Homework Hack #1

Finding snippits of time everyday is WAY better than aiming for longer uninterrupted periods of time (because frankly, they don’t exist…or at least not frequently enough to support daily home practice)
We admit that yes, daily practice is asking a lot. Families are busy and therefore homework needs to fit with your schedule and daily routines. Consider naturally-occurring times in the day when you have one-on-one time with your child – if it is in the car, during bath time, during snack time after school, or if it varies day to day, take advantage of these times when you can give your child undivided attention that is not rushed so that practice becomes a regular routine.

Homework Hack #2

If you think practice is a chore, so will your child, and then no one is having fun. Think about the types of activities your child enjoys. We are big fans of using ‘passwords’ to take turns during play, and all children love to play! Consider your child’s preferences, from ball play, to swinging, to bubbles, to board games/card games, or tag. For older children and youth, trivia/jokes/board games etc. are good options. The possibilities are endless, and speech-language pathologists are pretty darn clever at making any type of game/activity work for home practice. So make a list and share your child’s preferences so an individualized program can be tailored for you!

Homework Hack #3

Shorter IS better. This one is simple in concept but sometimes hard to follow through with. Think short and sweet. Keep practice short and sweet so that your child finishes on a high note, feeling really good about themselves. There is nothing worse than getting too excited that practice is actually happening, then pushing it too far so that your child is bored/tired/frustrated. Daily and steady increases in small amounts are much easier to work with than undoing or recovering from overkill on the first day of practice.

Homework Hack #4

Don’t underestimate the power of sticky notes and check marks. Kids love check marks. They love getting them and they REALLY love making them…on colourful sticky notes. Plus marks (+) work really well too and if you really want to ramp up the excitement, give your child a red pen – red pens are irresistible! Now, if your child’s favourite colour is orange, then give them an orange pen (remember how important individualization is for success…).

In summary, most speech-language pathologists have 598723 + homework ideas/tricks up their sleeves. In our best efforts to keep things fun and easy for you, by sharing your apprehensions and suggestions about what works best for your family, we can quickly pick out the best ideas that will be most successful for you.

Happy Practicing!

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Reflect

It was with a mix of sadness and happiness that we said good-bye to our Associate, Beth Baker, in November. Her talent, commitment to families, and enthusiasm for speech-language pathology resulted in a clinician that was highly respected in our community. We wish Beth all the best with her new professional opportunities in her home province and will be sure to keep in touch.

Receive

We are fortunate and excited to welcome Daphne Burden to our team, and have a number of new projects in development for the Spring and Summer. Most recently confirmed was the exciting news that our office will be moving across the hall this Spring. This move to a larger space will better accommodate our growing needs with three therapy rooms and a larger room for group sessions.

Ready

Plans and preparations are underway for assessments and therapy programs. We are ready and keeping busy getting prepared for what promises to be another great year. With grateful hearts to be providing service in St. Margaret’s Bay, Tantallon, and their surrounding communities, we look forward to growing and learning in 2015. Ready….set….go!

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Oohs, ahs & a healthy dose of joint attention

As you walk, stroll, or sit outside with your infant, let your inner thoughts flow loudly with “ahhh”, “oooohhh”, and “ohhhhhhh”. As your little one coos along, or older infants take turns oohing and ahhhing, give lots of eye contact, smiles, and guide baby’s gaze to the sights by pointing and showing.

The wonder of flying leaves

As the leaves start to fall, the mighty piles will surely be fun for baby. Exclamations of “whee!” are practically automatic as parents toss armfuls into the air. Back and forth giggles, exclamations and vocalizations are fabulous for conversational play, sound play, and developing joint attention.

Follow your baby’s lead too…imitate the sounds that they babble. Babies will delight in a back-and-forth game of googly talk, especially when you respond to their inititations.

Ready….set….Go!

Speech-language pathologists love routines. Repetitive routines that might drive non S-LP adults straight to boredom. We love repetitive routines because babies and children love them too. Routines are predictable, safe, and super fun for children, especially when they have an element of surprise or anticipation. Think of Peek-A-Boo, Row Row Row Your Boat, and the best of all: Ready, Set, Go!

Some fun games with Fall leaves that come to mind include:
• Toss the Leaves
• Make a nest
• Ticklefest!
• Roll in the leaves
• Pass the leaves
• Dump the leaves (after collecting them in a bucket)
• Hide the __ (pick a ball or other favourite toy to hide and find in a pile of leaves)

Hoping you enjoy the beauty of Fall, bond with baby, and have fun with your baby’s earliest sounds and words over the next few months.

Talk soon,

Julie

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An appropriate question, I thought, for Funformation Friday.

At Stillwater Speech Therapy, we draw wisdom from others. How does that saying go? Something along the lines of ‘smart people learn from their mistakes, while wise people learn from the mistakes of others’. Well, if we draw wisdom from others (and we do!), we most definitely draw inspiration from others as well.

One of the most inspiring groups to come my way has been the East Coast Momma Collective, courtesy of a fellow speech-language pathologist, (thank you Sarah Dhooge!). The Mommas in the ECMC are creative, talented, skillful, and brimming with inspiration for women like me…who lack in creative skill (despite desperately wishing to be more creative)…and who also lack in artistic skill (but honestly do not devote the necessary time needed to hone those artistic skills). So, what is a non-artistic speech pathologist to do? Bring the ECMC into the office, of course! What could be more inspiring?

The Beauty of Art

Our name, Stillwater Speech Therapy, is near and dear to my heart. To me, it signifies calmness, reassurance, safety, and nature/new beginnings. Which is why I was thrilled to obtain a tree painting from Jessica Duffy, of Naptime Designs, to grace our walls. It has a Wow! factor and is admired by all who walk through our door. Our tree is a fabulous conversation starter, and it represents something different to everyone…to me it symbolizes growth, endurance, resilience, and endless possibility.

The Element of Surprise

Our clients work hard and practice hard…because we ALWAYS send a home program after each session. For our youngest clients, homework can be…well, challenging. To provide a little inspiration, we have super cute and super FUN homework bags that go back and forth between home and the office, as we trade out the old and familiar, for new and inspiring homework materials. Many thanks to Jeanette Smith of Stamp*Stitch*Create for helping make homework and practice that much more inspiring and meaningful for the little ones.

Friendly Competition (and a score card!)

Last, but certainly not least…I have to give props to Jen Connors, of Blue Frog Creations. We have THE BEST beanbag toss games in our office, and beanbags are hands down, a top requested item. That is no small compliment, because we have A LOT of toys. Many a game has been created because of those beanbags. They are a great motivator, and have made speech therapy “AWESOME”, “THE BEST”, and “FUN” (from the mouths of cool kids).

A Personalized Touch for Continued Success

These are just a sample of individualized and hand-crafted items, locally made in Atlantic Canada, that inspire. Whether our clients and families take a moment to pause & reflect, practice a little bit more, or persevere & participate with an extra douse of enthusiasm, inspiration from the work of others is a constant variable. Many thanks, to the ECMC mommas, for continuing to inspire us and our clients.

Talk soon,
Julie

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