Offer to Present To a Class May is Better Hearing and Speech Month, and let’s be honest, at the end of the school year classroom teachers are always willing to have others come into their classrooms and present. This is your chance to do teach kids about their hearing and preventing hearing loss, or to talk about what stuttering is. … Read More
Using Halloween Jokes in Listening and Spoken Language Therapy
Even if you didn’t really laugh at that joke, you probably smiled just a little bit, right? Which is one of my favorite reasons to use jokes in therapy–it’s fun! And if I’m having fun in therapy, my students are likely to be having fun too. But, jokes are great for so many reasons. I’ve written before about why we … Read More
Vocabulary: Why Knowing a Word’s Meaning Isn’t Enough
When you have a child with a speech and language delay, or a kiddo who is deaf or hard of hearing, you know that learning new vocabulary is important. The more words you know, the more your child can say, understand, read, write, etc. But what does it mean to really know a word? Just a Definition Isn’t Enough I … Read More
Strategies for Creating a Rich Language Environment
If you’re a parent, you know the feeling…the ever present question or nagging thought, “Am I doing enough?” And if you’re the parent of a child with a hearing loss, that voice can be overwhelming because there can be so much you think you should be doing. So first, let me tell you, this post is not about what you’re … Read More
19 Zucchinis: The Easiest Way to Grow Your Child’s Vocabulary
We know that hearing and learning new vocabulary is important, especially for kids who are deaf and hard of hearing. But, what if I told you there is a super simple way to introduce, practice, and repeat new vocabulary in context? And that it takes very little effort on your part? Enter….books. Seriously. Reading with your child is one of … Read More
Tips for Teaching New Vocabulary
Years ago, long before I had children, an interest in auditory verbal therapy, or a degree in speech language pathology, I remember being incredibly impressed with a friend’s toddler’s vocabulary. She was repeating names of fish on a poster. Names like “pickerel,” “lake sturgeon,” and “common carp” rolled off her tongue. I kept telling the friend how smart her kid … Read More
Breaking Down the Rich Language in Children’s Story Books
When was the last time you worked the word “commotion” into a conversation with your toddler? Or “lowered” or “delighted”? Don’t worry, I haven’t either. But, because of a Curious George book we accidentally brought home from my parents’ house, we’ve been reading them. I’ve mentioned before that I love using books in therapy, and we’ve all heard that we … Read More
Sea Lions, Giraffes, and Monkey Faced Squirrels, Oh My
Like so many other parents, I’m always looking for easy and quick ways to provide my kiddos with rich language experiences. I’ve read the research about how the more you talk to your kids, the better their language and vocabulary will be. I want them to be immersed in letters and words and have read the 1,000 books before Kindergarten, … Read More