Home practice makes all the difference!!

Happy Fall Underhill Families~

Over all of the years that I have been an SLP, those students who include home practice as part of their at home routine make the most gains in therapy.  I fully understand the after school craziness with after school activities, sports, and homework (My husband and I have to tag-team after school activities in my house too!).  How can you fit in one more thing to the evening schedule?  It is easier than you may think!    Just 5-10 minutes in the evening or before school if you have time, will help generalize what we are working on during your child’s school day.

The key, is to understand your child’s IEP goals.  The actual IEP can be overwhelming, but using a quick reference sheet called “At a Glance” helps simplify the IEP.  I can share a copy in your child’s speech/language folder for your reference.  It is my “go-to” sheet to keep me on track!

If your child is working on articulation/speech sound production, think about ways you can sneak in a few words to practice.  For example, when making dinner, think up 5-7 words that have your child’s speech sound in them that are related to your dinner prep.  For example, if your child’s sounds are /s, z/ and you’re making a salad try these words:  slice, tomatoes, lettuce, salad, dressing, cheese, and cucumbers.

Same scenario with a child who is working on language or fluency skills.  Reinforce language skills by having your child follow directions to find the ingredients, describe what each ingredient looks like (color, size, shape, etc), what category do the items belong to (understanding the difference between fruits and veggies is tricky!), compare and contrast the ingredients or dishes being prepared for that night.

Once you try it a few times, it will become easier, and before you know if you’ll be thinking like an SLP!  Other home activities to work with:  bath time, washing dishes, laundry, etc. 

I will be sharing a great resource with you to work on speech/language learning through PLAY.  It was created by SLP, Jenna Rayburn over at Speech Room News.  These parent handouts have a Fall theme and will spark ideas on ways to increase speech/language practice with your child.  They are targeted for the preschool-kindergarten population, but I think my first graders will also benefit from these!  Keep an eye out for these awesome handouts in your child's speech/language homework folder!

Smiles~

Wendy