Tips to creating a richer experience when reading with your child

Tips to creating a richer experience when reading with your child

Reading books with your child is a wonderful activity to do together. This is also a great way to build your child’s language skills! Here are a few tips and ideas to encourage more language growth.

-Label and describe items on the page that you see and encourage your child to do the same. Talk about the actions, nouns, colors, shapes, etc (and include adjectives!) that are seen in the illustrations. This is great for expanding your child’s vocabulary.

-Ask questions to encourage story comprehension skills, such as WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, and HOW.

-During and after the story promote sequencing and re-calling skills by having your child re-tell story events.

-While you are reading with your child, before you turn to the next page, ask your child what they think will happen next. This will help strengthen predicating skills.

-Talk about the characters and their feelings/emotions. You can even talk about what clues (facial expression, body language, tone of voice) that made you think that.

-Model sounds and words from the book so your child can imitate by watching you. Be sure your child can see your face.

Remember you don’t need to do all of these activities at once! But most importantly have fun with your child and cherish these bonding moments!

Have fun!

-Kirsten

Better Hearing & Speech Month 2016

Are you concerned that your kids spend too much time on tablets, smartphones, or other devices? Do you have fewer conversations with your kids than you’d like because of technology distractions? Do you find yourself constantly asking your kids to lower the volume on devices because you can hear the music blaring through their earbuds or headphones?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are a typical parent in the digital age. These are struggles for most of us as technology increasingly becomes central to our lives and our children’s lives.

During May, our professional association—the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)—celebrates Better Hearing & Speech Month. Given that, I want to take this opportunity to remind you of the important roles that verbal communication and personal interaction—free from technology distractions—play in children’s academic and social development.

Kids today are using devices for hours every day—time that once was reserved for talking and reading, interactive and imaginative play, outdoor experiences, and other activities. Yet, the primary way young children develop their speech and language abilities is through verbal exchange—talking and reading with parents. This is a precursor for their own reading abilities and overall academic success. Children also learn from hands-on experiences. Educational apps can play a part, but they are in no way a replacement for what is learned through person-to-person communication. As we head into the summer months, when children no doubt will have more time to use devices, consider carving out some device-free time each day. You may be surprised by how little they (and you) miss it!

Another pressing issue related to technology use is hearing damage. Unfortunately, there has been a significant spike in hearing loss in young people in recent years. This coincides with the rise in popularity of mp3 players, tablets, and other devices. Even mild hearing loss can lead to reduced academic achievement (particularly in reading and math), poor self-concept, and feelings of social isolation, among other consequences—so, encourage your kids to keep the volume on their devices to half level and to take listening breaks. Hearing loss due to unsafe listening habits can be prevented, but once it occurs, it is irreversible. Teach (and model yourself) these good habits early.

Finally, this is an opportunity for us to remind you about our availability should you have any concerns about your child’s communication development. Speech, language, and hearing disorders are among the most common disorders in school-aged children. Communication disorders are also treatable and some can even be prevented if identified early.

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Picky Eating

Do you have a picky eater? 

While having preferences, and foods we absolutely detest, is completely normal, picky eating can present real challenges for families at meal times.

My number one goal for every person at the table is to enjoy the meal together.  Here are some tips to bring peace to your dinner table this spring.

1. Eat ‘family style’ when possible.  This allows your child to see and smell options.  This way you’re not forcing your child to take an undesired food, but he/she can observe others at the table enjoying it.
2. Continue to serve foods you know your child likes.  By increasing the likelihood that they’ll have at least one ‘safe food’ at the table, he/she might be more likely to branch out and try something new.
3. Introduce completely new foods at a snack time rather than a meal.  Snack is usually less formal and therefore puts less stress on trying something new.
4. Offer plenty of choices.  Milk or water?  A whole roll or split?  Apple slices on the dinner plate or in a bowl?

Now seems an ideal time to begin checking out fruits and veggies as they become ‘in season’ at the grocery store or local markets.  This is a great language opportunity too.  It’s fun to talk about where it grows, varieties, how it’s harvested, what kind of texture it has, and finally what it tastes like.  You can always talk about different ways to cook and serve it. 

Sometimes just learning about unfamiliar foods can pique interest in trying them.

Happy eating,

-Elizabeth