Nothing is impossible, the word itself says "I'm possible"!

~Audrey Hepburn

 

Welcome!!!

PARENTS: Please use the links to the left to find activities at home for your children. I will be adding other materials in the days to come. Together we will continue to help your children grow and succeed. 

I am the Speech-Language Pathologist (Speech Therapist) at Jefferson Upper Elementary School in the Itinerant Pre-K program. I also have a small caseload of students at Lee Jr. High.  I work with children ages 3-5 at home, in daycare and Primetime Head Start that have speech and/or language differences. I also evaluate and work with students who need intervention services. I provide support and strategies to my students in 7th and 8th grades to increase their success in the classroom. Teachers refer students that they find to have difficulties in the areas of articulation, language, fluency or voice.  I work with parents, caregivers, and teachers to improve the performance of certain struggling students and collaborate with all teachers in my assigned schools. Much of my time at school is spent in the classroom working on skills that will help my students, and those around them, succeed in all areas of their education.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.  My phone number is 410-1378 ext 4035. I know that we will have a wonderful year full of learning, growth, and new experiences.

 

Helpful Hints for Pre-K Speech and Language Skill Building:

A tip for parents of young children who communicate without words or very few words

 

Sing songs with your child and build in opportunities for him to take turns Sing simple songs with your child, especially ones with actions, like “Row Row Row your Boat”, and build in opportunities for him to participate. This is a fun way for him to learn to take his turn in an interaction, as well as to learn new words. Sing a new song the same way a few times so your child learns the song and its “high point”. High points are the most interesting parts of a song. In “Row, Row, Row your Boat”, the high points are the rocking back and forth while you and your child sit on the floor, holding outstretched hands, and saying the last word after a long pause – i.e., “dream”. Once your child is familiar with the song, pause before a high point and wait for him to respond. For example, when singing “Row Row Row your Boat”, sing the song through once or twice and then, still holding his hands, WAIT for him to ask you to sing it again (he will probably make a sound or rock back and forth to ask you to do it again). Or, you can start to sing the song while rocking back and forth, pausing mid-song so he can ask you to continue. Or, you can slow down and pause before the last word (“dream”), so he can make a sound - any sound - to end the song. To take his turn during songs, your child may wriggle, make a sound, look at you, point to something or perform an action. Accept anything as his turn and then continue immediately. The most important thing is that he takes a turn and has fun while doing it.