Teaching the Sound of Letter G

by Courtenay M. Pronunciation & Lisps Speech Therapy Techniques

Teaching the Sound of G. Image courtesy of www.pronuncian.com

“Dess what Mommy?” “Where is the dod?, “When are we donna be there?” Are these familiar questions around your house? Is your son or daughter making a “d” sound in place of a “g”? Or, leaving the “g” sound out all together? If so, don’t fret. Most children under the age of five have some trouble correctly pronouncing certain sounds and words. While most children will usually mispronounce words at some point in her growth, the majority of children outgrow these mispronunciations and master correct sounds by certain ages. And, to make things even more complicated for your young child, there are two distinct sounds of “g” that he or she must perfect: a hard g and a soft g. Is there a way to help guide your child? YES! Here are some tips and tricks for teaching your child the sound of letter g.

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Animal-Assisted Speech Therapy

by Courtenay M. Parents' Corner Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques

Animals Can Be An Excellent Supplement to Speech Therapy. Image courtesy of www.pawsandthink.org

Shark Week is here! Shark Week is here!! Sure, it’s fun to watch on TV, but what does it have to do with speech and language therapy? Actually, quite a bit. Sure, there is our good friend the Shark Buddy, but what about swimming with dolphins, riding horses or even petting a dog? Animal-assisted therapy has been gaining strength in popularity and recognition as an effective part of a therapy regime for children who have a wide range of social, language and communication disorders.
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Teenager Technology Overload – How Much is Too Much?

by Courtenay M. Parents' Corner

Ways to avoid teenager technology overload

Avoid Teenager Technology Overload. Image source: whatisspeechtherapy.com

Your teen seemingly goes from his laptop, to his tablet, to his smart phone as if it’s a full time job. Sound familiar? Sure, technology today is “essential,” but honestly, at times it seems like teenager technology overload. In this age where our children don’t know a world without technology, families with teenagers are struggling to find out the appropriate balance. Technology is an excellent resource, especially for use in a speech therapy setting, as long as the appropriate rules and limits are followed. As our teenagers have access to more information than ever before, it’s important to realize that their brains may not be able to process it as easily. A study from Loren Frank of the University of California suggested,

Downtime lets the brain go over experiences it’s had, solidify them and turn them into permanent long-term memories.

However when our brains are constantly stimulated, “you prevent this learning process.”

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5 Fast Fixes for “F” Sound Practice

by Courtenay M. At Home Ideas Language Development Parents' Corner Pronunciation & Lisps Speech Therapy Techniques

Image courtesy of www.really-learn-english.com

A few weeks ago, we covered methods to help your child correctly pronounce the sound of “TH”. While the most commonly mispronounced sounds are r, l, s, ch, and sh, the sound of “F” as in “Fish” is particularly difficult for a number of people, especially young children. Are you hearing a “p” instead of an “f”? Do your fish live in a “pishbowl” instead of a “fishbowl”? While we don’t have a Speech Buddy Tool designed to treat the mispronunciation of “f,” we do have suggestions to help your child with “f” sound practice. Here are five fabulous facts and features to fix the sound of “f”.
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Easy and Effective Ways to Build Reading Skills

by Courtenay M. Language Building Games Language Building Skills

Easy and Effective Ways to Encourage Reading. Image Courtesy of parents.com

Build Reading Skills. Studies have shown that the most enthusiastic and voracious readers received early introduction to reading at home. Encourage your child to make reading a part of every day life by adding a few simple steps to your daily routine. If you are modeling reading at home, it’s likely your child will follow your footsteps and learn to love to read. Of course, they don’t need to read the Wall Street Journal, but by offering a wide variety of reading material around the house, your child will be encouraged to pick up a book and start making reading a habit.
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