FAQs

 

Speech and Language

 

When is a child’s speech normal and when should it be checked?

Speech development often refers to articulation, or the ability to produce sounds that are understood by others. As children develop they become better able to produce sounds more accurately. A speech-language pathologist can help parents identify which sounds should be produced at certain ages. By the age of 8 all speech sounds should be developed and should be produced accurately. During the preschool years there is a lot of variability from child to child, but if there are concerns, the child should be screened by a speech-language pathologist.

For further information go to www.asha.org or contact Dynamic Learning Solutions.

 

How can I help my child with homework?

Homework can be one of the most stressful parent-child interactions when a child is unable to complete the work independently or easily. The concept of homework was to provide a child with additional practice of skills that were learned in school. However, many children do not actually learn the concept to a level of adequate comprehension in school, so when they come home, they are unsure of what is expected and ill-prepared to complete the assignment. Some tips to keep in mind include:

  1. Have a method of communicating with the teacher
  2. Identify another peer for your child to contact with clarifying questions about the assignment
  3. Make a plan of the assignments for the evening
  4. Work for chunks of 15-20 minutes without interruption, followed by a 3-5 minute break


Rule of thumb for homework is 10 minutes/grade level (i.e. a 4th grader should work for 40 minutes). Since not all children work at the same rate I extend the upper limit to 15 minutes/grade (i.e., a 4th grader would work for 40-60 minutes/night).

 

My child can read the material easily, but he doesn’t remember what he reads. Why?

Reading comprehension is dependent upon adequately and efficiently decoding the text, and making connections during reading. Many people generate visual images of the words they are reading, and this supports the ability to store and recall information. Some people ask themselves questions and make predictions about the content, which also engages more thinking during the reading process. Some people invest themselves emotionally in the content, which also engages the amygdala, a structure in the brain that is vital for making emotional connections. Emotional connections also strengthen memories. Comprehension relies on understanding information, storing the information, and recalling the information.

As you can see, reading is much more than just saying the words accurately.