Re: Looking for resources for phonics

January 25, 2010

We used a picture of an egg cracking and the letter " C " or " K " printed below it.

We would hold our hands like their was an egg between them and then make a

breaking motion and say " C " like it was cracking. Now when he can't say " C " I

do the hand motion and he imitates the sound. He still has difficulty

starting any words with these sounds but it has at least gotten the sound into

his mind.

For G, the pic was of a glass of water and you would make your hand like you are

holding a glass, lift it to your mouth and say " g,g,g " like you are swallowing

quickly.

Those two particular hand motions he had fun with and he is 3.

Best of luck

[ ] Looking for resources for phonics

Good morning! My 4 yr old son is trying to master c, g, and k sounds. We are

looking for some activities we can do at home to assist in this goal. We don't

want drill exercises, as he gets that every day with his SLPs, but thought if we

could find something more fun it would help. His SLPs are looking for items as

well, but we thought maybe someone here had suggestions. Thanks!

__________________________________________________________

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January 25, 2010

,

I understand that you do not want drill exercises, since he already does that in

therapy. However I will indicate an Iphone Application called " Mobile

Articulation Probes " - even though it may seem like drill your child will be

interaction with technology which is always fun! Take a look at their website

http://www.mobilearticulationprobes.com

In case you don't have an iphone or Ipod touch I can also recommend some

websites, just let me know!

Hope it helped!

Barbara Fernandes, M.S; CCC-SLP

Trilingual Speech and Language Therapist

“Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something”

Gardner

From: michelle_yates@...

Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:22:12 +0000

Subject: [ ] Looking for resources for phonics

Good morning! My 4 yr old son is trying to master c, g, and k sounds. We are

looking for some activities we can do at home to assist in this goal. We don't

want drill exercises, as he gets that every day with his SLPs, but thought if we

could find something more fun it would help. His SLPs are looking for items as

well, but we thought maybe someone here had suggestions. Thanks!

__________________________________________________________

Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft.

http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/196390710/direct/01/

January 25, 2010

You could gather little toys/items that begin w/ea sound. Then you can

incorporate them into a game.

Warmest wishes,

Barbara A , M.S., CCC-SLP

Executive Director, Help Me Speak, LLC

410-442-9791

[ ] Looking for resources for phonics

Good morning! My 4 yr old son is trying to master c, g, and k sounds. We are

looking for some activities we can do at home to assist in this goal. We don't

want drill exercises, as he gets that every day with his SLPs, but thought if we

could find something more fun it would help. His SLPs are looking for items as

well, but we thought maybe someone here had suggestions. Thanks!

_________________________________________________________________

Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft.

http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/196390710/direct/01/

January 26, 2010

I have a bunch of archives below that I found on phonics. Dr. a Tallal is

one of our Cherab advisors and the survey below was something they used back

then with our group -and even though that survey is over think the questions are

that good for all to ask themselves about their child. Below the Fast For Word

info is a bunch of articulation exercises from the archives that have been

suggested that you can do from home- many more if you search the archives!

Dr. Tallal interview

http://www.childrenofthecode.org/interviews/tallal.htm

The Fast ForWord family of programs were developed for children with

language problems. particularly children who have difficulty

processing the sounds they hear. This series of questions may help

to indicate whether your child has difficulty learning language and

reading skills. Choose one answer for each question to indicate how

often the behavior is exhibited in your child's daily life. (answers

for each are either RARELY, SOMETIMES or FREQUENTLY)

YOUR CHILD'S ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE SAY

1. Does your child ever misunderstand what you say?

2. Does your child request that information or instructions be

repeated?

3. Does your child deny hearing the beginning or middle of long

sentences or groups of sentences?

4. Does your child have difficulty understanding humor?

YOUR CHILD'S ABILITY TO EXPRESS HIMSELF ORALLY

1. Does your child give slow or delayed responses?

2. Does your child speak with a peculiar pace (too slow, long pauses

with repetition)?

3. Does your child have difficulty reconstructing a story in

appropriate order?

4. Does your child lose his/her way in sentences, or fail to finish

longer sentences?

5. Does your child speak mostly in single sentences rather than

elaborate on a topic?

6. Dos your child have trouble rephrasing a point if he/she is not

understood at first?

7. Dos your child try to communicate a point using too few words?

8. Does your child try to avoid typical interactions with strangers

in noisy environments? (for example, ordering at the counter in a

store or fast food restaurant)

9. Does your child use few descriptive words?

10. Does your child use imprecise words or phrases?

11. Does your child have difficulty finding the right word (or does

he/she substitute with inappropriate words)?

12. Does your child mispronounce typical words sounds?

13. Does your child have difficulty using humor?

YOUR CHILD'S BEHAVIOR IN A GROUP SETTING

1. Does your child get confused in a noisy situation?

2. Does your child allow other people to finish his/her sentences?

3. Does your child have difficulty understanding or integrating

visual/body language cues with language cues? (i.e., does your child

tend to misinterpret another person's mood or demeanor?)

4. Is your child reluctant to engage in conversations?

5. Does your child avoid group activities?

6. Do other children often repeat things, or speak especially

loudly, to your child?

7. Does your child have difficulty understanding the point or focus

of a groups activities?

8. Does your child have difficulty following changing dynamics among

people in a group?

9. Does your child get teases or left out because of difficulty

keeping up with what peers are saying?

10. Do your child's peers direct their conversations to each other,

but not to your child?

11. Does your child have unexplained behavior problems?

12. Does your child have insufficient confidence, self esteem?

HOW YOUR CHILD DOES AT SCHOOL

1. Does your child have difficulty remembering questions when called

on in class?

2. Does your child have an attention problem?

3. Does your child have difficultly with phonics (such as

identifying the initial or last sound of a word, segmenting a word

into syllables, or decoding new words)?

4. Does your child have difficulty with reading or learning to read?

5. Does your child have difficulty with spelling or learning to

spell?

6. Does your child have difficulty speaking in front of the class?

7. Can your child give you a meaningful account of the events of the

school day?

Software improves school's test scores in reading

DELORES DELVIN / STAFF

Teacher Jane Crites helps sixth-grader Li Zhong Kai with the

Fast ForWord computer program at Westwood Elementary. Li Zhong moved

from Japan this fall and has made great strides in learning English,

Crites said.

By NICOLE GARTON

Staff Writer

MANCHESTER, Tenn. — When Deyci Sierra moved here from Mexico four

years ago, she didn't speak a word of English.

Like other English as a Second Language students across Middle

Tennessee, she struggled not only to learn the language of her new

country but also to keep up with schoolwork she could barely

understand.

''I was scared because I was afraid no one would like me,'' 13-year-

old Deyci said.

Today, Deyci is in seventh grade and does the same work as her native

English-speaking peers. She helps her younger siblings with their

homework and plans to go to college and become a teacher.

Both Deyci and her former teachers at Westwood Elementary believe her

rapid progress has a lot to do with ''Fast ForWord,'' a language and

reading computer program that retrains the brain to learn faster and

better.

''It has helped me a lot in my language, learning new words,'' Deyci

said.

Based on neuroscience research, Fast ForWord was initially designed

to help individual kids overcome reading and language disabilities

such as dyslexia. But educators are discovering that, when used

across the board, the program can result in higher test scores.

Westwood was one of the earliest schools to use the software

schoolwide. More than two years ago, Principal got a

grant to try out Fast ForWord on six students who were having trouble

in reading. District officials were so impressed with the results,

they provided funding to buy enough software for the whole school.

Since that move, Westwood has seen dramatic improvement in its value-

added test scores. Although the school always has had high

achievement, students weren't learning as much each year as they

should have been.

For example, on its 2000 school report card, Westwood's value-added

score in language arts was 90.1% — lower than 100%, which is average.

Last year, after a year with Fast ForWord, the school had raised that

score to 138.2%, an achievement the state considers exemplary.

After seeing Westwood's success, other schools are following suit.

New Union Elementary, also in Manchester, bought Fast ForWord this

year and plans to implement it schoolwide by next year.

''I'm really excited about the program. I think we'll see big results

from it,'' said Janice White, instructional coordinator for the

school, citing an expected gain of 1½ to three years in reading and

language levels for most students.

Schools must be willing to pay big for those results. It can cost up

to $30,000 for a yearlong license from Scientific Learning Corp., the

company that makes the software. And that doesn't include computers

to put it on.

believes it's worth it.

''The children learn faster. We can hold their attention longer,''

she said. ''One of the things we're all concerned about in Tennessee

is test scores and accountability. Our children made tremendous gains

this year.''

• • •

Walking into the Fast ForWord lab at Westwood is a bit eerie. The

only sounds are the whirring of machinery and the clicking of

computer mice. All 21 pairs of eyes are focused on their glowing

screens.

Each year, every student in the school goes through the six-week

program, spending 100 minutes a day in the lab.

''You would think they could not stay here for an hour and a half

without having to get up and go to the bathroom, but they are so

engrossed in what they're doing,'' said sixth-grade reading teacher

Martha Hodges. ''They thought they were going to hate it, but they

don't hate it. In fact, some of them are real competitive with each

other, and they have fun doing that.''

Jenna , 12, took about a week to finish a program that takes

most students 25 days. This was her second year using the Fast

ForWord software.

''It's not boring because you're doing six different things, and you

spend about 20 minutes on each one, so it doesn't get boring,'' she

said.

On the screen, animated men in hard hats run around a building site.

Each construction beam has words on it, making up a sentence with a

missing verb. Trent , 11, has to choose the correct verb tense

to complete the sentence. Once he solves the puzzle, a new one pops

up.

When students launch the Fast ForWord software, they feel like

they're playing a computer game. But what they're really doing is

causing permanent physical changes to their brains through repetition

of certain exercises.

With headphones on, they listen to the individual phonemes, or basic

sounds, that make up the English language. The computer is able to

slow down speech to draw out and isolate each sound in a word —

something the human voice can't quite do. This allows students to

hear sounds better that they might normally have trouble

distinguishing, such as ''ka'' and ''da.''

Since beginning Fast ForWord, the faculty at Westwood have noticed

particular improvement in ESL students like Deyci and in kids with

attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. But the program has

value for all the kids, they say.

''They're just going to be better readers and better able to converse

with other people,'' said Jane Crites, a reading teacher and

Fast ForWord coordinator at Westwood.

The changes manifest themselves in a lot of little ways, such as

making better eye contact and choosing harder books to read, she said.

There's no way to prove Fast ForWord is solely responsible for these

changes, and the program certainly isn't a cure-all for every child's

learning troubles. It needs to be supplemented by solid teaching in

the classroom, Crites said.

Still, it makes a difference, and parents as well as teachers have

noticed.

Sam , 11, was one of the first six kids at Westwood to use the

program three years ago. His mother, , had begun to worry about

his struggle with reading.

''He just was not where I wanted him to be with his phonics,'' she

said. ''He was a whole reader as opposed to a part reader. He would

memorize that the letters C, A, T together made 'cat,' as opposed to

saying 'kkk-aaa-ttt' to make it a word.''

The inability to sound out words could lead to vocabulary problems

later on, she knew, so she asked to have him included in the Fast

ForWord program. She's noticed some definite improvements.

''I just think he has more confidence in reading a chapter book that

doesn't have pictures. Before Fast ForWord, he would have been

relying on those pictures,'' she said. ''Now he picks up a chapter

book without a second thought.''

http://www.scilearn.com/

http://brainconnection.positscience.com

http://brainconnection.positscience.com/teasers

Re: Articulation Therapy

Does Audrey have a diagnosis yet. I have your only other email below

from June of last year that says you were not sure if you should have

her evaluated. Articulation therapy would be great if Audrey has an

articulation delay or disorder. But...saying she's

getting " articulation therapy " can be a different approach from any

two school based SLPs. This is why you do need to know diagnosis

first. Is it just a delay or is it an impairmen?. If it's not

developmental and it's an impairment is it due to motor planning,

weakness, sensory -or is it 'just' an articulation or phonological

disorder..or something else?

If she has apraxia you need to have someone that knows about motor

planning or other appropriate therapies for apraxia because too much

articulation therapy sometimes causes dysfluencies.

Here's a bunch of " articulation therapy " ideas posted to one site

and more below -but get back to us when you can about diagnosis

Articulation Therapy Ideas

The following Articulation Therapy Ideas were posted to the mailing

list GRNDRNDS. Since it is a public mailing list, and does maintain

an archive, the ideas posted are not " copyrighted " and are available

to the public. To make it easier, I have extracted the ideas listed

by these creative clinicians. Perhaps they can adapted by clinicians

and student clinicians working with children with articulation

disorders and looking for therapy ideas.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

From Jackie

We play a lot of:

tic-tac- toe

putting the cards around a darkened room and then finding them with

flashlight (really a big hit with the preshcool set)

putting paper clips on each card and then pulling them off the table

with a magnet on a fishing pole

simple lotto games

simple board games

coloring target sound pictures

I also do a lot of giving a reinforcer for every two or three correct

responses as we go through the cards:

blocks

Connect Four game

monkeys from " Barrel of Monkeys

I also make a speech book and then staple the games onto the pages so

they can practice at home.

The main thing is to make sure that the playing of the game isn't so

involved that it gets in the way of trials.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

From:

Put and Take....

Cut construction paper into small squares, maybe 36...on an even

number of cards write, PUT 1, PUT 2, PUT 3, TAKE 1, TAKE 2, or TAKE

3. (you can color code the words for little ones who can't read) Give

each child 2 stacks of artic cards, one to be called a PUT stack,

another to be called the TAKE stack. Each child will turn over one of

your squares. If the card says PUT 2, child moves 2 cards from the

PUT stack over to the TAKE stack (after saying it correctly of

course). The object of the game is to empty one stack. It sounds more

complicated than it is. I think it's fun, easy to make and the gives

the children opportunity for drill.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

From: Carol

I do some easy craft activities with my little ones-things like

adding leaves to trees, or making it seasonal like pasting eyes, etc.

on a pumpkin. Often I hide the piece that they will paste under one

of two stimulus pictures and they have to choose which one--it puts

the stimulus word in a longer context, ie., " Is it under the___ " .

I also make my own puzzles-basically take a picture with their sound,

cut it into pieces and they put them back together. Then, we can talk

about the " snowman " or the " snowman's face " as they work on the

puzzle.

Other activities I do:

pasting pictures with their sound on seasonal pictures--they have to

ask for the picture they want.

bean bag toss-they name the picture they hit

riddles where the answer contains their target sound

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

From Christiane

I pick anywhere from 4 - 10 target words for a half hour session,

draw pictures on a piece of paper, then drill the words with mirror

and all the little tricks (I also have a puppet with lips, teeth and

tongue, and have kids manipulate articulators on the puppet I got the

puppet - it remotely resembles a frog - at a rummage sale - it was

one of those with a big mouth like the muppet puppets, but it's not

Kermit. It had soft fabric around the mouth - voila lips. And then I

just sewed in a tongue and teeth out of felt. The teeth I

strengthened with Elmers glue - soaked the fabric and let it dry.) -

often combined with gross motor kind of movements, such as stamping

on the picture every time the kid says the word - in imitation or

spontaneous use. Then I move on to providing a frame for the word

(either sentence of phrase), with the kid filling in the word like in

a cloze test, e.g., it was time for bear to take his _____. Then we

use the words to draw, write and retell a story, with the child

participating depending on the linguistic level practiced. Variations

include using a story that I already have and having the child draw

and retell the story. Kids get to take their stories home and share

them with their family.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

From Sherry

I have a puppet called the " Speech Pillow " which I received as a

gift. It is a big round face made of fabric. It has removable lips

(they velcro on), teeth (not removable) & a big tongue which you or

your clients can put your hand in so you can manipulate the tongue.

It was a gift so I'm not sure exactly sure how much it was (maybe

around $30??)- Renfro Studios in Austin, Texas- 1-800-933-5512

to order- again, it's called the " Speech Pillow " . It's a great

puppet!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

From -Trish

I absolutely LOVE " Listening for Articulation All Year Round " by

Linguisystems. 1-800-PRO IDEA.

It's a great program for seasonal activities and it has games that

you can make by photocopying the masters from the manual. GREAT

STUFF!!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

From

Get your hands on " Achieve for Phonology " by linguisystems. This has

lots of hands on activities for little ones and work sheets to use as

you drill with other students. I use crazy crayons and markers and

bright pens to spice up worksheets and this does busy the little ones

as you drill others. And as they sit they get the auditory

bombardment of the others responses.

I also use beanbags to toss on cards...and chips to place under

cards...and they LOVE money too. Soooooo many ideas I can't put them

all here. Write with any more questions at my address.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

From Jigna

Put cards in a bag. Have client close eyes, pick a card, and name it.

Bowling: clip cards on clothespins and line up (like bowling pins).

Have client roll ball and name the card he/she knocks down.

Hopping: place cards face down on floor (or under shaped cut-out

construction paper). Have client name the card he/she hops next to.

Mail cards: use a toy mail box and have client name each card as

he/she mails it.

Games: use any sporty games (e.g., basketball, football, baseball).

After each turn, have client pick a card and name it. If named

correctly, gets another turn.

Create a road with cards placed at various places on the board.

Client names the card he/she stops by.

For minimal contrasts:

memory

ask questions (e.g., if working on final consonant deletion): make a

stack of cards with final consonants and a stack without final

consonants. Pick a card from each stack and make up a question. For

example, " Can a moose go moo? "

present a minimal contrast pair and describe one from the pair. Have

client identify and pronounce the correct word. If correct, client

gets both cards.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

From Ursula

I make a spinner with the different parts the kids must collect to

create something (i.e., " r " rabbit, I have the ears, nose, whiskers,

etc.,.) and the children can spin and practice artic at the same time

(ex. " I need the rabbit's whiskers " ) Not only is it fun for artic but

you can also modify it for language, pragmatics or whatever!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

From Robin

I am one of those clinicians who has little fondness for games. I

prefer cooperative/interactive play, reading, writing and conversing.

As such early on in my career II used a homemade puppet...not as

sophisticated as your adapted one...to teach articulation. Now I just

do anything the child enjoys and interject the articulation therapy

as part of the activity. Sometimes with particularly challenged

children I will use a game as a distractor. At this point in my

career however, pretty much all I need is speech communication to

find the way to work on articulation. It may be just my way of saving

myself from something I never enjoyed even as a child,

namely " games " . I'd rather put on a play or paint or picture or read

a book to/with a child. Just how I am.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

From Celeste

I use a literature based therapy approach with almost all of my

students. For artic, I choose a book I like and think the students

will enjoy. I go through the book and make a list of all the words

containing the target sounds. I then make cards for these words. We

read and talk about the story. For older students, as we read each

page I let them find the words that have their sound. We use the

vocabulary cards to play games, (Memory, Go Fish, a board game, or

any activity you can think of). You can also ask questions about the

story and have the students respond with their target words. As you

can see, not only do you get lots of artic practice, but you can

target language and literacy as well. It helps link therapy with

classroom activities because it helps with word recognition and

reading skills. The students also like to take turns

playing " teacher " and " reading " the book to the group. I let them sit

in my chair and use my pointer as they read. Even though they may not

yet be able to read, they can retell the story in their own words.

I have found that using this approach to therapy rather than drill

increases carry-over. The students are practicing their speech in

more meaningful contexts. There is a book I love that I can't

remember the name of right now and it is at school. I think it is

Articu-lit. I know you can get it from Super Duper. It follows this

approach. Someone beat me to writing it!! Anyway, it has target words

for most of the sounds from about 25 popular children's books. It

also has blank vocabulary cards, and a game board to copy that goes

with each story. It also lists other activities as well as some

language activities for your language students. It's a great resource

to get you started.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

From

I use computer programs as the basis for artic therapy (once the

child can correctly produce the target sound in a word.) For older

artic students who can read, I use programs with simple repetitive

vocabulary (e.g, Oregon Trail from Learning Company, Carmen San Diego

USA by Broderbund, or Supermunchers from Learning Company) and have

them work on correct pronunciation for words with the sounds they are

working on. For non-readers, I can use Carmen Sandiego ,Jr. Detective

(by Broderbund) which requires no reading and I let the student name

the pictures with their sounds. Most kids love playing the

educational computer games. They are learning new vocabulary and new

facts as well as getting artic " drill " .

Another method I sometimes employ with readers is to have a child

make a computer picture with graphics containing his sound. Then we

write a colorful story together using these words. I usually use

Blocks in Motion with the Land, Sea, and Space module (Don ston),

but Kid Pix, KidWorks 2 or any other graphics programs should work.

The child has lots of opportunities to read back the story and share

it at home with family and with teachers.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

From

I love my little mailbox. I also use various containers that " eat "

chips. I have a frog with a slot on his head. A garbage can that open

with a mini footpeddal, etc...

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

From Katy

From my perspective, there are two factors that have not been

directly addressed.

1. Regardless of the activity, articulation tx is much like physical

tx in that the specific motor behavior becomes automated only with

numerous trials. In other words, the number of attempts at production

must be substantial to change a motor behavior in a reasonable length

of time. I try not to have less that 50 responses in a 20 minute

session.

2. Because we do not spend much time talking in individual words, I

try to spend very little time at that level. Many of the activities

presented in response to this question stressed the production of

single words. I think we need activities which require sequenced

production. The sequences must ultimately be produced at a " normal "

rate of speed if the child is to use the target in spontaneous

communication. In other word, time spent on the phrase " my soup " (/s/

as target) should require /maisup/ rather than the separation of the

two words.

In my opinion, there is a great possibility that games will reduce

the efficacy of therapy by preventing the above emphasis. I simply

use tokens. I hold the number of tokens that I feel represents the

appropriate number of responses for the session. The tokens are

placed in a container following each response. When the tokens are

all in the container, the child gets a few minutes to " play " , pick

out a sticker, etc. If I find that I have selected more tokens than

are reasonable for that session I slip some into the container when

the child is not looking. In that way, the child always " finishes "

that which I have required. I have found that children soon learn

that the faster they go, the quicker they get to play. They never

figure out that I begin with more tokens as they get better.

Furthermore, because the " drill " has the potential to be boring even

though it is the most efficient way to change articulatory behavior,

the child is quite cooperative because he/she can " see " the contract

(tokens) at the beginning. In that way, the child senses some control

(getting rid of tokens quickly) and knows that I, as the adult, can't

make them engage in the drill indefinitely.

http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster2/therapy/articrx.html

Here's more on what you should be seeing between 2 and 3 and what is

cause for concern

Typically seen in first 18-24 months

· Uses mostly words to communicate · Begins to use two word

combinations (more cookie etc) · By 24 months has more than 50 words,

or word approximations

Cause for concern in first 18-24 months

· Relies on gestures to communicate · Limited vocabulary (speaks less

than 50 words)

· Does not use any two word combinations · Limited consonant

production · Mostly unintelligible speech · Regresses in language

development: Stops talking, repeats phrases inappropriately

Typically seen in first 24-36 months

· Engages in short dialogues · Expresses emotions · Begins using

language in imaginative ways · Begins providing descriptive details

when speaking · Begins to use articles and word endings (a, the,

ing,) uses plurals (cats)

Cause for concern in first 24-36 months

· Words limited to single syllable and no final consonants · Few or

no multiword utterances · Does not demand a response from a listener

· Asks no questions · Speech difficult to understand · Tantrums when

frustrated · Echoing of speech without communicative intent

http://www.cherab.org/information/latetalkerhandout.html

Let us know if you have a diagnosis -and for those that don't know

who you are again I've included your original message below:

New Member

Hello All,

I have a 17 month old daughter who has no real words as of yet. Her

pediatrician told me that if she wasn't saying 7 words by her 18 month

appointment that she would give me a referral for Early Intervention.

I'm

familiar with the whole process as my 5 year old began physical

therapy with EI

at 5 months of age for gross motor skill delays and sensory issues.

I'm on the

fence as to whether or not I should have my DD evaluated. One one

hand I think

she just needs a little more time, but I'm afraid that waiting to

give her help

might not be the best route to take? Is speech delay better addressed

as soon

as possible? My biggest concerns are that she says no real words

consistantly.

Every one in a great while she will say a new word but it's gone the

next day,

never to be said again. For 3 days she was calling DH, " daddo " but

then she

never used that word again. She said " mama " a long time ago, but only

once.

She does have a couple of made up words that she uses

daily, " bah gah " means all gone, " caca " is something yucky. That's

about it.

She understands everything that we say to her and will follow simple

directions.

She babbles like she is carrying on conversation but it's all just

different

variants of noises. Should I be concerned?

Marie (3.19.02)

Audrey (12.30.05)

Molly Anne (5.13.07)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Re: Therapy Options

Hi Suzi!

Since our two are both around the same age in Kindergarten -and

around the same skill level and receiving about the same amount of

therapy -I want to share a suggestion of what to add that I'm

finding to be a really good thing for Tanner.

Since Tanner has spent so much of his early childhood in therapy

either

at home with me or in the office of an SLP or OT in a hospital or

school -I'm trying adding some fun multisensory

(therapy?) activities now that Tanner is 6 and a half years old. I

am finding multisensory activities are extremely successful for not

only motor planning. Multisensory activities appear to not only

stimulate speech -they appear to be important for social and

emotionatl aspects as well.

I'm trying my own version of " laugh therapy " Being that Tanner

spent so many years with hardly any facial expression or smiles -I

just believe that laughter is very important for him...and good for

all of us. As I've posted we spend some of our free time now at

Disney going on rides and seeing shows. Tanner still doesn't smile

and laugh as much as other kids -but he appears to enjoy when I try

to get him too (he gives big hugs instead of smiles most times when

he is happy) I found that multisensory activities are great for more

than just getting Tanner to smile and laugh more.

I first posted about karate and swimming lessons which I still

highly recommend. It as always is still important to find the right

school and (sensitive)instructors. I'm now finding that there are

many other multisensory activities that are great for our kids -so

it's best to be open and explore some with your child. These

activities can at times be incorporated into traditional therapy

sessions. They can enhance traditional therapy even if they are not

done together with traditional therapy in that they can be used as a

topic that highly interests your child in traditional therapy

sessions (important!) -and again they appear to raise the child's

confidence -as well as motor and social skills.

See what your daughter likes to do. Maybe a dance or ice skating

class would be great. Maybe she would like something with

acrobats. I know where I live we are close to Club Med now and

Tanner loves to take the " circus " lessons -trapeze and trampoline.

He also loves roller blading lessons (also Club Med) Tanner's body

actions are still a bit stiff -he doesn't move as smooth as he

should - you can tell he's really concentrating in many of the

activities on his actions. It's probably better to work on all this

now early too rather than waiting till he's older to try to teach

him.

Tanner is really enjoying these fun multi sensory activities -and

they are all in the world of what most " normal " kids would be doing -

so it gives him a way to play with others -or something to excel in

if speech is never one of his best assets.

Tonight we are meeting with Jennie and her daughter Lindsey (also

from Bilker's Talking Page

http://www.debtsmart.com/talk/lindsey.html ) and we can let you know

tomorrow what fun multisensory activities we do to make the kids

laugh..and talk more!

=====

January 26, 2010

Thanks so much to everyone who responded!!!! I will be up late tonight

searching and downloading!

From: kiddietalk@...

Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:00:08 +0000

Subject: [ ] Re: Looking for resources for phonics

I have a bunch of archives below that I found on phonics. Dr. a Tallal is

one of our Cherab advisors and the survey below was something they used back

then with our group -and even though that survey is over think the questions are

that good for all to ask themselves about their child. Below the Fast For Word

info is a bunch of articulation exercises from the archives that have been

suggested that you can do from home- many more if you search the archives!

Dr. Tallal interview

http://www.childrenofthecode.org/interviews/tallal.htm

The Fast ForWord family of programs were developed for children with

language problems. particularly children who have difficulty

processing the sounds they hear. This series of questions may help

to indicate whether your child has difficulty learning language and

reading skills. Choose one answer for each question to indicate how

often the behavior is exhibited in your child's daily life. (answers

for each are either RARELY, SOMETIMES or FREQUENTLY)

YOUR CHILD'S ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE SAY

1. Does your child ever misunderstand what you say?

2. Does your child request that information or instructions be

repeated?

3. Does your child deny hearing the beginning or middle of long

sentences or groups of sentences?

4. Does your child have difficulty understanding humor?

YOUR CHILD'S ABILITY TO EXPRESS HIMSELF ORALLY

1. Does your child give slow or delayed responses?

2. Does your child speak with a peculiar pace (too slow, long pauses

with repetition)?

3. Does your child have difficulty reconstructing a story in

appropriate order?

4. Does your child lose his/her way in sentences, or fail to finish

longer sentences?

5. Does your child speak mostly in single sentences rather than

elaborate on a topic?

6. Dos your child have trouble rephrasing a point if he/she is not

understood at first?

7. Dos your child try to communicate a point using too few words?

8. Does your child try to avoid typical interactions with strangers

in noisy environments? (for example, ordering at the counter in a

store or fast food restaurant)

9. Does your child use few descriptive words?

10. Does your child use imprecise words or phrases?

11. Does your child have difficulty finding the right word (or does

he/she substitute with inappropriate words)?

12. Does your child mispronounce typical words sounds?

13. Does your child have difficulty using humor?

YOUR CHILD'S BEHAVIOR IN A GROUP SETTING

1. Does your child get confused in a noisy situation?

2. Does your child allow other people to finish his/her sentences?

3. Does your child have difficulty understanding or integrating

visual/body language cues with language cues? (i.e., does your child

tend to misinterpret another person's mood or demeanor?)

4. Is your child reluctant to engage in conversations?

5. Does your child avoid group activities?

6. Do other children often repeat things, or speak especially

loudly, to your child?

7. Does your child have difficulty understanding the point or focus

of a groups activities?

8. Does your child have difficulty following changing dynamics among

people in a group?

9. Does your child get teases or left out because of difficulty

keeping up with what peers are saying?

10. Do your child's peers direct their conversations to each other,

but not to your child?

11. Does your child have unexplained behavior problems?

12. Does your child have insufficient confidence, self esteem?

HOW YOUR CHILD DOES AT SCHOOL

1. Does your child have difficulty remembering questions when called

on in class?

2. Does your child have an attention problem?

3. Does your child have difficultly with phonics (such as

identifying the initial or last sound of a word, segmenting a word

into syllables, or decoding new words)?

4. Does your child have difficulty with reading or learning to read?

5. Does your child have difficulty with spelling or learning to

spell?

6. Does your child have difficulty speaking in front of the class?

7. Can your child give you a meaningful account of the events of the

school day?

Software improves school's test scores in reading

DELORES DELVIN / STAFF

Teacher Jane Crites helps sixth-grader Li Zhong Kai with the

Fast ForWord computer program at Westwood Elementary. Li Zhong moved

from Japan this fall and has made great strides in learning English,

Crites said.

By NICOLE GARTON

Staff Writer

MANCHESTER, Tenn. — When Deyci Sierra moved here from Mexico four

years ago, she didn't speak a word of English.

Like other English as a Second Language students across Middle

Tennessee, she struggled not only to learn the language of her new

country but also to keep up with schoolwork she could barely

understand.

''I was scared because I was afraid no one would like me,'' 13-year-

old Deyci said.

Today, Deyci is in seventh grade and does the same work as her native

English-speaking peers. She helps her younger siblings with their

homework and plans to go to college and become a teacher.

Both Deyci and her former teachers at Westwood Elementary believe her

rapid progress has a lot to do with ''Fast ForWord,'' a language and

reading computer program that retrains the brain to learn faster and

better.

''It has helped me a lot in my language, learning new words,'' Deyci

said.

Based on neuroscience research, Fast ForWord was initially designed

to help individual kids overcome reading and language disabilities

such as dyslexia. But educators are discovering that, when used

across the board, the program can result in higher test scores.

Westwood was one of the earliest schools to use the software

schoolwide. More than two years ago, Principal got a

grant to try out Fast ForWord on six students who were having trouble

in reading. District officials were so impressed with the results,

they provided funding to buy enough software for the whole school.

Since that move, Westwood has seen dramatic improvement in its value-

added test scores. Although the school always has had high

achievement, students weren't learning as much each year as they

should have been.

For example, on its 2000 school report card, Westwood's value-added

score in language arts was 90.1% — lower than 100%, which is average.

Last year, after a year with Fast ForWord, the school had raised that

score to 138.2%, an achievement the state considers exemplary.

After seeing Westwood's success, other schools are following suit.

New Union Elementary, also in Manchester, bought Fast ForWord this

year and plans to implement it schoolwide by next year.

''I'm really excited about the program. I think we'll see big results

from it,'' said Janice White, instructional coordinator for the

school, citing an expected gain of 1½ to three years in reading and

language levels for most students.

Schools must be willing to pay big for those results. It can cost up

to $30,000 for a yearlong license from Scientific Learning Corp., the

company that makes the software. And that doesn't include computers

to put it on.

believes it's worth it.

''The children learn faster. We can hold their attention longer,''

she said. ''One of the things we're all concerned about in Tennessee

is test scores and accountability. Our children made tremendous gains

this year.''

• • •

Walking into the Fast ForWord lab at Westwood is a bit eerie. The

only sounds are the whirring of machinery and the clicking of

computer mice. All 21 pairs of eyes are focused on their glowing

screens.

Each year, every student in the school goes through the six-week

program, spending 100 minutes a day in the lab.

''You would think they could not stay here for an hour and a half

without having to get up and go to the bathroom, but they are so

engrossed in what they're doing,'' said sixth-grade reading teacher

Martha Hodges. ''They thought they were going to hate it, but they

don't hate it. In fact, some of them are real competitive with each

other, and they have fun doing that.''

Jenna , 12, took about a week to finish a program that takes

most students 25 days. This was her second year using the Fast

ForWord software.

''It's not boring because you're doing six different things, and you

spend about 20 minutes on each one, so it doesn't get boring,'' she

said.

On the screen, animated men in hard hats run around a building site.

Each construction beam has words on it, making up a sentence with a

missing verb. Trent , 11, has to choose the correct verb tense

to complete the sentence. Once he solves the puzzle, a new one pops

up.

When students launch the Fast ForWord software, they feel like

they're playing a computer game. But what they're really doing is

causing permanent physical changes to their brains through repetition

of certain exercises.

With headphones on, they listen to the individual phonemes, or basic

sounds, that make up the English language. The computer is able to

slow down speech to draw out and isolate each sound in a word —

something the human voice can't quite do. This allows students to

hear sounds better that they might normally have trouble

distinguishing, such as ''ka'' and ''da.''

Since beginning Fast ForWord, the faculty at Westwood have noticed

particular improvement in ESL students like Deyci and in kids with

attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. But the program has

value for all the kids, they say.

''They're just going to be better readers and better able to converse

with other people,'' said Jane Crites, a reading teacher and

Fast ForWord coordinator at Westwood.

The changes manifest themselves in a lot of little ways, such as

making better eye contact and choosing harder books to read, she said.

There's no way to prove Fast ForWord is solely responsible for these

changes, and the program certainly isn't a cure-all for every child's

learning troubles. It needs to be supplemented by solid teaching in

the classroom, Crites said.

Still, it makes a difference, and parents as well as teachers have

noticed.

Sam , 11, was one of the first six kids at Westwood to use the

program three years ago. His mother, , had begun to worry about

his struggle with reading.

''He just was not where I wanted him to be with his phonics,'' she

said. ''He was a whole reader as opposed to a part reader. He would

memorize that the letters C, A, T together made 'cat,' as opposed to

saying 'kkk-aaa-ttt' to make it a word.''

The inability to sound out words could lead to vocabulary problems

later on, she knew, so she asked to have him included in the Fast

ForWord program. She's noticed some definite improvements.

''I just think he has more confidence in reading a chapter book that

doesn't have pictures. Before Fast ForWord, he would have been

relying on those pictures,'' she said. ''Now he picks up a chapter

book without a second thought.''

http://www.scilearn.com/

http://brainconnection.positscience.com

http://brainconnection.positscience.com/teasers

Re: Articulation Therapy

Does Audrey have a diagnosis yet. I have your only other email below

from June of last year that says you were not sure if you should have

her evaluated. Articulation therapy would be great if Audrey has an

articulation delay or disorder. But...saying she's

getting " articulation therapy " can be a different approach from any

two school based SLPs. This is why you do need to know diagnosis

first. Is it just a delay or is it an impairmen?. If it's not

developmental and it's an impairment is it due to motor planning,

weakness, sensory -or is it 'just' an articulation or phonological

disorder..or something else?

If she has apraxia you need to have someone that knows about motor

planning or other appropriate therapies for apraxia because too much

articulation therapy sometimes causes dysfluencies.

Here's a bunch of " articulation therapy " ideas posted to one site

and more below -but get back to us when you can about diagnosis

Articulation Therapy Ideas

The following Articulation Therapy Ideas were posted to the mailing

list GRNDRNDS. Since it is a public mailing list, and does maintain

an archive, the ideas posted are not " copyrighted " and are available

to the public. To make it easier, I have extracted the ideas listed

by these creative clinicians. Perhaps they can adapted by clinicians

and student clinicians working with children with articulation

disorders and looking for therapy ideas.

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