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Language is the tool we use to engage with the world. It’s the two-way street that drives our ability to connect, collaborate, and comprehend.

Let’s take a deeper dive into what language is, why it’s important, and what can be done to help if a child struggles with developing their crucial language skills.

Language processing is how our brains take what we hear and transform it into meaning. It’s also the system we use to craft and deliver a response. We may think language works like magic—but science has shown our language systems are more akin to a complex computer program, with our brains acting as the supercomputer that interprets and runs this intricate system of code. We wanted to take the time to explain what language processing is, how it works, and what we can do to help your child.

Articulation is one of the easiest things to practice outside of the four walls of speech therapy. If you have a child in speech therapy for articulation, practice is essential for generalization. There are many fun, easy ways to practice articulation at home. Here are a few: 1. At the grocery store, have your child identify and say different items that have his/her speech sounds in their names.2. Read books aloud together. Remind your child to pay special attention to the sounds he/she is w

There are so many things we can do in everyday life to encourage language growth in our children. Whether you have an infant, toddler, or a school-aged child, there are limitless ways to add language enrichment to your day. Some activities, such as reading together and singing songs, are great across age groups. There are also many things you can do to maximize your child’s language growth based on your child’s age. Birth-2 Respond to your child’s babbling. Responding to your baby’s babbling

Children and adults experience a common joy when reading together. When you hear a child giggle or gasp at events in a story, you know that you are engaging in an invaluable activity for your child. Most parents want to raise readers. The way to do so is straightforward. Yet in our era of screens and busy schedules for our children, we have to be proactive to ensure that we are passing along the joy of reading to the next generation.Here are some good strategies to raise children who love to r

The end of summer is here! Hopefully, your children are looking forward to going back to school after lots of summer fun. There’s nothing quite like the excitement of this time of year. If you’ve done all your back-to-school shopping and have some extra time on your hands before that exciting first day, here are some things you can do with your children to keep them busy while encouraging their speech and language development: The playground: You’ve probably spent a lot of time at the playgroun

Another school year has arrived! Class and speech therapy are back in session. This is a thrilling season filled with new beginnings and changes. It’s also a great time to learn more about speech therapy if you are concerned about your child’s communication. If you notice your child struggling with social interactions, writing, reading, speaking, or listening, it might be time to reach out to a speech-language pathologist.Your child may qualify to receive services through their school or you ca

The past few years I’ve noticed people are creating “Fall Bucket Lists.” These usually include fun outings like apple picking, carving pumpkins, and going to a football game. These special seasonal activities can also be a wonderful time to work on some speech and language with your child!1. Nature Walk and Painting: Take a walk outside and look at the beautiful changing leaves. Describe everything you see using vivid language (orange, red, yellow, autumn, harvest, chilly, rake, wheat, scare

Cursive writing has academic, motoric, and artistic benefits. There are several fun ways to introduce cursive to your child- shaving cream, tracing your own letters, and q-tips and paint. Give some of them a try and have fun exploring this often forgotten approach.

Do you think your child is struggling with social communication? For many of us, social communication comes naturally and feels ingrained. We picked up appropriate social communication skills by observing the people around us from an early age. However, some children have difficulty learning and understanding our communication norms.If your child has trouble greeting or sharing information appropriately, changing their communication style to match a situation, or taking turns in conversation, th

The last week has been one of the most challenging for me as a small business owner and a clinician. With school closures lasting multiple weeks, I am left trying to figure out how we can best support our students and their families. How can I make sure that my students who have worked so hard to make progress with their speech, language, fluency, writing, reading, and math skills don't regress? How can I support families who now have to take on the additional role of educator? What can I offer

One of my favorite go-to writing prompt books is, "642 Big Things to Write About: Young Writer's Edition" by 826 Valencia. Here are some of my favorite prompts from the book that you can use with your child:Week 1:Monday: Write a love letter to your favorite food.Tuesday: Describe a machine for capturing dreams. How does it work?Wednesday: You find a key outside of a creepy old building. What does the key open? Where does it lead?Thursday: Write a story that keeps getting bigger and bigger (bot