January has been a month of listening activities in the speech room. In communication therapy students who are working to improve their articulation skills have been focusing on judging their speech production and self-monitoring. Children may rate their speech or listen for errors and correct their own mistakes. Some of the children have enjoyed listening to recordings of their voice to hear how they sound to other people. These activities help them to use clear speech and make corrections independently. Students are encouraged to rate their speech when completing speech homework.
Students with language goals have practiced listening to stories and retelling events. They have identified characters, setting, problems, and solutions in the narratives. Mrs. DeYoung may ask them questions to check comprehension and thinking skills. Students are beginning to develop their own stories with good story grammar. Other groups have worked on following oral directions and listening to descriptions. The groups have practiced listening to others and taking turns giving and receiving instructions. Children have been challenged to follow directions or answer questions without having the information repeated. Sometimes it is tricky to respond correctly on the first try!
