Writing Suggestions

Kids need structure. We (parents) hear that all of the time regarding eating and sleeping patterns, but what about writing? Yep, they need structure with writing too. Writing is a crucial component to academic success. And, many children struggle with it, whether it be the motor component (handwriting, grip on pencil, etc) or the transfer of thought to paper.

Here is a suggestion you might use as a framework for helping your child with writing assignments:


http://www.amazon.com/The-Magic-Stories-Literature-Based-Intervention/dp/0930599365

Can you see how this sheet offers a framework? This format can be used for a personal narrative, a summary of a story just read or even used as an outline for an original story or essay. For example, if used as a personal narrative the parent or teacher might ask the child about a memory. Questions about the setting of the memory (i.e. Disneyland, with family, during the summer) begin the writing process and help organize thoughts in a cohesive manner.

At the beginning of the summer, I enrolled my three children in the local library's reading program. Only, I took a step further and required the kids to write a book report about each book they read to qualify as "minutes" with me. This worked especially well for my daughter. Here are some of her samples:

My son, who reads like a maniac, opted to just continue reading and forego the library reading program/prizes (drat! -- He was one needing the writing practice). He is a speed-reader who probably misses many important details along the way whereas my daughter needs help with organizing what she has learned. What are some of the ways you've helped teach your children how to write?





Tongue Thurst Resource

I've been studying tongue thrust quite a bit and wanted to recommend a really helpful website: http://www.pammarshalla.com/blog/2013/03/is-a-frontal-lisp-outgrown/

I've listened to Pam Marshalla's seminars and tried her advice/therapy guidance. I love her style.

Tongue thrust can be pretty tricky for parents to try and correct by themselves. I recommend finding a professional http://www.asha.org/findpro/ who has experience with swallowing therapy. I'm afraid a lot of time and money will be spent focusing on the wrong thing (articulation only) unless a professional is given the opportunity to spend some sessions focusing on the swallow.

I've been volunteering in my 4 yr old daughter's preschool class and can see many of them (almost all) have some sort of frontal lisp. But, from a listening/watching obervation only, and from a few feet away, I wouldn't be able to tell if their lisp was more developmental in nature or if it was actually cause for concern. My daughter is one of the "lispers" and even though I am terribly biased, I really do believe hers is the "cute" kind that will truly go away on its own. She is already starting to say some /s/ words correctly and I've barely even made mention of her lisp.

My other daughter, is definitely a tongue thruster. We've been seeing a professional who has been so helpful. She (my daughter) can do a correct swallow when probed and can also do correct sounds with a model/reminder. Much progress has been made - yea!

Anyway, watch for signs of your/a child being unable to move tongue without moving jaw ("try to touch your nose with your tongue" or " lift your tongue"); also, where is the tongue at rest? Jaw should be up and forward with tongue on the top of mouth (behind front teeth). One interesting observation is that if a child tends to have poor posture, low coordination in large limbs, he or she is likely not being very coordinated with speech either. Your tongue is like another limb.

Good Luck!

Fluency

I picked up my "American Speech,-Languagel-Hearing Association" magazine, "The ASHA Leader" back in October when I took a flight to Idaho for my grandmother's funeral. I really got caught up in a story that generated more readers' responses than I've ever seen for this magazine.

The story was written by a man who has a lifelong stuttering problem. He talks about how it felt to have a "block" in his words. He described, with great analogies, what helped him as he got older.

Please take a look:  http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2012/120918/Walled-Off--Stuttering-in-the-Family.htm

The number of responses I saw from this column was remarkable (16!). I love how "human" this article's approach was, without theories and definitions, just human, real-life experiences.

I was drawn back to this article this month when I read another "readers respond" message talking about how clinicians have to master statistics (not the class "Statistics" but the idea of knowing all the percentages and prognosis/diagnosis for problems) rather than having a knowledge of counseling a patient. This really goes back to my feeling that if I can't figure out how to develop a true rapport with an individual, I won't be able to help him or her overcome anything.