http://playonwords.com Child speech therapy and language development articles, blog, strategies and toy and book reviews. Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:57:03 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en During my trip through the Toy Fair I was on the lookout for new baby toys that were stimulating and fun for building language. I look for toys that have a varied parts for baby to explore as well as lots for Mom or Dad to talk about and describe. ... http://playonwords.com/blog/2010/03/07/new-baby-toys-for-play-and-therapy/ 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 ... http://playonwords.com/blog/2010/03/01/read-across-america-day-make-a-book/ One of the goals I have for a child I am working with who has autism, is that he tell two things about his school day, when he comes home. We have tried several approaches to help him remember as well as verbalize what he did. Research shows that if ... http://playonwords.com/blog/2010/03/01/getting-kids-with-autism-to-talk-about-their-school-day/ 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 ... http://playonwords.com/blog/2010/02/28/sing-along-with-bob-from-sesame-street/ 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 ... http://playonwords.com/blog/2010/02/27/how-children-learn-language/ I find books to be a great language enriching carryover activity for articulation. Recently I was working on /s/ and /sh/ with several students and used the book, Bright Stanley by Matt Buckingham to provide practice and carryover for the sounds. Stanley and his school of friends with their shimmery scales ... http://playonwords.com/blog/2010/02/25/articulation-carryover-activities-for-s-and-sh/ It's almost March and we are having two snowstorms out east this week. So even though I see readers requesting Spring lessons for therapy, I am still literally stuck in the snow! Here are a couple of fun books I used today with kids with language delay and on the ... http://playonwords.com/blog/2010/02/23/simple-snow-stories-for-speech-language-therapy/ 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 ... http://playonwords.com/blog/2010/02/22/top-picks-for-language-toys-at-toy-fair-2010/ I work with a wonderful, creative family who celebrates the Chinese New Year. Mom, who is Chinese, traditionally sets the table using pages of a Chinese newspaper for the tablecloth. She covers the random pages with clear plastic and everyone is entertained by the letters and pictures. This year, Mom Lisa ... http://playonwords.com/blog/2010/02/19/celebrate-chinese-new-year-with-children/ I love working with parents but usually it is Mom who participates in our therapy sessions or moms who attend talks that I give on talking, reading and playing with your baby to encourage language development. When the dads show up, I always get some fresh, fun take on the ... http://playonwords.com/blog/2010/02/18/dads-are-the-best/