You need:
- Books that are at the just right level for beginning talkers
- More structured lessons for students who are not developing language skills on time
Every child deserves to have the instruction they need to develop to their fullest potential and every teacher deserves to have the satisfaction that they did everything they could to ensure student success.
The Challenge
Are you painfully aware that some students in your class lack basic language skills but you have no way to address their needs?
Your SLP can't get to all of the students who need help. And your caring classroom assistant can help students in many areas, but doesn't have the skills to help a child develop the critical language skills that will support later literacy.
Traditional curriculum focuses on either play or structured rote academic skills.
Children with language difficulties are unable to take advantage of play as:
- they lack the ability to represent play in words
- the play itself lacks repetition and structure needed for language development
- children with poor language skills often have poor play skills
- the language of play is often too far above the child's language level
Children in a program that offers rote academic skills will not learn language because:
- the alphabet is not language and will be nonsensical to a child with poor language
- numbers are not useable language and will be nonsensical to children with poor language skills
- shapes and colors are not critical language skills and will not make sense to children with poor language skills
Structured, Language-Rich Early Years Programs are few and far between these days leaving teachers to "make it up as they go along". Knowing that the early years are critical for language development and knowing that a solid foundation of language is critical for literacy you might think that a structured, language-rich Pre-K or K program would be standard curriculum in all schools. Unfortunately, this is not the case. But it doesn't have to be this way. We can have that "just-right" language level for every student.
Imagine.....
Picture your classroom where even the child who does not say words yet has access to language stimulation that will help them develop the critical skills they will need for later literacy.
- having books that allow even the non-verbal children to participate successfully
- having materials that you and your assistant can pick up and use to work with children who struggle with language
- being able to track student progress daily
- the feeling of success for you and your students
A few simple tools can make all the difference!
Books that start at the beginning targeting:
- comprehension
- following directions
- basic vocabulary
- listening to and imitating sounds
- beginning words (easiest to pronounce)
- beginning grammar (2-word phrases)
A comprehensive, structured program
A comprehensive, structured program that takes children through five major language competencies; following directions, categories, concepts, grammar, and story retell using simple, scripted lessons. These lessons are:
- easy to learn
- supported by video examples
- structured
- documented
- supported with all materials
- at levels where almost all children can find success
Why This Program Was Created
Born from getting too many referrals for students in third and fourth grade who are not reading with comprehension because they lack the language skills needed to support literacy. Knowing the window for development of language skills is sadly, all but closed.
After more than fourty years as a speech-language pathologist I grew frustrated with the lack of time afforded to provide intervention to children who have language needs in the early years. I wanted materials that could be easily used by teachers and paraprofessionals to improve language skills in the youngest children. Never having the time to develop such materials when I was working, I have dedicated my retirement to making materials that will be easy to use and make a real difference for students.
Don't Let Another Child Miss the Language Development Window!
Implement programming that works!