forms. You can purchase board games that teach a myriad of skills. What may appear as “just play” could be a lesson in math, language, or many other life skills. In case you missed it, my blog Let’s Play! lists in detail several board games and the skills that are targeted while playing. Part of my caseload includes working with younger preschool children to develop their language skills. Therapy is provided in their home which allows parents and caregivers the opportunity to witness how play is also a learning opportunity. I like to use simple toys that don’t make sounds so I can be the voice that the children focus on. Nesting cups, blocks, toy cars, board books, bubbles, and shape sorters are all tools that I frequently utilize. Young children learn from repetition, so repeating words and labeling their actions in play helps to strengthen their vocabulary. While playing with toy cars and trucks I will make lots of car sounds, like “vroom vroom” and “beep beep.” Sometimes our cars crash too, which usually incites smiles and giggles. You can have your child make choices. While playing with toy food, ask does the baby (doll) want to eat an apple or banana. Require that your child use words or approximations of words when making a request. If your child extends his/her hand for a block, ask “block? want block?” before fulfilling the request. The key is to use words to label what is happening in play. You are the director providing a script that will help boost your child’s language. The more models you provide the more words your child will hear and eventually imitate. Remember to have fun and enjoy your play (work) time!

As a speech language pathologist (and a mom) I rely heavily on developing routines. I fully recognize that developing routines teaches new skills and allows for consistent practice of skills. Establishing routines like getting dressed, mealtime, and bath time help me stay (relatively) on schedule during hectic days and gives my kids a sense of structure and stability. An added benefit to teaching and establishing routines is that they also help develop and reinforce language. If you are looking for ideas on ways to teach routines there are lots of examples on Pinterest. You can also download printable visual routine charts like the one pictured below from Priceless Parenting. Your child has probably learned a number of routines by the age of 2. One parent of a child I see for therapy told me that when she says “bedtime,” her son walks to the refrigerator because he knows the next step is to get a cup of milk. When I announce “bath time” to my toddler, she squeals with excitement and runs to her dresser. She knows that Mommy gets the pjs from the dresser and then we walk to the bathroom and run her bath water. Whatever your routines may be, you can help support and enhance your child’s language skills by labeling each step in the routine and all of the objects needed to complete the task. You can also teach the importance of doing things in order and introduce time concepts like “first,” “second,” “next,” and “last.” An added benefit to having established routines is that parents can violate the routine. When adults make mistakes, kids LOVE to point it out! Children often try to correct the error by explaining what’s wrong. Not only is this motivating, but it also allows opportunities to practice language skills and problem solving. Put a cup away in the silverware drawer. Use toothpaste to wash his/ her hair. Forget to provide a spoon when you place his/ her cereal on the table in the morning. The opportunities to “make mistakes” are endless. The goal is to help your child recognize a violation in the normal routine and to talk to you about how to fix it. Give it a try and tell me about your experience below. I love to receive feedback!

Phonological processes are patterns that young children use to simplify adult speech. These errors are mistakes that typically developing children use while their speech and language skills are developing. For example a toddler may say “tootie” for cookie or “doddie” for doggy. When is it considered a disorder? Many speech patterns are considered appropriate until 3 years of age. Speech becomes easier for children to produce with increased experience and maturity. This means that a child will stop using patterns to simplify words as his/ her speech and motor skills mature. A developmental phonological disorder exists if a child continues to use these patterns beyond a certain age. What are common phonological processes? One of the most common phonological processes is a pattern known as fronting. This happens when a child says a sound in the front of their mouth that should be made in the back. For example: /k/ is replaced with /t/ so cup is pronounced “tup” or pocket is pronounced “pottet” /g/ is replaced with /d/ so dog is pronounced “dod” or go is pronounced “dough.” The error pattern can affect the sound in the beginning, middle, or end of a word. In addition to replacing sounds, other processes/ patterns involve deleting or reducing a sound, as well as patterns where one sound or syllable influences other sounds or syllables. For more details on phonological processes and when they should be extinguished, check out this free chart from Mommy Speech Therapy. How can you help? If phonological processes are present in a child’s speech while learning new words, their speech can become VERY difficult to understand. Changing one sound in a word can also change the meaning. Often children do not hear the differences in the words and will say one word to mean two different ones. For example, a child that substitutes /t/ for /k/ will produce /tea/ and /key/ the same way even though the child means two different words. This can become frustrating for caregivers! If you suspect your child may have a phonological disorder, or if you are concerned that your child is not speaking clearly for his/ her age, contact a speech language pathologist for an assessment and treatment (if needed.) Do you have questions? Interested in more information? Leave a comment or send a message to Having Our Say!

Summer 16 has been busy yet FUN! I haven’t posted in a few weeks, but I have had you all on my mind. The warm summer days have led to impromptu trips to the beach, sprints through the water sprinklers, blowing bubbles in the park, and lots of ice cream. I have enjoyed hanging out with my family and playing with new speech friends as we work on improving their skills. Today I wanted to share one of my summer speech activities. I’ve shared before that I enjoy “cooking” activities and kids do too. They get excited at the notion of creating something and knowing that they will get to enjoy the finished product. In addition to having a great time, cooking allows us to practice critical skills like following directions, sequencing, and learning new vocabulary. Whether it is something to eat like my recipe for Ice pops or making homemade toothpaste – kitchen activities are always a hit. Here is what you will need to make Homemade Toothpaste: 4 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon flavoring (vanilla, almond or peppermint) Toothbrush Air-tight container Simply mix the ingredients and your toothpaste is ready for use! Be sure to cover the container with a tight-fitting lid after each use to preserve your toothpaste. While working on your toothpaste, be certain to name each item as you use the ingredients. Also, you can target math skills by allowing your child to measure ingredients. Count the measurements out loud as you add to the mixture. Talk with your child about what we do to care for our teeth, like: Brushing in the morning and before bed Brushing after meals Flossing to get out the bits of food and to keep our gums healthy Brushing after eating sweet and sticky foods. To expand the activity, pair it with a book about good dental hygiene like Dr. Seuss’ Tooth Book.

I recently had the honor of participating as a presenter at Johns Hopkins University’s first annual Early Child Care and Education Expo. This was not my first public speaking engagement as a speech language pathologist, but it was my first time public speaking since starting Having Our Say. To say that it was an honor is an understatement (insert happy dance!) I am extremely grateful to the staff at Johns Hopkins University School of Education Center for Technology in Education for the invitation and the opportunity. My topic for the presentation was language development and disorders in children. I wanted to provide caregivers, educators, and parents a general orientation to how language skills develop in children. Knowing how language develops enables parents to identify the signs of a communication disorder and early identification leads to early intervention. I also offered strategies for parents to help encourage language in children, as well as resources to find professional help. When I created this site less than a year ago, my goal was to reach as many parents and caregivers as possible. I wanted to empower them with information and help them encourage good communication skills. This public speaking opportunity allowed me the chance to educate and impart some of my knowledge and experience to others. If I was able to help even one family- I count that as a success! If you have questions or would like information about language disorders and typical development in children, please email me at info@havingoursay.org.

When it comes to posting online, going viral is a good thing. The most recent viral video I have seen was of an adorable baby boy. The baby was about 18 months and super cute- I mean the cuddly, chubby cheek cute that makes you smile on sight. Yet, his overwhelming cuteness was not the reason his video went viral. The video featured the baby holding a stack of flash cards and READING the words written on each card. At lone point he realized the card was upside down and turned the card right side up before reading the word on the card. He had hundreds of thousands of views and plenty of comments from people who were in awe over his early literacy skills, but I was taken by his chubby thighs and smile. As a parent and an SLP, I am saddened to see how early education is changing, particularly kindergarten. A 2011 nationwide study by the Gesell Institute for Child Development found that the ages at which children reach developmental milestones have not changed in 100 years. So the question is why are we placing more academic demands on children at an earlier age? Are we doing harm or good by placing increased emphasis on academic skills and less opportunities for children to play and socialize in a formal setting with their peers? Children have to learn when their brains are ready to absorb the information. It’s important that children have the opportunity to learn in a developmentally appropriate setting, which is why play is so critical for children under the age of 5. Play offers the children the chance to build literacy, language, and social skills. So with that said, parents I encourage you to teach your child how to stack blocks and blow bubbles. Engage in peek-a-boo and imaginary play with toy food, dolls, cars, and trucks. Read and look at pictures in books. Identifying letters and words will come all in due time.

This fall I took on another position- as the assistant coach to my 12 year old daughter’s basketball team. It’s not a competitive league; the purpose is to introduce the game and teach fundamentals. Last week after practice, the head coach complimented one of the new players. He told her how much she has improved and that she had a natural ability as a player. To my surprise (and displeasure) the little girl shook her head and said, “No I don’t. I’m just not good.” Before I could say a word, the coach jumped in and showered her with words of encouragement. As he spoke positivity over her, I could see her face transform. She began to stand taller, hold her head higher, and a smile appeared across her lips. That simple exchange between a little girl and her coach may have changed the trajectory of this child’s self image. Last week, I was talking to a fellow school-based SLP. She shared a story about one of her students. The SLP was supporting her student in the regular classroom while the general education teacher led a math lesson. The classroom teacher called on the student, but the child was unable to process the information and express her thoughts to solve the problem. The SLP continued to work with the student, and in time, the student was able to solve the problem independently. When the student answered correctly, the SLP said to her, “See I knew you could do it! Now I just need to you to show Mrs. XX that you can do it too!” The next part of the story really touched my heart, my colleague said her student started to cry and gave her a big hug. That little girl just needed someone to believe in her and encourage her. Sometimes we forget that children need to be encouraged too. We can use our words to build a child’s esteem or to destroy it. Let’s choose our words wisely and help to encourage a child!

Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King helped change the landscape of our country during one of it’s darkest times. He inspired generations with his messages of peace and love, but he also emphasized the need to help and be of service to others. As we honor Dr. King and all of his contributions, let us all try to be the good we want to see in our world. Remember, big or small – any kind act to help others can make an impact. Happy MLK Day!

2015 was a great year full of lessons learned and new experiences. Thank you for supporting Having Our Say! Look for more from me in the coming year and I hope to hear more from you. Have a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year! ~Shontaye

Every week (well almost every week) I send home speech homework. Sometimes I will send assignments and sometimes it may be an update of what we are targeting in therapy. It’s my way of updating parents and caregivers on what their child is working on in therapy. My speech homework can include actual worksheets or just suggested strategies that families can do at home to support therapy goals. At times I will send recipes for crafts or cooking activities that we do in school so that the children can recreate the activity at home with their families. Children only spend 1-2 hours a week with their speech therapist. It’s important that children have opportunities to practice their language skills outside of the classroom/ therapy room. School SLPs don’t have constant contact with parents, but the “Speech folder/ book” is my attempt at keeping the lines of communication open. Does you child have a speech folder/ book? Do you maintain communication with your SLP? Send a note to your child’s therapist’s or shoot an email. We welcome communication and love to hear back from you!

Lisp is a lay term used to describe a speech disorder. A lisp or lisping refers to a person’s difficulty in producing the /s/ or /z/ sounds. The problem is usually caused by incorrect tongue placement. A frontal or interdental lisp occurs when the tongue protrudes (sticks out) between a person’s front teeth or touches their front teeth while trying to produce /s/ or /z/. In this type of lisp “bus” will sound like “buth.” A lateral lisp occurs when too much air escapes over the sides of the tongue while attempting production of /s/ or /z/. With a lateral lisp, /s/ or /z/ will sound wet or slushy because of air escaping and excess saliva. When I tried to think of an example of someone with a lisp, “Sylvester the Cat” came to mind. Looney Tunes fans will remember the cartoon character who showered saliva everywhere as he used his famous catch phrase “sufferin' succotash.” Sylvester’s biggest challenge always seemed to be catching Tweety Bird, but in reality having a lisp can cause embarrassment and frustration for children as well as adults. A lisp IS a speech disorder, but the cause is unknown. It is often part of normal development for some children and may be a developmental error that improves without intervention as a child learns new sounds. In others, it can persist beyond adolescence and into adulthood. A lateral lisp, however, is not a developmental distortion and typically requires intervention. When should you seek help? Although there is no perfect age to seek therapy, most speech language pathologists suggest seeking help around 4 1/2/ years of age. Waiting until a child is older may strengthen the negative oral habits, making them harder to break. In addition, older child may become more aware of his/ her speech distortions, which can have a negative impact on improvement. A lisp in an older child may also affect his/her academic performance in school, as well as social interactions. Teens and adults who lisp may experience negative emotions of shame, frustration, and low self esteem, but treatment can help! Where can you find help? A qualified SLP can perform an assessment to determine the presence of a speech disorder. He/ she can determine the type of lisp that is present and offer guidance based upon the results. Therapy for a lisp with a certified SLP is often short-term and successful. For more information on assessment or therapy, please contact Having Our Say Speech Therapy Services.