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Learning Gifts for the Holidays (ages 4+)

Holiday Madness November already?  WHAT??? And you’re already thinking about giant chocolate chip cookies with milk for the jolly fat man in red.   Then there’s the big, towering tree🎄 that needs decorations. But more important than the decorations: what are you going to put underneath the tree? Gimme gimme gimme Sure, you can go with the standard toys that all tots get.  You can buy plush stuffed animals, big plastic cars or trucks that make those annoying sounds that kids can’t get enough of.  You can splurge on tech, like tablets which seem to make it into the hands of younger and younger kids and toddlers by the day.  There’s always the aunt or uncle who has to buy the cutest little pair of tiny Air Jordans 👟or Gap sweater and other name brand clothing. A Fitting Gift Or…you can go with toys that aren’t as expensive, but for kids who are coping with phonological … Keep Reading…

First Steps to Reading: Phonological Awareness

Phonological Awareness Intelligibility and Phonological Awareness In our last article we talked about intelligibility and phonological processes.  Intelligibility means being understood when you speak. Phonological processes are sound errors that children typically use while their body parts involved in speaking (jaw, tongue, etc.) are still being formed. To Read I Must Speak This week we connect the ability to speak, the ability to be understood while you speak, with the success of reading and writing.  To that end, we shall discuss phonological awareness. What is Phonological Awareness? Phonological awareness is a set of skills that includes identifying and manipulating units of oral language – parts such as words, syllables, and onsets and rhymes.  Simply put, it’s the ability to “play” with words. Reading includes identifying letters, matching the sound the letter makes, and sequencing those sounds together to form words-basically, phonological awareness.  Children that have a hard time with phonological awareness usually experience writing and reading difficulties. … Keep Reading…

Intelligibility and Phonological Processes

Intelligibility and Phonological Processes You Can Understand Me! Your heart wants to burst with joy every time you hear him talk.  You never thought he’d be verbal at such a young age! He went from making cute sounds to speaking a mile a minute in what seemed like days. Can You Understand Me? But then you start to notice things.  People smile and talk to him-that’s nothing new.  They ask what his name or age is .  But when he responds they just smile blankly, but you can tell they didn’t understand him. You realize that you often translate for him, not just to strangers but even family members. You Don’t Get Me Then there’s the final shot to your heart.  ❤ You drop him off at daycare or preschool, and you hear some bad news.  His caretakers and teachers can only understand a word or two. Some can’t understand him AT ALL.🤷🤷 What’s Intelligibility? Let’s … Keep Reading…