Sandbox Speech Therapy

Our littles aren’t quiet beings, nor should they be while they’re playing. Unless you need a little bit of quiet time to yourself . Think sound effects, narrative, and imagination! A child’s play skills mimic his/her overall language abilities. So, how can you improve these skills? Model, model, model! Children learn best through play. For example, while playing with the farm, make all the noises the animals make. While playing with the dollhouse, create a narrative between ...the different dolls and narrate their actions. Follow your child’s lead and play at their level. Get messy and play with the play-doh, our littles love to see us playing too! Expand their language. If they grab the ball and say ball, expand this by saying roll the ball or big round ball.

According to a 2019 study by Garmann, Hansen, Simonsen, & Kristoffersen, the list above contains the most common first words for English speaking children. These words rank the highest as they have to do with babies and their immediate surroundings meaning and are words babies hear the most often. Another reason why these are the most common first words is because babies tend to learn words that will help them interact with their parents and caregivers. So, we’re wondering, what was your child’s first word?

Interactive books are great for capturing children’s interest in both books and reading. An interactive book may be one with pull tabs, moving parts, textures, flaps, OR, they may already be a part of the story where children are motivated to point, tap, or shake! Interactive books are great for numerous reasons but here are some reasons why we love reading them with our little ones! They keep the child’s attention... They work on fine motor development Encourage the child to follow directions Helps work on those pesky verbs such as pointing, shaking, tapping, pressing, turning, or touching. They engage the child to be a part of the story which fosters a love of reading! See more

Truthfully, we don’t always know why your child’s language is delayed or why they pronounce speech sounds differently. There are many potential causes to a child’s speech and language needs. What we do know is that the earlier your child receives the support, the better their outcomes will be. Wondering if you should wait and see? Connect with us and do a free consultation! There’s zero obligation to get our professional recommendation.

As parents, we hear that reading to our child every day is so incredibly important for different areas of their development, including their speech and language development. What happens though if our child doesn’t want to read or won’t sit still on our lap? Well, we have some answers for you! We are so honoured to have Sami, a reading specialist from @sunnyseedco, here on our stories today to share why reading is so important from a young age. She’s also sharing so many prac...tical tips to help your child develop a positive relationship with reading. Make sure you check out our stories! If you find that reading books is a total struggle with your child, here are some of our tips to try: Try putting together a simple experience book. What the heck is that, right? Print some pictures of an experience that your child took part in (a birthday party, the pumpkin patch, or raking leaves) and put them in an album from the dollar store. Children typically love reliving and talking about an exciting time! Let your child move! Babies and toddlers need to move. Know that even if your child doesn’t sit still on your lap, reading is still SO beneficial! Let your child colour, give them a snack, or let them play with a quiet toy. Your child will still overhear all of the valuable language that you’re reading. Use books with different textures or flaps to keep busy hands occupied. Try finding books of your child’s favourite nursery rhymes or songs. Use books that have sound words, like animal and vehicle sounds. Be animated when you read them! Sound words are fun for little ones to listen to and are simpler to copy. What are your child’s favourite books right now?