Monday, August 08, 2011
Important Facts About Speech and Language
Did you know…
- The infant and toddler years are the most important for speech and language development.
- Approximately half of late talkers do not catch up without help;
- The quality of a child's life is dependent, to a great extent, on her ability to communicate.
- If children can’t hear, their speech and language may not develop properly;
- Communication is the window through which all other learning occurs. If a child is having difficulty with speech and language, it will affect the child’s ability to learn academic skills, including reading and writing;
- The sooner speech and language difficulties are identified, the greater the impact on the child’s overall development;
- We can identify children who are at risk for communication difficulties before 12 Months of age by looking at the child’s pre-language skills;
- We can intervene earlier with young children to reduce the impact that delays or disorders may have on their ability to read, write, socialize, and to succeed in a career.
Parents and caregivers can prepare preschool age children for communication, reading, and writing from birth by:
- Talking and talking to the child about everything you are doing together;
- Playing with and talking about things that interest the child;
- Reading to the child on a daily basis;
- Acting out stories – have fun with the sounds and the actions from the story;
- Rhyming and singing songs together, even making up silly songs and rhymes;
- Clapping out the syllables in familiar words and names;
- Making up silly sentences or stories;
- Listening to and telling simple stories;
- Drawing and writing with the child;
- Visiting a farm or a zoo and talking about the animals and the sounds they make;
- Playing with magnetic letters on the fridge or foam letters in the bath tub. If you are concerned about your child’s speech and language development, call the Language Express Preschool Speech System at 1-888-503-8885 / 613-283-2742. A speech-language assessment can identify your child’s strengths and needs, and can help you prepare your child for success in communicating, reading and writing.
For more information, check out our website: www.language-express.ca.
Contact: Catherine Robinson, Clinical Coordinator, Language Express PSL, 613-283-2740 ext 4260
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