Go to LINKS and play an online game. Work on your SPEECH SOUNDS with games
on LINKS #12 or #13. Work on your LANGUAGE SKILLS with LINKS #9, #11, or #14.
Try to include Speech practice into your daily activities as much as
possible.
If you are working on a specific sound (ARTICULATION):
* Focus on your "Key Word" all week long...every time you say that word, do
your best to use your best speech.
* Go on a "Sound Hunt":
* Take a walk outside and look for things that have your sound.
* Go to the Mall or the Grocery Store and see how many things you can
find with your sound.
* Look through a magazine for pictures or words that have your sound.
* When driving in your car, see how many things you can find with your
sound.
* Look for your sound in your spelling words.
Keep speech practice fun and teach your child that good speech is not just
for school. Don't focus on good speech when your child is tired or hungry.
Keep it fun, and praise all efforts!
For LANGUAGE THERAPY at home:
* Give your child your full attention. Show him/her that what he/she has
to
say is important to you.
* Many adults say too much, too quickly, or in too soft of a voice.
Children stop listening if the message is too difficult to understand.
* Give directions slowly, one step at a time. Point and gesture to get
your
point across, this will help your child learn to look for clues to
understanding.
* If your child has trouble answering a question, rephrase it in more
simple
words, give clues if that is helpful.
* Model good speech by using good grammar, but don't expect your child to
repeat sentences correctly. That could cause frustration for both of you.
* Talk in sentences with good word order. Help your child organize events
that happened.
If your child STUTTERS:
* Try to always focus on WHAT your child is saying to you, and not HOW
he/she is talking.
* Don't say things like "Take a breath" or "Say it again slowly", these
commands put more focus on the difficulty the child is having.
* We will be talking about our "Toolbox" in therapy which will be filled
with speech management techniques, and our "Speech Machine" and what it does.
* Frankly, you can not change what you do not understand. The goal is to
help him/her understand what happens and have better control over
stuttering. Sometimes that means "Easier Speaking", and sometimes that
means "Easier Stuttering".
For my Kindergarten students - check out LINK #15 for a really fun game like
we play in Sound Club!
I know it sounds like a cliche', but the best thing you can do with your
child, at any age, is to READ together. Whether you have concerns with your
child's speech and language development or his/her overall progress in
school...reading skills are crucial for learning. Please check out my link
to the National Institute for Literacy. This is a great Parent Guide that
describes activities that you can do with your child to support his/her
reading skills. I hope all of my Kindergarten Parents will check out this
link!
