The magic sound every child needs to learn!
There are various factors I consider when choosing which sounds to focus on first in speech therapy. Is the sound in the child’s own name? Is it an earlier developing sound? Is it a high frequency sound? Can the child make the sound with assistance? One English sound magically stands out as worthy of training […]
Accent Reduction Part II: Why I talk about Coconuts in Accent Reduction Training
For non-native English speakers, it can be extremely difficult to reduce their accents on their own using accent reduction tools. The main reason for this is that it’s hard to hear the difference between the sound they are trying to make and the sound they actually make. Before you can practice English sounds and speech […]
Accent Reduction Part I: Why I talk about starfish in Accent Reduction Training
One of the benefits for non-native English speakers who participate in Accent Reduction Training is gaining a greater confidence in speaking situations. For instance in an interview, a presentation, a phone call or a meeting. An often overlooked factor in accent improvement is the impact that body language can have on your communicative effectiveness. Certainly, your posture influences the […]
The Secret to Reading with Preschoolers
The secret to reading with preschoolers is…. make it FUN! “No kidding” you say. Yes, really! For years I have witnessed too many loving and well-meaning parents read to their toddlers with a rigid focus on the story. The truth is, young children learn best by having enjoyable interactions, not by being “taught”. The primary goal when […]
The One Question I Am Asked Most Often
The one question I am asked most often is from parents wanting to know if their child has the level of speech and language abilities that are expected at his age. First-time parents especially, may not have previously witnessed a child moving through the stages of development. In such cases, it is not unusual to feel some […]
Celebrate Your Connection
For many, December is a time of reflection and planning for the year ahead. I invite you to set aside a few moments to reflect on your most memorable interactions with your children this past year. Next, celebrate yourself for your role in creating those memories. It may have been a moment of accomplishment when your […]
Top Christmas Toys to Help Your Child’s Language Development
We are quickly approaching the busiest shopping season of the year. And parents will spend countless hours searching for the best Christmas toys for their children. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to identify toys that are safe, fun and support your child’s development. Tips to get you started: Avoid noisy toys. Some […]
Steal These Questions to Get Your Child Talking About School
Remember when your kids were little and wouldn’t stop talking? I admit, there were days when I succumbed to preparing dinner with headphones on… volume set just loud enough to drown out the non-stop voices, yet soft enough to hear if anyone were to scream. I just needed some quiet time, some “no listening” […]
Understanding Social Language Skills
Social language skills, also known as pragmatic language skills, refer to the unspoken verbal and nonverbal rules governing our interactions. These rules vary according to whom you are speaking with, where you are, and typically vary across different cultures. Someone with good social language skills will respond appropriately and flexibly to an ever changing social […]
How Rhyming Supports Literacy Success
Full disclosure…when I became a mom, I didn’t really know any nursery rhymes. And frankly, that felt a bit weird because, I am a speech therapist! But up until that point, my career had largely focused on work with adults. A friend told me about a local “Mother Goose” program for new moms and babies, […]