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Fun in Speech/Language Therapy
The children continue to work hard listening to stories, following directions, and retrieving words and information.
Here are a few cueing strategies for word retrieval.
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Phonemic: state the intial sound of the target word ( say /r/ to elicit "rake."
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Synonym: state another word for the target word (say "large" or "big" to elicit "big.")
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Sentence Completion: use a closuze format ( say "open the ______ " to elicit "door.")
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Definition: state definitions of the target word ( say, "a bed for a baby is called a _____ to elicit "crib.")
How to Improve Your Child's Listening Skills
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Listen attentively, with a body posture that suggests interest. Answer questions and add new information about the topic.
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Set aside a daily sharing time with your child. Sit down together in a quiet room with the TV off. This tells your child your are sincerely interested. Your child will want to listen and share. Gradually this will become a habit and that can benefit your child throughout his life.
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Communicate directions and questions so they are understandable. Speak slowly and in a soft voice. Children soon quit listening when the message is too hard to understand.
May is Better Speech and Hearing Month
May, Better Hearing and Speech Month, is a great time to take a close look at your child's ability to speak clearly. Learning to say all sounds correctly is a gradual process and often a young child's pronunciation of sounds is endearing and not a cause for concern. However, if your child's speech sounds significantly different from his age peers, or he frequently avoids talking because he is hard to understand, he may have a speech sound disorder.
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