Kids, Screen Time and Recommendations
The Real Scoop on Screen Time for Young Children: How Much is Too Much?
Let’s talk about something that’s become a big part of our daily lives: screen time. Whether it’s a quick YouTube video during breakfast, a tablet app to keep kids entertained on a car ride, or a cozy movie night, screens are everywhere. But how much is too much? Does too much viewing lead to language delays? And how can we make sure screen time is a positive experience for our children’s development?
Quantity Matters: Setting Limits on Screen Time
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry suggests that children under 18 months should only have screen time for video chatting with an adult. For kids aged 2 to 5 years, the recommendation is to limit non-educational screen time to about one hour per weekday and up to three hours on weekend days. These guidelines help ensure that children have enough time for other important activities, like playing, reading, and interacting with others, which are essential for their development.
The American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) collaborated with the Children's Screen Time Action Network at Fairplay to develop the Be TechWise series. These printable handouts—available in English and Spanish—focus on screen guidance for families with babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.
The main concern isn't that watching TV directly leads to language delays. It's that kids benefit the most when they're actively engaging in conversations with others. Problems can arise if screen time replaces those important real-life interactions and activities that support their development. Our best strategy? Let's give our kids plenty of opportunities to talk, explore, ask questions, and have meaningful interactions.
Quality Over Quantity: What Kind of Content is Best?
It’s not just about how much screen time children have—it’s also about what they’re watching. Research shows that fast-paced, highly stimulating shows like CoComelon and Little Baby Bum can negatively impact a child’s development. These types of shows often have rapid scene changes, flashy visuals, and non-stop action, which can overwhelm young brains. This overstimulation might lead to shorter attention spans, difficulty concentrating, and potential issues with speech and language development.
On the flip side, slower-paced, educational shows can have a positive impact. Shows like Bluey (Disney+), Sesame Street (PBS), Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood (PBS), and Mister Clay (YouTube) are excellent options. These programs are designed with young children's developmental needs in mind. They promote learning through storytelling, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence, all while engaging kids in a fun and age-appropriate way.
The Importance of Co-Viewing: Watch Together and Talk About It
One of the best ways to make screen time beneficial is to watch together and engage in conversations about what’s on the screen. This co-viewing experience turns passive screen time into an interactive activity. For example, you can pause a show to ask questions like, “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why is the character feeling sad?” This not only boosts comprehension and critical thinking but also enhances language development. Talking about and/or acting out a show after viewing is a great way to facilitate pretend play and language skills.
But when it comes to learning to talk, the most important takeaway concerns the effects of live conversations between children and adults.
Balancing Screen Time with Real-World Interactions
While screens can be educational and entertaining, they should not replace real-world interactions. Research has shown that children learn language best through direct interaction with adults and peers. Conversations, reading together, playing, and exploring the world around them are crucial for building strong communication skills. If screen time begins to replace these real-world activities, it may hinder a child’s ability to develop essential social and language skills.
Gestalt Language Learners can really benefit from using phrasing from songs or TV shows as their initial communication. When parents watch with their GLP (gestalt language processors), they are more easily able to identify the context of the phrase. One of the cons of lots of screen time for GLPS is that, “If a child only views media as their source of language, they might be inclined to continue amassing hundreds of gestalts from media, and potentially struggle to connect with natural language in their environment.” (Meaningful Speech, May 2024). To learn more about Gestalt Language processors click here)
High-Quality Shows to Consider for young children:
Here are some great shows that balance entertainment with educational value:
Bluey (Disney+): This show features a lovable Australian Blue Heeler puppy named Bluey and her adventures with family and friends. It promotes creativity, problem-solving, and social-emotional learning.
Ms. Rachel (YouTube): Focused on early language development, Ms. Rachel engages children with songs, stories, and interactive activities that encourage speech and communication skills.
Super Simple Songs: (You Tube) These songs have a variety of themes and the animations are, well…. simple. I often slow them down so children can sign along.
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (Disney+): A classic choice for young kids, this show combines problem-solving with fun adventures led by Mickey and his friends.
Sesame Street (PBS): A long-time favorite that mixes fun with valuable lessons on literacy, numeracy, and social skills. It’s perfect for co-viewing and discussing topics like kindness, sharing, and understanding emotions.
Mister Clay (You Tube): Mister Clay is a fellow SLP who incorporates picture symbols into his songs. His songs are repetitive, catchy and teach real life concepts in a really fun and humorous way.
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood (PBS): Based on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, this show helps young children learn about emotions, routines, and life skills in a gentle, relatable way.
Boom Learning: These are digital, educational activities developed by educators that parents and children can use together as a shared activity. I use Boom Cards in speech therapy to target speech and language skills. Take a look at my Boom store for interactive activities such as “Who is Knocking on my Door?” and “Vet Clinc for Preschool Children” which are a HUGE hit with young children!
Making Screen Time Work for You
Remember, screen time isn’t inherently bad—it’s all about how we use it. By being mindful of the quantity and quality of the content, and by actively engaging with our children during screen time, we can turn it into a valuable tool for learning and growth.
Think of screen time as one of many tools in your parenting toolkit. When used thoughtfully and balanced with other activities, it can be a positive part of your child’s development. So, let’s make the most of it! Watch together, talk about what you see, and don’t forget to turn off the screens and enjoy some unplugged playtime, too. Your child’s brain—and future self—will thank you!
Fall October Speech Therapy Activities for Young Children
October is one of my favorite months for speech therapy sessions! The crisp fall air, colorful leaves, big chunky sweaters and the excitement of Halloween make it the perfect time to introduce engaging and seasonal activities that help build speech and language skills.
Over the years, I’ve found some go-to activities that my students look forward to each autumn. Here are a few of my favorites that have helped my students work on speech and language goals while having tons of fall fun!
October is one of my favorite months for speech therapy sessions! The crisp fall air, colorful leaves, big chunky sweaters and the excitement of Halloween make it the perfect time to introduce engaging and seasonal activities that help build speech and language skills.
Over the years, I’ve found some go-to activities that my students look forward to each autumn. Here are a few of my favorites that have helped my students work on speech and language goals while having tons of fall fun!
Fall Speech Therapy Activities That I Love 🍂
1. Pumpkin Play dough Smash Mats
I can’t get through a fall season without these! I like to use themed smash mats (such as pumpkins, apples, or leaves) with playdough. These mats are great for working on target sounds, following directions, and sentence expansion. Students can “smash” a playdough ball when they find a picture or word that matches their sound or language goal. It’s always a hit, and it’s a tactile way to reinforce skills while having fun.
2. Fall-Themed “I Spy” Activities
I love creating and using fall-themed “I Spy” sheets! These are great for working on expressive and receptive vocabulary. Students take turns describing what they see, practicing prepositions like “under the pumpkin” or “next to the witch’s hat,” and making inferences. They also help with visual scanning and attention.
3. Sensory Bins with Fall Elements
Sensory bins filled with dried leaves, acorns, mini pumpkins, and little fall-themed objects provide a hands-on way for students to explore fall vocabulary. I often hide small toys or pictures related to our books, and we “hunt” for them while practicing articulation words or using target phrases like “I found a…” or “It’s hiding under…”
Halloween-Themed Activities 🎃
Halloween is such an exciting time for students, so I love incorporating a bit of Halloween magic into speech therapy sessions. Here are a few activities that have worked wonders in my sessions:
1. Haunted House from a Box
One of my favorite activities is creating a haunted house out of an Amazon box (we all have a spare box handy!). I cut out doors and windows and then use it alongside the book Inside a House that is Haunted. As we read, students place corresponding pictures or objects in different areas of the house, working on spatial concepts like “inside the window,” “through the door,” and “up on the roof.” It’s a fun, hands-on way to reinforce spatial language while tying into a Halloween story!
2. Trick-or-Treating Scenarios
We take our haunted house activity a step further by acting out trick-or-treating scenarios! Students take turns sticking their heads inside the box and “knocking” on the door. We practice social language skills by saying, “Trick or Treat,” “Happy Halloween,” and “Thank you.” This simple but effective role-playing game helps students with greetings, requests, and polite language in a context they love.
3. Digital Halloween Activities
For no prep digital activities “Who is Knocking on My Door” is a fun activity to target answering and asking “who” questions while also working on Fall vocabulary. A way to target the following sounds: B, P, T, D, K, G, F, V, S, Z, L, R , TH, DG, CH, SH is with the Pumpkin Articulation Match game for your computer or tablet! Kids LOVE competing with this fall match activity!
4. Spiders and Monsters for Non-Halloween Themes
If Halloween isn’t your cup of tea, don’t worry! I often turn to spider and monster themes, which are just as fun. My students love making “spider eggs” by wrapping small plastic spiders in playdough and hiding them inside. Then we take turns unwrapping the “eggs” to see who can find the spider. This activity is perfect for targeting core words like “in,” “out,” “look,” and “see” as well as phrases such as, “Find it,” “Not there,” and “It’s scary.” For those working on speech sound targets, we sneak in some /sp/ blends with words like spider, spy, and spooky.
5. Monster Blobs with Playdough
For a fun fine motor and language activity, we make “Monster Blobs” by pushing googly eyes into playdough. This activity strengthens pointing skills and can be adapted to work on speech sounds. Students practice producing correct sounds before they get to push an eye into the monster, which adds a playful and tactile twist to articulation practice.
Wrapping Up October with Fun and Learning
With the right mix of fall-themed books and interactive activities, October can be a time of both learning and fun in speech therapy sessions. My goal is always to keep students engaged and motivated, and bringing in seasonal elements helps make each session feel new and exciting.
Favorite Fall-Themed Books 🍁
The Leaf Thief: This fun and engaging story is about a squirrel who’s convinced one of his leaves has gone missing. With help from his friend Bird, they set off to solve the mystery of the missing leaf. The playful language and vibrant illustrations keep my students engaged, making it perfect for working on problem-solving, sequencing, and expressive language. I love to have my students guess who might be the leaf thief, and it always leads to fun discussions.
We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt: If you’re familiar with We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, this fall-themed version is a wonderful choice for early learners. It’s about three friends who venture through the forest, collecting leaves and encountering fun obstacles along the way. The rhyming text and repetitive patterns are perfect for targeting early language skills, and my students love chiming in with the sound effects. We often go on our own “leaf hunts” around the classroom or outside, finding different shapes and colors of leaves, which opens up opportunities to expand vocabulary and descriptive language.
Leaves, Leaves Falling from a Tree: This interactive book is such a gem because it lets students get involved in the story. I use printable leaves that students can move around during the story to “catch” or “fall” as we read. It’s ideal for following directions, matching, and describing what happens to the leaves as they fall from the tree. This story is also available as a no-prep digital version, which I sometimes use for teletherapy or for a change of pace. The interactive elements make it easy to turn the story into a game—students love pretending to catch falling leaves or finding leaves that match certain descriptions.
(affiliate links included. I earn a small amount of money from Amazon links and only recommend books and activities that I use personally)
Understanding Communication Milestones: A Guide to Speech and Language Development for Young Children
When it comes to young children's communication milestones, understanding typical speech and language development is key. As parents, caregivers, or educators, it's essential to know what to expect as children grow and develop. Monitoring these milestones can help you recognize if your child is on track or might benefit from the support of a speech-language pathologist or audiologist.
“NOT ALL CHILDREN MASTER SKILLS AT THE SAME AGE”
When it comes to young children's communication milestones, understanding typical speech and language development is key. As parents, caregivers, or educators, it's essential to know what to expect as children grow and develop. Monitoring these milestones can help you recognize if your child is on track or might benefit from the support of a speech-language pathologist or audiologist.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) provides valuable developmental milestones handouts that outline what most children achieve at specific ages. These handouts cover both communication and feeding/swallowing skills, giving a comprehensive view of a child's development. However, it's important to remember that these milestones are general guidelines. Not all children will master these skills at the exact same age, and that’s perfectly normal! The goal is to observe continuous progress in speech and language skills over time.
Key Points to Remember:
General Guidelines, Not Strict Rules: Milestones are not a diagnostic tool. They're a helpful reference to guide you in understanding typical development. Each child is unique, and variations are common.
Look for Continuous Development: Rather than focusing solely on specific ages, consider the broader range of development that may happen before and after the expected age. This holistic approach allows you to see a clearer picture of your child's progress.
Know When to Seek Guidance: If you're ever concerned about your child's communication or feeding skills, don't hesitate to reach out to a professional. Early intervention can make a significant difference in helping children reach their full potential.
“GET TEXTS ABOUT MILESTONES, SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES AND WARNING SIGNS OF A SPEECH OR LANGUAGE DELAY”
Resources for Parents and Caregivers:
ASHA has partnered with Bright by Text to provide free, expert-backed resources and tips directly to parents and caregivers of children ages 2-6. By subscribing, you'll receive text messages with practical activities and advice tailored to your child’s age. Content is sourced from trusted organizations like PBS and Sesame Street, covering topics from language and early literacy to health, safety, and behavioral tips. You can get texts about speech and language milestones, suggested activities and warning signs of a speech or language disorder or delay. Text TALK to 274-448
For more detailed information on communication milestones and to access ASHA's developmental handouts, visit ASHA's developmental milestones page. These resources are designed to empower you with the knowledge you need to support your child’s speech and language development effectively.
How much of my child’s speech should I be able to understand? Click here for guidelines.
Remember, every child’s journey is different. Celebrate the progress your child makes, and don't hesitate to seek support if you have concerns. Together, we can ensure our children grow into strong communicators, ready to engage with the world around them.
Creative Speech Therapy Ideas: Using Stickers for Articulation, Apraxia and Language Goals
Discover creative speech and language therapy ideas using stickers! This blog post explores how to use stickers to target apraxia, enhance articulation trials, and create engaging sticker scenes. Perfect for achieving various goals in speech sessions, this low-prep, high-impact tool is a favorite among kids and therapists alike.
I want to shine a spotlight on an often underrated but inexpensive versatile resource for targeting goals in our speech therapy sessions. They are lightweight, require minimal prep, and the kids absolutely LOVE them! Yes, I’m talking about……
What is it about sticky pieces of paper that is so intriguing?
Recently, I’ve been using a Paw Patrol Puffy Sticker Book that I found at Marshalls (they also had a construction vehicle one!). It’s become a favorite among my kids, and I just had to share all the ways we can use stickers to target both speech and language goals.
Use stickers for……
Speech Sound Practice
Working with kids with Childhood Apraxia of Speech. When adding stickers to a page or background scenes model “power phrases” like “put on”, “take off” and “my turn” and use self advocacy phrases like “help me” and “it’s stuck”.
Sticker Charts: Create a chart with different articulation targets. Each time a child successfully practices a target sound, they get to place a sticker on the chart. This visual reinforcement can be very motivating (ok, so this one is overused and underwhelming, but I had to add it!)
Sticker Stories: Have the children create a story using stickers. Each sticker represents a word or sound they are working on. They can narrate their story, practicing their target sounds as they go.
Language Development
Sticker Sequences: Use stickers to create sequences or patterns. Have the child describe the sequence, focusing on using words like "first," "next," and "last."
Sticker Descriptions: Give each child a set of stickers and have them describe what they see. This can help with vocabulary building and descriptive language.
Sticker Scenes: Provide background scenes and let children create their own stories using stickers. Have them narrate their story, focusing on sentence structure and vocabulary.
STICKER SCENES
Add sticky magnets from a magnet tape roll to stickers to create magnetic stickers!
Social Skills
Sticker Conversations: Use stickers to prompt conversations. For example, place a sticker of a happy face and ask, "What makes you happy?" or use a sticker of a group of friends and discuss friendship and social scenarios.
Emotion Stickers: Use stickers depicting different emotions and discuss each one. This can help children identify and express their feelings.
Following Directions
Sticker Maps: Create a simple map or scene on paper and use stickers to give directions. For example, "Place the dog sticker next to the tree" or "Put the car sticker on the road."
Examples with Paw Patrol Puffy Sticker Book
To give you some concrete examples, here’s how I’ve been using the Paw Patrol Puffy Sticker Book in my sessions:
Prepositions: Receptive and expressive use. "Put Chase under the tree," "Where is Chickaletta?"
Expanding Utterance Length: Targeting 2+ word phrases. "Go Ryder," "Marshall wants a ride," "Bye ___." I model and repeat these phrases throughout the session.
Working with children with Apraxia: Power phrases like “put on”, “take off” and “my turn”. Self-advocacy phrases like “help me” and “it’s stuck”.
Gestalt Language Processors: Mixing and matching phrases. For example, if a child uses "Rubble on the double" and "I'm fired up," I model a combination like "Rubble is fired up."
Production of 2+ Syllable Words: We worked on "Mayor Humdinger" - a motivating 3-syllable word!
Verb Tense: Using background scenes with minis, we practiced past tense: "The car jumped over the sign," "He drove away."
Negatives: Using stickers on background scenes. "I don’t want it there," "Not in," "Not on my nose!"
PAINT STICKS WITH PACKING TAPE
Use paint sticks or tongue depressors and cover them with packing tape for repeated articulation trials.
Low Prep, Low Expense Ideas
Here are some additional low-prep, low-expense ideas to get plenty of repetitions with stickers:
Paint Sticks or Wooden Tongue Depressors: Add stickers for each target the child gets correct. I add packing tape to my paint sticks so kids can put on and take off stickers over and over for multiple trials!
Body Parts: Stick stickers on different body parts on you and the kids following each production, then have the kids take them off again while practicing their target sounds, words, or sentences.
Matching Games: Add matching stickers onto milk or juice lids, or cardboard circles or squares and play a matching game with them.
Stickers are a fantastic tool for making speech therapy sessions fun and engaging. I hope you find these ideas as helpful and enjoyable as I do. Happy sticking!
Best Christmas and Winter Books for Kids Ages 3-5
Best Christmas and Winter Books for Kids Ages 3-5
Winter and Christmas books are some of my favorite to use in speech therapy for facilitating language skills in preschoolers. Following is a list of books I use in my speech sessions each season with different target goals in the descriptions. I wanted to post this blog now if you are thinking about gift for this age children.
Winter and Christmas books are some of my favorite to use in speech therapy for facilitating language skills in preschoolers. Following is a list of books I use in my speech sessions each season with different target goals in the descriptions. I wanted to post this blog now if you are thinking about gift for this age children.
For more information on choosing books for children, go to Choosing Books for Preschoolers to Encourage Communication Skills
Each title has a link to the book on Amazon (these links are affiliate links, so I get a few cents if you purchase one- at NO extra cost to you). You can also find most of these books at your local library!
Holiday Books
Holiday and Winter Books can target an array of speech and language goals
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
This is a classic book with simple colorful contrasting pictures of a journey of a little boy and his adventures through the snow. I use the concepts of “toes pointed in” and “toes pointed out” when walking to incorporate some motor movement into speech therapy. I use my book companion for this story each winter! We also work on opposites like “down the hill” and “up the hill”. You can have tons of supplemental craft extension activities with this sweet story.
The Snow Globe Family by Jane O’Conner.
This story is about a real family living in a house, then the snow globe family living in a snow globe in the real family’s house and only the baby sees the snow globe family. This is for 4-5 year olds and is also great for older children also. It lends itself to working on “pretend” versus “real”, “big” versus “little” and working on finding solutions for problems. This one has fun extension activities like making snow globes.
Merry Christmas Big Hungry Bear by Audrey Wood
This is really a perfect Christmas book for this age! A little mouse initially tries to hide his presents from the big hungry bear, then realizes that the bear needs some presents too!
This story has repetitive text and the reader is talking to the mouse keeping children interested in knowing how this will end up! I target asking the mouse questions for information and kids love to join in talking to the mouse. We also target “big and small” when talking about the bear versus the mouse, what they wear, the presents and where they live.
Are You Grumpy Santa by Gregg Spiridellis
Santa is grumpy in the beginning of this wonderful rhyming story then comes around. This is fun to read and kids think this grumpy Santa is hysterical because of all the reasons he is grumpy (itchy suit, he’s on a diet..). This one is for 4-5 year olds and is perfect for working on emotions like “grumpy, happy, sad, frustrated, annoyed”.
Merry Christmas, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt
Stinky Face loves Christmastime...but he still has plenty of questions. What if a big, wintry wind blows his Christmas tree away? What if one of the reindeer gets his antlers stuck in the branches that hang over the roof? His Mama knows how to answer these questions. This one is fantastic for working on “wh” questions!
Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner
This is one book in a series of 5 about Snowmen at different time (Winter, Night, Play). There are hidden items throughout the story that children can try to find (although it’s not easy even for me!). Working on concepts like “behind’, “under” and “on top” when describing where the snowmen are as well as using descriptive language when describing the different snow people works well in this book. There is quite a bit of text, but remember, you do not have to read it all if you have a younger child.
Llama Llama Jingle Bells by Anna Dewdney
This is a book for younger children or children with difficulty attending to longer stories. It has rhyming phrases where children can attempt to fill in the words. The pictures are engaging and good to work on pointing to pictures named.
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
This is a story about a little boy who makes friends with a snowman. I like the “lift the flap” version of this book with my younger children. There is very little text (or no text in the original version), so children can use their own words to tell the story.
Dream Snow by Eric Carle
This is one of my favorite winter books! A farmer dreams that snow has covered him and his farm animals. There is a snow cover plastic page covering each animal in the story, so children can guess what is under each page. This works well for answering and answering “who” questions and labeling animals and using animal sounds for minimally verbal children.
Max’s Christmas by Rosemary Wells
Max has plans to stay up late to see Santa Claus, but his big sister, Ruby, won’t let him. Max asks questions throughout the book making it perfect for working on “wh” questions with children. It has limited text which is perfect for younger wiggly listeners!
Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett
The repeated phrasing in this story makes it easy for children to “help” tell the story. The people and animals that the Gingerbread Baby meet continue to grow lending this story to working on sequencing of events with children. There is a “hint” with the side pictures of what is coming next, that children love to guess! You can find a ready made book companion here!
The Night before Christmas by Clement Moore
Need I say more? Just had to include this for those of us who had to read this every Christmas Eve!
Check out my Winter Book Companion Kit in my TPT store for activities to use with some wonderful winter and holiday books!
Top Children’s Books for Speech and Language Development
I'm excited to share some of my top picks for children's books that nurture speech and language development. I have divided them into categories that promote engagement and language learning. Books that get kids moving, books with repetitive text, lift the flap books, interactive books, chained or circular stories and books with limited text are all types of books that can help with speech and language development.
“Remember, the best part is not just reading the books but also engaging your child in conversation, asking questions, letting them add to a story with words and phrases and creating new language with literacy.”
As a speech-language pathologist, I get to dive into the magical world of children's books every day, and if my bookshelves could talk they would tell you I have a bit of an obsession!
There's something about watching kids light up as they explore the wonders of language through books. Not only do I love books, but I love sharing them with friends!
I'm excited to share some of my top picks for children's books that nurture speech and language development. I have divided them into categories that promote engagement and language learning. (Amazon affiliate links included on titles)
BOOKS WITH INCORPORATED MOVEMENT
Who says reading has to be a sit-still activity? Incorporating movement into storytelling is a genius way to keep those little minds engaged. So, get ready to wiggle, jump, and roar as you read some fantastic books that'll have your kiddos imitating animal moves and dancing with joy!
Movement helps kids attend to longer stories. By incorporating movement it builds imitation skills and assists with memory or concepts.
Tip Tip Dig Dig by Emma Garcia
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Rosen and Oxenbury
Press Here by Herve Tullet
Is Everyone Ready for Fun? By Jan Thomas
I’m a Dirty Dinosaur by Janeen Brian
Toot Toot Beep Beep by Emma Garcia
Tap Tap Bang Bang by Emma Garcia
Plinka Plinka Shake Shake by Emma Garcia
5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed Eileen Christelow
Stir Crack Whisk Bake by America’s Test Kitchen Kids
BOOKS WITH REPETITIVE TEXT
Children's books with repetitive text are like musical earworms that stick in your head (in the best way!). They'll have your little ones predicting what comes next and filling in the blanks like pros. So get ready for some rhyming, rhythmic fun! Familiar text helps children comprehend the story and remember due to repeat phrasing.
Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson
Too Many Carrots by Katie Hudson
The Seals in the Bus by Lenny Holt
The Bear Came over to My House by Rick Walton
Today is Monday by Eric Carle
Thank You Mr. Panda by Steve Antony
Brown Bear Brown Bear by Eric Carle
Polar Bear Polar Bear by Eric Carle
The GingerBread Baby by Jan Brett
Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin
Pout Pout Fish books by Deborah Diesen
Duck in the Truck by Jez Alborough
Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy E. Shaw
I say Ooh You say Aah by John Kane
LIFT THE FLAP BOOKS
Surprise! There's nothing quite like the excitement of lifting a flap to reveal hidden treasures within a book. These interactive gems not only captivate kids' attention but also help target important language skills like answering questions, predicting what's behind that flap, and learning about "open and close" concepts.
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
Oh Dear by Rod Campbell
Peek a Who by Nina Laden
Open the Garage Door by Christopher Santoro
Find Spot books by Eric Hill
Do Cows Meow by Salina Yoon
Gotta Go Buffalo by Haily Meyers
Tree by Britta Teckentrup (Peek through book)
Inside Outside by Lizi Boyd (Peek through book)
How Does Bunjee Feel?: An Interactive Lift Flap Book by Josie Mott
INTERACTIVE BOOKS
Moveable parts and tasks to complete during storytime? Yes, please! These interactive books keep those little hands busy and their minds buzzing with curiosity.Interactive books keep kids engaged and moving with moveable parts. Kids love to have a task during book reading!
Nita’s Day by Kathy McMillian (sign language)
Nita’s First Signs Kathy McMillian (sign language)
Find the Duck by Stephen Cartwright
Find the Puppy by Stephen Cartwright
All Better by Henning Lohein
The Cheerios Play Book by Lee Wade
Print and Laminate Books by SpeechieTrish
Hey, Seymour Books by Walter Wick
Drive the Firetruck and Drive the Car by Dave Mottram
Poke-a-Dot: Construction Vehicles (Board Book with Buttons to Pop) and other “Pop” books by Melissa and Doug
Hi-Five Farm! (A Never Bored Book!) by Ross Burach
CHAIN OR CIRCULAR STORIES
Wait, did the story just go back to the beginning? You bet! Chain or circular stories are like literary roller coasters that take you on a looping journey. Not only are they entertaining, but they also help reinforce storytelling skills and make kids feel like master storytellers themselves.
The storyline is linked so the ending goes back to the beginning in these books.
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
If you Give a….. Books by Laura Numeroff
I know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a …Books by Various Authors
Little Blue Truck Books by Alice Schertle
5 Little Ducks by Various Authors
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
WORDLESS OR LIMITED TEXT
Who needs words when pictures can speak a thousand of 'em? Wordless or limited text books are a feast for the imagination. They encourage kids to create their own stories, build vocabulary, and improve their narrative expressive language skills.
Carl’s Birthday by Alexandra Day
Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis
Mix it up By Herve Tullet
Moo Baa La La La by Sandre Boyton
Maybe by Chris Haughton
Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
Flashlight by Lizi Boyd
Big Bear Little Chair by Lizi Boyd
Let’s Go Puppy by Holly Rosensweig
Wishy Washy: A Board Book of First Words and Colors for Growing Minds by Tabitha Paige
Gravity by Jason Chin
Let the language adventures begin!
Remember, the best part is not just reading the books but also engaging your child in conversation, asking questions, letting them add to a story with words and phrases and creating new language with literacy. Happy reading! 📚✨
SLP Essentials for Back to School
Essential items for Speech language pathologists to have in their therapy room for back to school.
To make sure we kick speech off with a bang, I've put together a list of essential items that will make our lives a breeze during those first few weeks back in school. Check 'em out:
(Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click the Amazon links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons.)
Binder Rings with Speech Sound Cue Cards
1. Binder Rings: I use these ALL the time! I have my speech sound cue cards on them for on the go access to the visuals. My students love to flip through them to find “their sounds”. I also use them to hang visuals around the classrooms on plastic hooks.
2. Velcro Dots: Using velcro for visual schedules, adapting books and them for behavior charts is key! I no longer have to cut my velcro with these time saving dots!
3. Copy Paper: Let's face it, we can never have enough of this stuff. Gonna be printing out activities, resources and screening record forms like crazy!
4. Laminating Sheets: I laminate SO MUCH! I can keep activities year after year and kids can’t rip the pages! I use 5 mm sheets for even more durability for my visual sentence strips and books (check out my printable Back to School book for preschoolers!)
5. Plastic Sleeves: Slip those printable resources into these sleeves for use with dry erase markers when don’t have the time to laminate!. Plus, they're super easy to wipe clean. Score!
6. Mesh Storage Bags (the big ones): I used these to store my games paired with books in one place! I have a fun S’mores speech activity that includes articulation marshmallows that can all be stored in one bag.
7. New Play-Doh: Opening play-doh for an activity and finding it gray and hard is no fun!! Who doesn’t love the smell of new play doh any way? It's time to restock our Play-Doh stash. Love using play-doh for smash mats!
8. Nice Pens: Treat yourself to some smooth writing action with good quality pens. They make note-taking way less boring!
9. Dry Erase Markers: I always have a stash of these for making on the spot speech sound visuals and they are perfect for writing on whiteboards or laminated materials.
Plastic Container with attached Lid with Sensory Materials
10. Plastic Bins with Attached Lids: Seems like I always need one to make a sensory bin for a new theme, and the bins with the attached lids work the best for me in my therapy bag since they don’t open unless I want them to.
11. Water Bottle: My goal for this year is to drink more water and even though I have SO MANY water bottles, I want to motivate myself, so I’m buying a new one!
12. Dot Painters: These bad boys can be used for all kinds of cool therapy activities, dot articulation comes to mind and can be used with little prep and kids love to use them!.
13. Glue Sticks: Never can find my glue sticks, so this year I am putting one in every pocket of my therapy bag. I like the clear ones to use with the small pieces that I laminate. I stick inside the laminating sheet to hold the pieces in place while they run through the laminator.
14. Clipboard with Storage: This was a game changer for me last year! I keep each child’s daily sign in sheets inside the storage portion and the child’s sheet that I am working with on top plus my monthly time sheet.
Now that we're armed with these essential speechie necessities, we're all set for an amazing start to the school year.
Here's to a fantastic school year ahead!
Add a Word Strategy for Language Development
Add a Word : Strategy to improve language development in early language learners. A blog post highlighting one strategy for parents and speech language pathologists to use to promote language and words in preschool children.
Description:
If a child is using one word to comment, request, negate, label, describe, answer or ask for more; add a word to their vocalization. If a child is using 2 words together, expand it to make a 3 word sentence and so on. The child does not need to imitate, simply hear the expansion. This will expand their sentences and the function of their communication and their vocabulary skills. Click here for the Full Resource of Speech and Language Strategies for Early Childhood.
Examples:
1) If a child is saying "bye-bye" to someone or something, you say, "bye-bye kitty" and if a child says "bye-bye Kitty, you say, "Bye-bye big kitty". Add a word to what the child says.
2) If a child asks for "more", expand their vocalization by saying "more milk", if they say "more milk", you could say, "more milk me".
3) If a child makes a comment on a picture or something happening in their environment by saying "plane", you say, "see plane" or expand to three words by saying, "see plane fly".
4)Introduce a new word each day and encourage children to use it throughout the day. This can help them build their vocabulary and learn new words in a fun and interactive way. You can also incorporate this strategy into daily routines such as snack time or bedtime.
Wait and Pause Strategy to Support Language Development
Strategy to support language development: Wait and Pause and give the child time to respond during play activities. When you ask a question, make a comment or give directions, wait and pause for the response. Make sure to also pause after your child speaks.
During play, as you are talking, pause where there is a word you want the child to say.
Description:
Pause and give the child time to respond during play activities. When you ask a question, make a comment or give directions, wait and pause for the response. Make sure to also pause after your child speaks.
During play, as you are talking, pause where there is a word you want the child to say.
Click here for the Full Resource of Speech and Language Strategies for Early Childhood
Examples:
1) Build a block tower: As you place each block on top say "block on" at least 3 times, on the fourth time say "block" and pause for the child to fill in the word "on", wait 3-5 seconds and say the word if the child does not. Continue each time you place a block on.
2)Hide some toys around the room, and have your child cover their eyes. Repeat phrases such as, "Where is it?" or "Where are you?" as the child is looking for the toys. Repeat the phrases several time and pause after at least 5 trials and shrug your shoulders and pause to see of the child will say "where". Continue to repeat the activity.
3) As you are reading a book point to the same item on each page of a book and say or sign the word (i.e. car). After at least 3-5 trials, point to the car and pause for the child to say or sign the word.
Speech Therapy Tips for Minimally Verbal Preschoolers
How do I get my child to talk? What can I do at home to help my child communicate what they want and need? If my child isn’t talking, is there anything I can do?
These are some initial questions that I hear when I first see a minimally verbal child for a speech and language evaluation. Although it is important for intervention (speech therapy) to be tailored to the individual child, there are some intervention techniques that are helpful for all children.
How do I get my child to talk? What can I do at home to help my child communicate what they want and need? If my child isn’t talking, is there anything I can do?
These are some initial questions that I hear when I first see a minimally verbal child for a speech and language evaluation. Although it is important for intervention (speech therapy) to be tailored to the individual child, there are some intervention techniques that are helpful for all children. Some experts (Fish, 2016; Velleman, 2003) suggest intervention for young children include the following (modified from article by Megan Overby, PhD, CCC-SLP original article Sharon Gretz, M. Ed.):
Learning to imitate gross motor skills
Large motor movements (such as clapping, hands up to be picked up)
Actions with objects (banging two blocks together)
Imitating vocal play (i.e. raspberries, tongue clicks)
Imitating oral-facial movements (i.e.,puffing cheeks out, blowing kisses)
Vocalizing visible early sounds such as /m/, /b/, or /d/ (e.g., /mmmm/, “muh” or “buh”)
Vocalizing to get attention (e.g., “uh” and pointing to a cookie)
Sound effects: animal noises (e.g., “grr” for a tiger, vehicle sounds)
As children start using more of the above and begin to use more sounds imitatively and spontaneously, focus can include more functional vocalizations:
Words with distinctive pitch patterns (e.g., “uh-oh,” “wow,” “whee,” “yay”)
Words with strong emotional meaning (“no”, “up”)
Vocalizations that can be paired with actions (e.g., “whee” as a car goes down a track, “hi,” with a wave and “oops” when an object falls)
Sound effect words (e.g., “woof’, “beep,” etc.). There are great books that use sound effects (see Blog post, 13 Tips for Choosing Books for Preschoolers)
Verbal routines and singing (e.g., songs like “5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed,” favorite predictable books like “Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do you See”) : (see Blog post, 13 Tips for Choosing Books for Preschoolers)
Words with very early consonants and simple syllable shapes (e.g., “hi,” “me”, “mama”, “oh no”)
Some helpful speech therapy tips:
Use sounds already in the child’s repertoire to build simple productions (e.g., if a child has /p/, can they learn to say “pop” “up,” or an approximation of those words)
Hold toys or objects of interest near the speaker’s mouth to direct the child’s attention to mouth movements during imitation tasks.
Use movement during practice (push a car down a track to work on “wheee” or build a tower and place block on top and practice “up” then “uhoh” when they fall down.
Make it fun and incorporate play with stuffies or whatever the child is interested in to elicit speech and language (i.e. let your child see you “hiding” toys in the room and have them find them)
Books and music are extremely helpful to facilitate skills.
Keep in mind, once a child begins to use sounds, it is more important to expand their sound and syllable repertoire than to have them accurately produce the sounds ( that will come later!)
The more repetitions you can get the better! Using target vocalizations in play is not only fun for the child, but also encourages the most engagement and in turn increased repetitions.
The primary goals for children who are exhibiting minimal communication skills are (modified from Davis and Velleman, 2000):
Help the child establish a consistent form of communication. This could include sign language, pointing to pictures, using approximations of words, pointing to what a child wants, gestures and facial expressions (or a combination of these!). It is important that the child and the people in their environment agree what a gesture, sound, picture, or word approximation represents or means.
Using alternative communication such as sign language, gestures, or pictures can help move a child toward verbal communication by relieving frustration and establishing a consistent, reliable means of communication (Fish, 2016).
Once my child/student starts vocalizing, where do I go from there?
A hierarchy is suggested for working on production of syllable shapes for children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (modified from Fish, 2016 and Velleman, 2003) but can also be applied to minimally verbal children. I have include the initial steps in this hierarchy:
CV (Consonant plus a vowel) (“me”)
VC (vowel plus a consonant “up”)
Reduplicated CV.CV (“bye-bye” or “no-no”)
CV.CV with a vowel change (“mommy”, “nehnuh”)
Variegated CV.CV (“bunny”)
CVC (“pop”)
CVC with different consonants (“top”)
These are techniques and suggestions that speech language pathologists use in therapy and caregivers can use at home to elicit some speech and language skills. If you are concerned about your child’s speech and/or language development, it is recommended that you contact a speech-language pathologist through your local county or early intervention or preschool program to have a thorough communication evaluation to determine if speech therapy is required.