cats

A Noun is a Name.

Jj is for Jottings 121.  A Noun is a Name.

A noun is a name.  But there’s a bit more to it than that.  A noun is one of several parts of speech, which also includes verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, articles, prepositions, conjunctions and even interjections.  Although they are called parts of speech, they are really units of language, but we won’t try to go against the flow on that issue.  The difference between speech and language is explained here.  I can’t tell you how many times I have been requested to do a speech assessment, when language was really the issue. Continue reading →

What is Neuroplasticity?

Jj is for Jottings 112.  What is Neuroplasticity?

Just what is neuroplasticity?  It is the term which describes a sequence of processes that take place in your brain in response to incoming stimuli. In other words, your emotions, behaviours, experiences and thoughts physically change the way your brain functions.

Picture of a cat balancing on a clothesline with the caption: "What is neuroplasticity? I think it is - if I keep practising balancing, I'll get better at it."

“What is neuroplasticity? I think it is – if I keep practising balancing, I’ll get better at it.”

Continue reading →

Strategies for Listening to Sounds in Words.

Jj is for Jottings 106.  Strategies to Encourage Listening to Sounds in Words.

 

In the previous article I said that I would discuss general strategies to encourage listening to sounds in words, rather than visualising them.  As I said, I have found no hard and fast rules, but these types of activities are helpful.

Picture of a cat coming towards us on a roof with the caption: Shanti is coming to tell us all about strategies to encourage listening to sounds in words.

Shanti is coming to tell us all about strategies to encourage listening to sounds in words.

Continue reading →

Christmas Limerick 2018.

The alpacas and all of us here

Wish you and those you hold dear:

Christmas cheer, joy and love,

P’raps a peaceful white dove,

And we hope that you’ll join us next year.

Picture of cat lying on a bed with a tinsel halo, with the caption:"You can see that Shanti isn't feeling very angelic wearing a halo. Shikha batted it off with his paw every time."

You can see that Shanti isn’t feeling very angelic wearing a halo. Shikha batted it off with his paw every time.

And here is something that has just appeared in The Australian newspaper in the book review section on December 15-16, 2018.

Image of recommendation for "Aa is for Alpacas" from The Australian newspaper, December 2018.

Pretty good to get a recommendation nearly 5 years after publication!

 

Remember to keep reading to your young children throughout the holidays, and encourage the older ones to read for pleasure.

Short and Long Vowels – What Are They?

Jj is for Jottings 85.  Short and Long Vowels.

Since we were on the subject of vowels (see Auditory Discrimination of Vowel Sounds and Vowel Discrimination Activities), it occurred to me that you may have heard of short and long vowels and not know what they are.  You would think that a long vowel is a longer version of a short vowel, but they are completely different sounds.  Quite simply, short vowels are the sounds made by /a,e,i,o,u/, and long vowels are the names of those five letters.

Picture of a lilac Burmese cat stretched out asleep with the caption: Short and long vowels? Who cares? I'd rather have a zzzzz.

Short and long vowels? Who cares? I’d rather have a zzzzz.

 

WHAT DO SHORT AND LONG VOWELS LOOK LIKE?

Short Vowels.

The easiest short vowel words are 3-letter CVC words eg. bag, beg, big, bog, bug.  In each case we pronounce the vowel as its basic sound.  When syllables end in a vowel and then a consonant (as in the examples above), the vowel is usually short. If there is more than one consonant, the vowel is almost always short, eg. “back, stopped”.

Long Vowels.         

There are several ways of making long vowels.

  1. Putting two vowels next to each other. As a result, the word usually makes the sound of the first vowel’s name (“When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking”).  Examples are “bead”, “mail”, “boat”.
  2. Another way of creating a long vowel sound is by putting an ‘e’ on the end of the word. This is often referred to as the “bossy ‘e’” or the “magic ‘e’”.  (“The ‘e’ on the end makes the vowel say its name.  The ‘e’ is silent.”) Examples are “bake”, “seed”, “hike”, “poke”, “mute”.  See how you can use a bossy ‘e’ to change a short vowel to a long vowel with these minimal pairs: can/cane; bet/beet; rid/ride; hop/hope; cut/cute.  If you say each of these aloud, it is very clear that the first half of the pair uses the sound made by the vowel, and the second half uses the vowel’s name.
  3. A vowel at the end of a syllable is almost always long.  Some examples of this are “I, we, he, she, go, try, potato and tomato”.
  4. -Igh and -ight are usually long I (and silent GH), so we have “bright, fight, high, light, might, night, right, sigh, sight, tight”.

Remember that this is English, and there are almost invariably exceptions.

VOWELS OTHER THAN SHORT AND LONG VOWELS.

Short and long vowels aren’t the only vowel sounds, and the other vowels will be discussed next time.

 

Check out the Facebook page: Aa is for Alpacas.

 

3 More Techniques for Helping Your Child’s Language.

Jj is for Jottings 56.  3 More Techniques for Helping Your Child’s Language.

We used all these language techniques with our “children”, but it seems that they still have too much screen time.

This follows on from Jottings 55, so you will need to read that first. (See https://educatingalpacas.com/general-language-stimulation-technique-1-modelling/).  I decided to combine the last three techniques into one article: Continue reading →

Helping Your Child’s Language – Technique 1: Modelling.

Jj is for Jottings 55.  Helping Your Child’s Language – Technique 1: Modelling.

Shikha and Shanti as kittens. They have to be careful when in the paddock with the alpacas because the alpacas will sometimes chase them. Although we refer to them as “the kids”, we didn’t have to bother with language modelling for them. Besides, they’re Burmese, and I wouldn’t know which language to model!

There are several ways in which parents naturally encourage the development of children’s language in conversation, and you may be using some or all of them without being aware of it.  Continue reading →

Should I Correct My Child’s Speech?

Jj is for Jottings 54.  Should I Correct My Child’s Speech?

This is Linguine, Kieran’s Murray Darling carpet python. The pic I really wanted was too blurry. Shikha caught a 23 cm long baby brown snake last week and brought it to the front door step to play with. Having just stepped out of the shower I snatched him inside and dressed hastily. When I returned it was nowhere in sight. I found it wriggling around in David’s boot, on the step below! Taking photos inside boots doesn’t work too well. Great composition – reared up with its mouth gaping open – but blurry. Linguine said he’d be happy to stand in (and he’s beautiful and harmless).

 

Many parents these days are concerned that they will somehow damage their child’s psyche if they correct their speech and language Continue reading →

Rhyming, Climbing, Miming… (Part 2).

Jj is for Jottings 51.  Rhyming, Climbing, Miming… (Part 2).

Shanti says:
“When learning to rhyme just relax, like me,
Play games and have fun: it’s easy – you’ll see.

 

How do we explain what a rhyme is?  I usually say that rhyming words sound the same at the end, and follow it up with plenty of examples.  However, be prepared for some children to think that you are talking of only the last SOUND.  You might have some extra explaining to do.  The most important way Continue reading →