Jj is for Jottings 153. Speech Sound Problems: /k,g/
We have previously learned about /s/ as a speech sound problem. Let us now focus on speech sound problems: /k,g/. As always, if your child makes speech errors, you need to know whether the error is actually appropriate for age. (In which case, is it actually an error? Perhaps an “age-appropriate substitution”!) You can find out the rough developmental ages for speech sounds here. Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 151. Daily Reading Time.
Daily reading time for children is much more important than just reading books leading to a longer life. It makes sense that children who read more have better vocabulary, reading skills, fluency, reading comprehension and overall literacy. It can also strengthen family relationships and helps children to understand the world outside. So just how many minutes per day should we be reading with our children? Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 122. Definite and Indefinite Articles.
Following on from the previous article on nouns, it is timely to discuss definite and indefinite articles. Articles are simply “a” or “an”, and “the”. It sounds simple, but there’s a bit more to it than that. Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 115. Digital Distraction.
Digital distraction is that constant checking of phones and multi-tasking which we see going on around us all the time (or even engage in ourselves). There is a theory that our ancient food-foraging survival instinct has evolved into info-foraging. It is sort of a hijacking of the same system that was critical for our survival in terms of seeking out food. It has now been directed at seeking out information, and the result is digital distraction.
“There is no digital distraction in this paddock, thank you very much.”
Jj is for Jottings 113. Neuroplasticity and Complaining.
Following on from the previous article on neuroplasticity, we will now be more specific – how complaining rewires the brain for negativity. Research shows that most people complain once a minute during a typical conversation. Although complaining might feel good, but just like smoking or eating a whole box of chocolates in one sitting, it doesn’t do you any good. Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 102. Effect of Vowel Shapes on Consonant Sounds.
Following on from the previous article on Vowel Shapes, we will talk about the effect of vowel shapes on consonant sounds. This is especially important in sound production for speech therapy and also useful when learning sound-letter links. If you haven’t already done so, I suggest you read the previous article first, to make sense of what follows.
Effects of vowel shapes on consonant sounds. This vowel is /ah/. It doesn’t have much effect on any consonant sounds because it is quite neutral in shape.
Here are some common examples of how the vowel shape can influence the production of a consonant. This is not an exhaustive list, but these are major examples which crop up all the time. Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 101. Vowel Shapes.
When I say “vowel shapes”, I am referring to the shape made by the mouth when saying a particular vowel. We have talked earlier about discriminating between vowels and vowel discrimination activities, but I didn’t mention vowel shapes because we were talking about auditory discrimination. The visual aspects were not necessary in that context.
In point of fact, there are no hard and fast vowel shapes, but there are general trends which are useful to know about. Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 99. Print Books are Better than Digital Books for Toddlers.
The question of whether print books are better than digital books for toddlers is a concern for many parents who are looking to do the best by their children. Here are two pieces of evidence, one anecdotal and one from research, which will answer this question. Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 97. Reading-Aloud Games.
Following on from interactive reading with children, here are some ideas for “reading-aloud games” which you can play with children while reading stories with them. The idea is to be spontaneous, just playfully engaging in banter whilst actually providing wonderful learning opportunities as a bonus. It may sound strange, saying to be spontaneous and then making suggestions as to what to do. But it is helpful to see the types of games you can play and, once you have the idea, you can invent your own activities in the moment. Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 96. Interactive Reading With Children.
There is a difference between reading to children and reading with children. Reading TO children is just that – reading a story without any sort of discussion or interaction. (For disquieting statistics on reading to children, see here.) On the other hand, interactive reading with children, or reading WITH children, is an active process rather than a passive one. In this case, you are encouraging the child to think, predict, remember and discuss the story, and other related topics may also arise. Therefore it has all the benefits of reading to children, plus many more.
Too young for interactive reading with children, but the right age to start reading TO her.
