Do you remember doing pattern worksheets in elementary school? I loved staring at the symbols or the colors until I could see the pattern emerge. It was like being a detective! In a similar way, after working with children and…
Talk
Three Do’s and Don’ts to Boost Your Child’s Language
YOU are Your Child’s BEST Resource for Learning
A few years back, I was working with a family to provide speech therapy for their toddler-aged child. This family is a great family! They want all the best things for their child. When I went to their home for…
Use Fun Words and Exciting Sounds
How to Help Your Child Start Talking So, you want your baby or toddler to start using words. You are already talking to your child all the time. What else can you do? Model FUN WORDS or words that have…
Play
How to Find Great Toys in Unlikely Places
I recently spent the afternoon with two of my siblings and their kids at a local park. It was the kind of park that has a splash pad, a jungle gym, and a big open grassy field. The kids had…
The Best Toys for Your Child are NOT Toys
Each summer all my siblings and their families gather at my parents’ home for a week in the summer. There are a lot of people in one place, so it is loud, chaotic, and lots of fun! Because my parents…
Toys from Nature
This weekend, I did something that I don’t usually do. I sat. Outside. For a long time. Not. Doing. Anything. I listened to the wind. I watch the trees. I looked at the sky. It was glorious! There is something…
Read
Don’t Just Read! Upgrade Tonight’s Reading Time with Conversational Reading
In my home growing up, books were a foundational part of our bedtime routine. My parents kept three large bookshelves in the upstairs bedroom, all dedicated to children’s books. Every night, we were each allowed to choose two books to…
How to Read to an Unwilling Toddler
The other day I saw a comment on social media from a mother about her toddler. She said that every time she tries to read a book to him, she is able to say about three words before he shuts…
6 Surprising Lessons Learned in Growing My Board Book Collection
I have worked with toddlers for decades. But I recently realized that my personal board book library was woefully insufficient and a little sad. So, I set out on a mission to grow my board book library and…
Sing
Five Songs to Build into Your Child’s Routine
I grew up in a family of 6 children. We were more of a late-night family than an early morning family. So, when those early mornings needed to happen (you know – school, Saturday games, team competitions), my parents turned…
The Magic of Music to Transform Transitions
Here is a common scenario that plays out in homes everywhere – maybe even in your home! It’s the end of the day and your child is happily playing with her toys on the floor of the family room. You…
