Halloween speech and language tips
Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays! Trips to the farm, haunted houses, costumes, face painting, decorations, baking, and candy! Each family seems to have their own traditions. Traditions offer predictability, an ideal environment for children to learn language skills. And, because halloween is filled with an abundance of visual supports, which help […]
Why you shouldn’t play the “wait and see” game
This past month I was contacted by two sets of parents, each concerned about their children’s speech sound errors. In both cases, the parents had been recommended years earlier to “wait and see” if the sound errors would resolve on their own. “Wait and see” is an unsatisfying recommendation. It often lacks important information such […]
An invitation to do less this season
As far back as I remember, Christmas time always evoked mixed feelings. Being Jewish, my family celebrated Hanukkah, which sometimes coincided with Christmas and other times did not. My school hosted a number of Christmas related events and I envied the many families who celebrated what I believed to be a glamorous and universal holiday. […]
Parents of late talkers are often surprised to learn they can help more by talking less.
The term “late talkers” describes children who have a limited spoken vocabulary at around 2 years of age. Keep in mind that first words appear close to 12 months, and children begin combining words prior to 2 years (refer to my blog on Communication Milestones). If at 18-20 months your child uses less than 10 words, or if at 21-30 months […]
How grapefruits reminded me of the power of storytelling
According to Speech and Hearing BC, 29% of children arrive at kindergarten struggling to be able to tell a story. Did you know that telling your children stories helps them develop their storytelling skills? Storytelling uses language to connect your child to people, events, concepts and humour. Stories teach sequencing, improve vocabulary, strengthen listening skills and help children connect ideas. And, the simple act […]
Expand Language with Water Play!
Summer is here! It’s hot! But, that’s okay for preschoolers because they LOVE playing with water. Sprinklers, water balloons, water blasters, water parks, kiddie pools and the beach. I remember when my kids were little we set up the sprinkler under our trampoline for cool bouncing on hot summer days. However you enjoy water together […]