SPEECH AND LANGUAGE NEWS
SEPTEMBER 2007
As you may know, I am an off-campus clinical supervisor for the speech and language graduate students from the University of Rhode Island. This program gives these students an opportunity for a school-based clinical experience at a wonderful school. Therefore, I would like to introduce Katy Dolan (“Miss Katy” to preschool and kindergarten students) who will be my graduate student intern this semester. She will be working under my direct supervision on Tuesday and Thursdays. Please welcome her to the Jamestown Schools.
As
we start each school year, I like to give parents some suggestions on how to
help your child develop his/her language skills. The following information is from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association publication "Literacy
and Communication. Expectations
from Kindergarten through Fifth Grade."
---in early elementary
grades (K-2):
Talk with your child frequently; encourage your child to talk with
you.
Read a variety of books with your child frequently. As you read, talk with your child about
the story.
Help your child focus on sound patterns of words such as those
found in rhyming games.
Have your child retell stories and talk about events of the day.
Talk with your child during daily activities; give directions for
your child to follow (e.g. making cookies).
Talk about how things are alike and how they are different.
Give your child reasons and opportunities to write.
--in later elementary grades
(3-5):
Continue to encourage reading, using reading material of interest
to your child.
Encourage active listening (e.g. forming opinions about what has
been heard or read, and relating what is read to experiences).
Help your child make connections between what is read and what has
been heard at school, at home, and in other daily activities.
Talk aloud as you help your child understand and solve problems
encountered in reading material.
Help your child recognize spelling patterns, such as beginnings
and endings of words (e.g. "pre-" and "-ment").
Encourage personal writing (e.g. letters, daily diary, creative
stories).
And remember to:
Be informed about and involved in your child's school activities.