Tomorrow, March 2, is Read Across America Day, celebrated on Dr. Seuss’ birthday!
What better way to celebrate than to help a child make a book of their very own. Whether you are a parent or a speech therapist, this exercise increases kids’ delight in books and reading. Start with some read-alouds by Dr. Seuss. Depending on the age, a fun one to introduce is Hooray for Diffendoofer Day by Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith. Based on 14 rough drawings and verses left behind when Geisel died, this book was completed in his fashion and is full of Seuss like fun. Once again, the story behind the story is fascinating as editors gathered the drawings and scratched out lines from Geisel’s secretary, revealing the process of his storytelling. I reviewed the story here.
When it’s time to make a book, it can be as simple as stapling a few sheets of paper together to making a book’s covers from a cereal box. Here are detailed directions from alphamom on how to make one with a cover from the Cheerios box.
Use the inside to encourage kids you might be working with on language goals. Write a little story or have them dictate it to you on the computer so you can print it out and glue it in their book. Create a short poem and emphasize rhyming words or add on to a story you have read. Don’t forget to have your little author step in as the illustrator too! Provide lots of markers and colored pencils for the drawings to back up the text.
When I was at the Toy Fair last week, I was walking the aisles and noticed a crowd gathering around a man. Of course I had to see who this celebrity was, and there was Bob McGrath, the familiar performer on Sesame Street since the 60’s, signing copies of his “Sing Along With Bob” CD’s for fans.
He graciously posed for a picture with me as I reminisced about collapsing on the couch with my three preschoolers at 4 PM to watch Sesame Street. His recognizable, friendly smile and approachable personality came right through as we chatted about kids and all the media opportunities they have at their disposal these days.
Bob autographed a copy of “Sing Along with Bob #2″ and I went on my way. Today, it was quiet, so I decided to put in Bob’s CD and I went right down memory lane with him! I’m not sure who I will send the first copy to–Great Grandmother who used to sing “John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt” to my brother and me and end up in fits of laughter or to my preschool gang. “Boom Boom Ain’t It Great to Be Crazy” took me back to overnight camp memories as we used to wail out that song, resonating in the dining hall, stamping our feet to the “booms.” “The Muffin Man” gave me my first nickname, “Muff” because I loved to dance to the beat.
With thirty four short songs, sung in Bob’s clear, inviting voice, this CD should be in every preschool and therapist’s cache of activities. From “Let Everyone Clap Like Me” to “The Hokey Pokey,” there are many interactive songs that teach listening, following directions and imitating. Little ones will get moving and giggle while “shaking out their sillies” and “jumping out their jiggles.” Parents and grandparents will enjoy the intergenerational experience of sharing songs loved over the years.
Thanks, Bob, for the memories!
“Sing Along with Bob #2″ was provided by Bob’s Kids Music. The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author.
Parents often ask what the next steps are for their children learning language and how long it will take to catch up to “normal.” Children start with naming objects using single words and progress to adding a second word for a meaningful two-word combination like, “big truck,” “car go” or “more juice.” Each word that is added to their verbalizations adds meaning.
I have been working with a 2 1/2 year-old for almost a year and his mom relayed what he had said on the way to school that day. This mom has been vigilant in keeping word lists to show me her son’s progression each week so she knew how his language gains were demonstrated by his descriptions of a stop sign:
Here is the progression of his comments as his language has expanded and grown:
- “Stop” when he saw the stop sign
- “Stop sign,” as he started to put two words together
- “There is stop.” “I see stop.” as he added a third word to his phrases.
- “The car stops at the stop,” was his latest comment which clearly adds meaning to his description, telling the function of the stop sign.
- When your child says a word, naming something in his environment like, “Truck,” affirm him with, “Yes! A truck, a red truck, the truck goes.” Talk in short little sentences, grammatically correct, as you add on to his one word.
- Add on adjectives and action verbs that relate to what he is doing or playing with. Kids take in more language when we are talking about what they are focused on and playing with. Adjective and action verbs carry more meaning to a little one than an article like “the.” “Hit ball” conveys more meaning than “the ball.” Don’t worry, he will fill in the articles and lettle words later.
- Don’t always talk in 3 or 4 word sentences. Thoughout your day, also talk as if you are giving a running commentary on what you and your child are doing and thinking.
Now that I have come back down to earth after racing from one booth to another, and seeing all the fantastic new toys and games that amazingly creative people have produced, I want to share my top picks for the most exciting new products, that offer a language building, creative play value. Note, stay tuned for my full reviews when I have had a chance to get my littlest toy testers to weigh in on these toys and games too! This is the first in a series of blogs about what’s hot this season:
Hasbro:
As I mentioned, I was privileged to be included in a preview of their new products the day before the Toy Fair, at their Bloggers’ Breakfast. Here are some toys to be on the lookout for:
FurReal Friends Furry Frenzies. Six furry animals that look like Littlest Pet Shop meets ZhuZhu pets scurried around so quickly that I had a hard time getting a picture of them! Add some accessories for flexible play, their “Scoot and Scurry City,” and watch the bunny, raccoon, puppy or hedgehog chase up the 
mountain, stop back in town at the Pet Boutique or visit the Ball Park. Playonwords value: Separate play vignettes offer opportunity for conversation by theme, and the many options to come and go through swinging doors and gates provides flexibility of play.
Play-doh Cake Makin’ Station. You know how I love Play-doh for open-ended creative play, building language and conversation. This toy has staying power celebrating its 50th anniversary of the Fun Factory. Take that fun into the bakery as you add toppings at three different “icing” stations. Kids can stamp out fun frosting patterns and add decorations and colorful toppings at subsequent stations. Playonwords value: The creative process invites lots of chat but take your finished creations and have a tea party. Extend the play using your newly made props!
Wheel Pals Mini-Critters. Kids love vehicles and animals so I think Playskool has a winning combination here. I especially liked the mini, squeezable pals, designed for toddlers’ little hands. Add the jungle, arctic or farm-theme playset tracks for fun and exploration. Playonwords value: Big-eyed faces invite conversation and play, so kids can animate their animals.
Littlest Pet Shop Pet Sitters. Blithe and her friends are the first dolls to be introduced to “Littlest Pet Shop,” just in time to do some pet sitting. Much of what I do is teach parents how to select great toys to enhance language development and demonstrate how to maximize pretend play. When I told a mother of a big fan of “Littlest Pet Shop” that the pet sitters had arrived, she said, “It’s about time they had some people!” Playonwords value: Add people to the mix and you have a new level of conversation and pretend play. Pets and people can teach and learn from each other.
I Can Do That Games:
I am constantly amazed at the creativity and ingenuity that is poured into each of this company’s games. They really get the concept of adding language value to their products.
What’s in the Cat’s Hat. Pick a series of cards with questions to ask to narrow down the solution. “Will it float in the bathtub?” Use some deductive reasoning to guess what object your opponent has hidden in the Cat’s Hat. It took me multiple clues to guess the tangerine (I even got to smell it!). Playonwords value: Look at all the language stretching you encourage as you ask questions, rule out solutions by categories (floats, smells) and make your best guess.
Konexi. Having successfully created games for the preschool set, this company introduced it’s new line for 8 years and up, called Zimbala. (Look it up, it’s a surfing word!) Konexi is a lively wooden set of letters that connect if balanced correctly. Score points by making connections for words. Playonwords value: Obviously this game promotes literacy, letter-sound recognition, and blending. It can be adapted to younger children. Stay tuned for my full review. Check out “Splotcha!” and “Thanks a Lot” too.
International Playthings:
Calico Critters Treehouse. Take your critters to a whole new height with this tree of fun than includes two Mango Monkeys, a hot tub, pagoda, water slide and lake for tons of pretend play fun. Enjoy the four spacious rooms, a hot tub, patio, and trap door to the water slide. Playonwords value: Imagination, imagination, talk, talk, talk. Need I say more?
Yookidoo. Giddy Up Gal and Pirate & Pal Play Sets. Yookidoo has become a favorite of kids and parents, 
with it’s inviting faces, bright colors and innovative activities. These gals and pirates are refreshingly new to the kids scene of clip along figures for baby to learn from. Playonwords value: Talk about all the sounds, textures, colors and faces to engage your newborn from the crinkly bandanas to the parrot and pony noises.
I Play. Shop ‘n Cart. This cart carries the whole food shopping experience in one basket on wheels. The set includes the play food, money, packages and cans with a removable grocery basket that fits into it’s own space on the bottom. Playonwords value: Great pretend play to encourage commentary and role playing during play.
I Play. My First Baby Doll. Pretend play comes wrapped up in a diaper bag for on the go fun. The soft, plushy baby doll comes with her teddy bear, bottle, bib, diaper, wipe case and changing pad/blankie. Playonwords value: Great pretend play potential for the younger set as they are just beginning to pretend. The items are soft and can be stored in the diaper bag.
Eebee.
This company carefully researches and introduces quality toys with a purpose.
If the Shape Fits eebee. eebee’s got some colorful shapes to share–slip them on his limbs or your own for some fun description and language learning. Playonwords value: vocabulary learning through flexible fun shapes that can be attached to most anything, extending the language concepts to be described. Also, check out eebee’s new baby cookbook coming out soon.
Hape.
Organico Blocks. These light building blocks are made from bamboo and will be out this summer. I can’t wait to try them. Playonwords value: Kids can create anything with a good set of blocks. Add some little people or animal figures and you have a story starting.
Okay that’s it for part 1 of my Top Picks. Next installment is coming including Haba, Playmobil and Blue Orange.
Today I had a press opportunity to have tea with and listen to TIA’s (Toy Industry Association) Toy Trend Specialist, Reyne Rice, talk about the current trends in kids’ toys. Ironically, I had blogged about the same subject last night, based on what I saw after one day at the Toy Fair. I’m proud to say that our lists overlapped a bit!
Reyne knows her subject well and enlightened us with the following four trends she sees, supported by brands:
- Active. We are seeing exercise being brought into toys. This goes along with Michelle Obama’s initiative to reduce childhood obesity and increase movement in kids. Active imagination is in this category which includes arts and crafts and construction. “We are seeing creativity coming back into the fray.” Wild Planet, Hasbro and Mattel all emphasize products that get kids moving. Many companies might use some technology to start the movement. She went on to say that construction toys, arts and crafts, puzzles and games showed the most growth last year in the toy industry. Brands like Crayola, Mega blocks, Playmobil and Legos all encourage active imagination. Active brain includes puzzles like the Rubik’s Cube. We are also seeing games that encourage intergenerational play, providing different levels of difficulty, so various ages can play simultaneously.
- Accessible. We are seeing toys and games whose themes are accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Kids can go online and play games, or get information on their favorite brands. The hot toy unveiled today was Fisher Price’s new iXL which is their “multi-tech, six-in-one smart device for preschoolers,” according to Robert Eckert, CEO of Mattel. This portable learning unit comes with six applications. It can be used as a photo album or first e-reader product for kids 3 and up. In addition, following this accessible trend, games are being offered with options to play them cooperatively–extending the value of the game.
- Affordable. There are many toys and games coming out in the $10, $15 and $20 range. Twister
Hoops by Hasbro has 5 ways to play the game, extending its play value. According to Rice, it’s the details that delight kids so companies have introduced 3 3/4 inch action figures which have more detail in sculpting and therefore attract more interest. Rice talked about “pennies per play,” the idea of getting repeated value out of a toy or game. Construction toys can be played with in a different way each time. And speaking of the flexibility of construction, several games introduced require the participants to build the game–Lego has buildable mazes and Hasbro’s Mousetrap allows the players to make the gameboard. - Aspirational. Toys and games are teaching kids about empowerment. “I Can Be Barbie” comes in 125 careers. Girls can go online and read about women and the path they took to arrive at their careers. “The Princess and the Frog” teaches perseverance. According to Rice, brands build in, “There’s a choice,” because when children get older they have to make decisions. Also, curriculum based products are in vogue now. You not only can make a light saber, you can learn the physics behind its operation. Thinkfun is giving curriculum to educators and after school programs to extend their products. I met the woman who is heading up the link between their games and learning. She taught kindergarten through second grade and was getting her degree in curriculum when she interned for ThinkFun. The rest is history. She writes the instruction booklets included in the games on how to promote further learning. Good for ThinkFun! Many companies are involved in charitable giving–contributing 3-5% or even 10% of their profits to charities. Karito Kids allows a child who has purchased one of their dolls to log onto the website and choose the charity where she can apply 3% of her purchase price. Included in the aspirational trend are the eco-friendly products. These are made from organic materials, in sustainable factories, with soy based inks, wood, bamboo, etc. Rice cited the example of a company named TDC which offers a green puzzle, where literally when you have worn out the puzzle, you can go outside and plant the puzzle pieces which each have a seed embedded in it. Now that’s what I call recycling.
I notice that a number of people who come to my site are searching for and interested in information on apraxia and speech therapy for apraxia. Parents want to know when and how it is diagnosed and what kinds of therapy they should be looking for to help their child.
I have blogged on this topic a number of times, often related to my view that children are often diagnosed too early or misdiagnosed in this area. I ran across a helpful interview that addresses this issue as well as appropriate therapy approaches, feedback and practice. In the professional magazine, www.advance.com., blogger and speech language pathologist Stephanie Bruno Dowling, interviews Sharon Gretz, MEd., founder and current executive director of CASANA, the Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America. Her interview is very informative and helpful to parents as well as therapists. Several points are emphasized that I agree with:
- Effective apraxia therapy must be approached from a motor planning and programming approach, understanding that children with CAS practice movements that lead to permanent change in their motor system.
- Effective therapy is delivered individually and in short, frequent sessions. I have had parents call me, telling me that their child was diagnosed with Childhood Apraxia of Speech and they were getting therapy in a group, once or twice a week for an hour. Therapy needs to be very specific for a child and include repeated execution of motor movements which is not conducive to group therapy. Several shorter sessions per week have been found to be more effective. In fact, the American Speech and Hearing Association recommends therapy 3-5 times per week for children who are diagnosed with severe to moderate CAS.
- Effective practice by the therapist and parents as well as feedback is important for progress with CAS
- Effective speech therapy for apraxia appears “to include multi-sensory feedback in the form of visual, verbal, or even tactile/touch cues to help guide the child’s speech movements.” Unfortunately there isn’t one method that is right for each child so it is necessary to try different approaches that involve strengthening the child’s internal sensory systems, while giving feedback for correct motor movements. I have blogged in the past about success I have found in using the Kauffman approach as well as PROMPT.
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Here are some more Valentines Day books to use in speech therapy to liven up your sessions:
Love, Splat by Scotton
Splat has made a special valentine for his secret crush, Kitten. A little bashful about giving it to her, he also discovers that his rival, Spike, has eyes for Kitten too. In fact, Spike has a bigger valentine for her than Splat. Losing his nerve, Splat drops his valentine for Kitten in the trash. Turns out that Kitten finds it, and prefers Spat over Spike inspite of his rumbling stomach and bendy tail.
- A cute story to use to re-tell, talk about the beginning, middle and end, as well as the problem and solution.
- Extend the story to talk about how kids treat you at school. What makes a friend? What do they appreciate in you?
- Make some valentines for friends. Talk about what you appreciate in each one and dictate or write a message telling them that.
- Talk about the difference between being good at something like soccer or drawing versus a character trait like generous, kind or helper
- Talk about the comparatives, “I love you higher than the highest bird ever flew,” or taller than the tallest tree.” Encourage the student to make their own comparatives: bigger than…., wider than……happier than….. and illustrate your words.
- Point out the descriptive words, “swirly skies,” “sneaky shadows” or “wavy waters.” Collect pictures or objects around the room and add a descriptive word to the noun. See how many you can brainstorm.
- Talk about places your student has gone, and add a descriptive word to it.
In today’s New York Times, the article, “Dealing with the Financial Burden of Autism,” offers a look into the financial side of providing the best program for a child on the autism spectrum. Konrad’s article gives several practical suggestions for navigating the insurance obstacles while pushing for the best program for your child.
According to the article, direct medical and non-medical costs for a child with autism can cost between $67,000 and $72,000 a year. Parents already deal with the challenge of finding the right set of therapies to benefit their child since the treatments aren’t one size fits all. Since many therapies are given several hours a week, the cost adds up.
The article gives some practical advice for seeking financial reimbursement and assistance. The father highlighted in the story obtained financial assistance through a special part of the Medicaid program. He talked about planning therapy deliveries according to caps you might have in your insurance program, coordinating with services covered by the schools, and utilizing resources such as community chapters of the Autism Society of America or Autism Speaks for help with practical advice.
Let me know what has been helpful in your journey with trying to get services covered for your child with autism. Use the comments below.
I am excited about the upcoming International Toy Fair in New York City, February 14-17. Just walking through the Javits Center, one feels surrounded by innovative, creative people. Inventors of children’s toys and games have to be incredibly intelligent but also have a child’s whimsy to relate to their market.
Yesterday I was in a wonderful toy and hobby shop in Fairfield, Connecticut, Hobbytown. I explained to Celeste, the knowledgeable employee, that I reviewed children’s media for its language value and asked her about some of the products that I liked–if they sold well and just what was popular among parents who selected toys and games for their kids.I had specifically pointed out International Playthings’ Playdate puppet show. She said that it was a popular item because it met the criteria she sees parents using in selecting toys for their kids:
- Kids play independently with the toy.
- They can finish the game or pretend play and have a sense of pride in completing something.
- The toy or game is interesting to play with over and over as they play with it in a new way.
It’s time to talk about love, hugs and kisses and use some fun stories to work on children’s speech and language goals. More books are included in last year’s blogs.
Here are some fun books for preschoolers and early elementary aged students to encourage language:
Max’s Valentine by Rosemary Wells
Max of course wants to sabotage Ruby’s activity making valentines by eating the candy, yum yum glitter and all. Finally Max gets his own valentine delivered from Grandma, full of chocolate ants!
- Use the story to talk about sequence–making valentines, mail them, receive them.
- Create your own valentines with lots of options for fun candies to glue on the hearts
- Practice sounds and language structures as the child re-tells the story.
- Re-tell the story using drawings, or objects representing the different steps a letter or package goes through to get to its recipient–letter sorter, truck driver, airplane captain, mail truck driver and mailman.
- Change the story with each child offering what gesture or words they would like to “send” through the mail.
- Talk about the words that describe each kiss. Add more thoughts or adjectives to each one–a breakfast kiss could be slurpy, buttery or tasty.
- Draw and cut out pictures of different lips to represent each kiss, add your own and write out the words that describe the kiss.
