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As therapists, we rely on following a child‘s interests to guide therapy sessions. Children (and adults) are always more likely to participate when you appeal to their interests. Parents looking to help improve their child’s language can use this strategy as well. Follow your child’s lead! Parents often look for ways to interact with busy toddlers in a way that is meaningful and will help them to learn new skills. Following your child’s lead will take you down the right path. Watch how your child plays and you will see what interests him/ her the most. Once you see what interests him, you can provide choices between activities and objects. Giving choices empowers little ones, and it also guarantees that the activity is one they will enjoy (even if only for a few minutes.) Sounds like a WIN- WIN to me! Below is an excerpt from a recent post on blog.asha.org. Although the information was written for therapists, it can be applied to parents and caregivers as well. You can follow the steps below with any daily activity. Ask yourself these questions: Does he /she enjoy sitting, constructing/deconstructing toys, make-believe? Does he /she prefer running, jumping, tossing items? Does he /she like a mixture of low and high energy play? Does he /she spend a long time with an activity or bounce among them? This information helps you insert yourself into the client’s play more easily, so you can shift between goals throughout the session by mimicking natural interactions. For example, if the child plays with a toy kitchen set, you can prompt him to: Label items: “What are you making?” Match items: “Can I have a cup like yours?” Follow directions: “Please hand me a spoon.” Follow your child’s lead. Use their interests, favorite toys, pets, snacks, etc to help build more language. You can read the full article here.

Although I am not a proponent for children watching lots of TV, I am a fan of Dora the Explorer. My oldest daughter watched it and picked up new Spanish words. Now my toddler has learned about Dora and is fond of her too. If you are unfamiliar, Dora is an interactive cartoon on Nick Jr. The show features a highly energetic and spirited little girl who sets out on adventures with her best friend Boots. Dora is independent and courageous. On any given day Dora may be crossing bridges and rivers to get to Grandma’s house or swimming away from a grizzly bear to get to Blueberry Hill. She uses her map and all-encompassing backpack to stop Swiper the Sneaky Fox and complete her journey. In each episode Dora encourages children to help solve riddles and solve problems throughout the show. She engages preschoolers by speaking directly to the audience. She asks questions and uses planned pauses to give her friends time to respond. Dora empowers her audience too. She always lets her watchers know that she needs their help and that she couldn’t have completed the mission without them! In addition to practicing cognitive skills, Dora also teaches new vocabulary in 2 languages. Dora is bilingual and speaks to preschoolers in Spanish and English. Dora encourages children to be more vocal and they learn that by using language and problem solving skills, they help complete the missions. As a mother and a SLP I am a fan. Dora does good deeds. She celebrates friendships and kindness. She shares and looks for the best in everyone – even Swiper the sneaky fox who is always up to mischief. How do I know so much about Dora? Whelp - we watch together. I can monitor the amount of time she spends in front of the TV, but I can also reinforce language and skills presented on the show. If you are new to the blog, welcome! I am an SLP Mom to a toddler and a teenager. That means that I drop off to daycare and middle school, listen to rap and Sesame radio, and my DVR list includes “Scream Queens” and “Dora the Explorer.” At any given moment you may catch me humming tunes by Drake or singing “Dora, Dora, Dora the Explorer!”

It’s Fall! It’s October and the Autumn/ Halloween activities are in full gear. I came upon this quick and easy craft activity while visiting one of my favorite preschool classes. The students loved it and the opportunities to practice language skills were plentiful. Lucky for us, their teacher Mrs. Montana was more than happy to share her instructions and I am sharing it all with you. There are so many things that I like about this activity. First- it’s inexpensive. Secondly- it is sure to excite your little one’s senses as well as facilitate plenty of vocabulary. And thirdly- it’s fun, fast, and easy to do at home! I can’t begin to tell you how many smiles and giggles were happening while we did this craft. Here’s what you need: shaving cream, glue, orange paint, paint brushes. You will also need a plain white pumpkin template (use heavy construction paper or card stock), 3 black triangles (or any shape) made from construction paper to make your pumpkin’s face, and a small container for mixing. That’s IT!!! In a small container, mix the above ingredients in equal parts. You can add glitter to make your puffy pumpkin really sparkle. Worried about making a mess? Don’t be! While you mix the paint, glue, and shaving cream with a spoon, let your little one have some sensory fun with the shaving cream. Spray some on a safe surface and enjoy some finger play. Draw letters in the shaving cream or whatever his imagination desires. Talk about the creations- yes, there are opportunities for language in everything! And be sure to label each item as you place it into the bowl. Use sequence words as you complete each step (i.e. First we add the orange paint, Next let’s add shaving cream, etc.) After you have mixed all of your ingredients, have your child take a paint brush and add liberal amounts of the mixture onto the pumpkin. Cover the entire template so that no white shows. Try to make thick layers to create the puffed appearance. After your pumpkin template is covered in the paint mixture, place the shapes on your pumpkin to give it a face. Talk about the shapes that you are using. What kind of face does your pumpkin have? Is it a happy face? Sad? Mad? Scary? Your finished (dry) product will have a raised puffy appearance. If you added glitter, it will also have a slightly textured appearance too. Talk about what you see and feel. I hope you have as much fun as we did! Thank you to Mrs. Montana and my preschool friends!

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!