Speech Screenings

Welcome Back!

Mrs. DeYoung will be screening new students to the district at Prairieview and Lakeview as well as students referred for speech screening by parents or teachers .  Please contact to request speech screening.

Social Communication

Mrs. DeYoung and the social workers at Prairieview and Lakeview (Mrs. Amedeo and Mrs. Horeni) co- facilitate some social communication groups each week.  Students in the groups have IEP's for social work and speech therapy services.  The purpose of the groups is to improve conversation skills and cooperation with others. Lessons focus on establishing eye contact, observing nonverbal cues, initiating and maintaining conversation, staying on topic, and identifying other people's feelings.  These skills help students to develop an awareness of others and how to interact appropriately.  Students also practice problem-solving skills that will help them with day-to-day conflict situations.    

Speech Therapy

Mrs. DeYoung has completed speech screenings and has begun meeting with students for speech therapy .  Starting next week, some of her students will be assigned homework to practice articulation each week. If your child is working to improve specific speech sounds they will be given a speech pocket for their binder and a sticker chart to reinforce doing the homework.  The practice assignments need to be completed and signed by a parent in order for the child to earn their stickers.  Students will be able to pick prizes when they have acquired five stickers.  Please contact Mrs. DeYoung if you have questions about speech therapy services. Thank you for helping your children to improve their speech skills and for supporting the speech/language program!  

Have a Fun Break!

Self-Monitoring Speech

As we approach the end of the school year, many speech students are focusing on carryover skills. They are practicing using their clear speech in non-therapy situations. When speaking outside of speech class, they are encouraged to keep these ideas in mind to improve their speech:

I can think about:



Which words have my sound?



Which words were difficult to say?




How can I improve my speech?

ISAT Week March 5-9

Students will not be pulled for speech/language therapy during their ISAT testing periods.

Due to the ISATs, many teachers assign less homework this week than usual. It is a great time for students to review speech and language skills or visit some of the speech websites on Mrs. DeYoung's web page. Children who do not have therapy this week are especially encouraged to practice their skills at home!


Reminder: Parents may still sign up for conferences with Mrs. DeYoung: online http://www.SignUpGenius.com/go/20F044DA5A723A64-spring, email mdeyoung@ccsd66.org, or call (630) 783-5157.


Have a great week!

Conference Sign-Up

Dear Parents,

I will be happy to speak with you during spring conferences to discuss your child’s progress in Speech therapy or RTI Vocabulary group. My conference times are on Wednesday March 7th, or Thursday March 8th between 3:00-6:00pm. To sign up for a conference go online to
http://www.SignUpGenius.com/go/20F044DA5A723A64-spring
You will need to click “sign up” on the desired time slot, enter your information, and enter your child’s name in the Comments box.

You may contact me by phone (630) 783-5157 or email mdeyoung@ccsd66.org if you need to schedule a different day or prefer to talk over the telephone.

Sincerely,
Mrs. DeYoung

Spotlight on Storytelling

This week students in some of Mrs. DeYoung's language groups have practiced storytelling skills to describe personal experiences and develop narratives. Students have used the "5 W's," graphic organizers, and the internet to organize a story. Other children have identified words that can substitute for proper nouns and discovered how use of "vague" terms like "thing," "stuff," or even overusing common pronouns (he, her, it, etc.) can confuse the reader or listener. Groups are encouraged to use precise language and to sequence events in cause-effect order. These skills will help students to be better understood when speaking or writing.

The 5 "W's"

This week some of Mrs. DeYoung's students with language goals used the "Who, What, When, Where, and Why?" strategy to remember details from stories. They recalled information by asking themselves: Who are the characters? Where does the story take place? When does it occur? What happened? and Why? Mrs. DeYoung would hold up five fingers as a cue for the " Five W's."

This is also a great method for following directions and formulating sentences or narratives. Students can check their own stories to see if they have explained who, what happened, where, when, and why. The strategy works well for relating personal events or writing narratives. Students expand their oral and written expression by including details about the chracters, setting, and reasons for events. Children can also remember instructions by thinking Who is the direction for? What should they do? Where and when should they do it? Parents can utilize this questioning technique to help their children describe activities or to remember what they've been told.

January Update

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!

Asperger Syndrome

Asperger's syndrome, a form of high functioning autism, is an increasingly common disorder seen in school-age students. There is some dispute among experts as to whether Asperger's syndrome and high functioning autism are the same thing, Tony Attwood - an authority in this area - believes that the terms are equivalent in clinical practice. (Attwood, 2007) Children with Asperger's syndrome have typically developing intellectual and language skills, but often have great difficulty with social language. On the face of it, the most recognizable problem these children display is an absence of empathy for the person they are talking with. Other prominent features of the syndrome are a fixation or obsession for one particular topic and flat, monotone voice prosody. For more information, see www.speechlanguage-resources.com

Attributes of a Critical Thinker

• asks pertinent questions


• assesses statements and arguments


• is able to admit a lack of understanding or information


• has a sense of curiosity


• is interested in finding new solutions


• is able to clearly define a set of criteria for analyzing ideas


• is willing to examine beliefs, assumptions, and opinions and weigh them against facts


• listens carefully to others and is able to give feedback


• sees that critical thinking is a lifelong process of self-assessment


• suspends judgment until all facts have been gathered and considered


• looks for evidence to support assumption and beliefs


• is able to adjust opinions when new facts are found


• looks for proof


• examines problems closely


• is able to reject information that is incorrect or irrelevant
  

Ferett, S. Peak Performance (1997)

Seasons Greetings

Wishing everyone a happy holiday season

and best wishes for 2012

Mrs. Marilyn DeYoung

Speech-language Pathologist

Center Cass District 66

When Children Stutter (8 tips for teachers)

More tips from the Stuttering Foundation www.stutteringhelp.org
to help children who stutter or stuggle talking.

1. Don’t tell the child “slow down” or “ just relax.”

2. Don’t complete words for the child or talk for him or her.

3. Help all members of the class learn to take turns talking and listening. All children — and especially those who stutter — find it much easier to talk when there are few interruptions and they have the listener’s attention.

4. Expect the same quality and quantity of work from the student who stutters as the one who doesn’t.

5. Speak with the student in an unhurried way, pausing frequently.

6. Convey that you are listening to the content of the message, not how it is said.

7. Have a one-on-one conversation with the student who stutters about needed accommodations in the classroom. Respect the student’s needs, but do not be enabling.

8. Don’t make stuttering something to be ashamed of. Talk about stuttering just like any other matter.

Compiled by Lisa Scott, Ph.D., The Florida State University

7 Tips for Talking With Your Child

These suggestions are provided by the Stuttering Foundation www.stutteringhelp.org for parents of children who stutter, but the ideas apply for any children who are having difficulty communicating.

1. Speak with your child in an unhurried way, pausing frequently. Wait a few seconds after your child finishes speaking before you begin to speak. Your own slow, relaxed speech will be far more effective than any criticism or advice such as “slow down” or “try it again slowly.”

2. Reduce the number of questions you ask your child. Instead of asking questions, simply comment on what your child has said.

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. This quiet, calm time can be a confidence-builder for younger children.

5. Help all members of the family learn to take turns talking and listening. Children, especially those who stutter, find it much easier to talk when there are few interruptions.

6. Observe the way you interact with your child. Try to increase those times that give your child the message that you are listening to her and she has plenty of time to talk.

7. Above all, convey that you accept your child as he is. The most powerful force will be your support of him, whether he stutters or not.

Compiled by Barry Guitar, Ph.D., University of Vermont, and Edward G. Conture, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University

Parent Teacher Conferences

Mrs. DeYoung will be meeting with parents during the week of November 28-December 3. To request a conference, please contact her by email mdeyoung@ccsd66.org or telephone: (630)783-5157 by November 28th.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

English Language Learners (ELLs)

ELLs are the fastest growing segment of the student population. The highest growth occurs in grades 7–12, where ELLs increased by approximately 70 percent between 1992 and 2002. ELLs now comprise 10.5 percent of the nation’s K–12 enrollment, up from 5 percent in 1990.

ELLs do not fit easily into simple categories; they comprise a very diverse group. Recent research shows that 57 percent of adolescent ELLs were born in the U.S., while 43
percent were born elsewhere.

ELLs have varied levels of language proficiency, socio-economic standing, expectations
of schooling, content knowledge, and immigration status.

ELL students are increasingly present in all U.S. states. Formerly, large ELL populations were concentrated in a few states, but today almost all states have populations of ELLs. States in the Midwest and Intermountain West have seen increases in the number of ELL students; in Illinois, for example, enrollments of Hispanic undergraduates grew by 80 percent in the last decade. Nationwide, approximately 43 percent of secondary educators teach ELLs.

ELLs sometimes struggle academically. In 2005, 4 percent of ELL eighth graders achieved proficiency on the reading portion of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) versus 31 percent of all eighth graders who were found to be proficient. Non-native English
speakers 14–18 years old were 21 percent less likely to have completed high school than native English speakers.

For more information see the National Council of Teachers of English www.ncte.org

Increasing Your Child's Vocabulary

Helping your child increase his or vocabulary is often the first step that helps your child become comfortable with using words.

1. Ask 'Do you know what this means' when your child reads an unfamiliar word. This is critical to helping your child improve his or her reading comprehension. Too often kids are more concerned with properly pronouncing words instead of understanding word meaning.

2. Talk to your child about a variety of things using new words. Be sure to push your child by using higher level words. Try to use words in a context that will enable them to deduce the meaning of the word. Then ask them to define the word.

3. Take your child to places and talk about what you see. If you go on a tour at a museum or zoo, be sure to ask your child what they learned. This will help them to get in the habit of listening in preparation for retelling what they learned

4. Explain everyday activities using vocabulary specifically associated with those activities.

5. Play games that involve vocabulary, such as Scrabble, Boggle, Charades, and Crosswords. This investment will pay off large as your child develops their vocabulary and excels in school. Plus it's fun and the whole family can benefit.

http://vocabulary-vocabulary.com/Tips-for-Improving-Your-Childs-Vocabulary-and-reading-comprehension-skills.php

Happy Halloween

Enjoy these Halloween Speech Games and Activities!

www.speechtherapygames.com/FREEBIE.htm

www.speakingofspeech.com/Thematic_Materials.html#Halloween

Daily Speech Activities

Speech therapy is most successful when parents become involved and reinforce target speech skills at home. It may be helpful for parents to pick daily routines as a good time to have their children practice using their "new" speech. Meals and bedtime occur regularly and can provide great learning moments. Associating speech with familiar routines helps children to generalize developing articulation and fluency skills. Other possible activities could include cooking, riding in the car, doing chores, and playtime.

Remind children that they will be focusing on using clear speech during the activity. Have them think of words or phrases related to the activity that they can concentrate on pronouncing. Listen carefully and praise their efforts and success. ("That was a great 's' in 'spaghetti'!") Give a gentle reminder if you hear an error and ask them to repeat the word. (" I heard 'paghetti.' Can you say it again?") Have them repeat it only once even if they still pronounce it incorrectly. Try to praise more often than you correct. The goal is to have them become aware of their speech production and reinforce the target speech pattern so it will increase. Most importantly; Have Fun!