Suggestions for Parents if You Suspect Your Child is Stuttering

Hi Everyone!  As a Speech/Language Therapist in an elementary school, I know that one of the most challenging issues that we deal with as a professionals and that some parents deal with is stuttering.  I want to provide some suggestions for parents on how to talk with your children in an effort to discourage or decrease stuttering.  I took the information from the Stuttering Foundation's website (Click on the title of this post to link to the website).  The Foundation suggests:


1. Speak with your child in an unhurried way, pausing frequently.


2. Reduce the number of questions you ask your child.


3. Use your facial expressions and other body language to convey to your child that you are listening to the content of her message and not to how she’s talking.


4. Set aside a few minutes at a regular time each day when you can give your undivided attention to your child.


5. Help all members of the family learn to take turns talking and listening.


6. Observe the way you interact with your child.


7. Above all, convey that you accept your child as he is.


These suggestions are great not only for parents and children who are dealing with stuttering but for everyone who is interacting with children.  For more information and specific details, please visit The Stuttering Foundation's website at http://www.stutteringhelp.org.  Just click on the link that I provided. 

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Improving Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary through Reading

One great way to improve your children's receptive and expressive vocabulary skills is to spend time reading with them each day.  I like to read with my children each day for at least thirty minutes, and I have been doing this with them since they were babies.  Some of our favorites are Corduroy, Green Wilma,  and Sam's Sandwich.  Reading with your children increases their receptive and expressive vocabulary, teaches them inflection, and teaches them about rhyming and other phonemic awareness skills.  Try books that have repetition, such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Eric Carle, and encourage them to read it with you.