Mixed Up Words for Syntax and Semantics

Syntax and semantics are two very important aspects of language. Syntax refers to the order and arrangement of words in sentences. Semantics is the meaning of words and overall message conveyed. Many students with language difficulties struggle with these two aspects of language.

A good practice activity for syntax is mixing up words and having students put them in order. The new sentence should be grammatically correct. The semantics part comes into play when the student has to also make sure the sentence they've created makes logical sense. 

An example is the following out of order sentence: Katie fast runs.
With support, the student should be able to put this sentence in order. Many students can do this when read the information aloud. For others, this task may be more difficult. As the student advances, more words can be added to make the word organization more challenging. Consider the following sentence: played games brother his with Jeremy. This sentence is more advanced and should be changed to "Jeremy played games with his brother." 

 I have created a worksheet packet to practice these skills, which can be found at my Teachers Pay Teachers store: SpeechWise or you can create your own using the sample I have shown. Enjoy and Happy Teaching!

Superhero Open Ended Game Boards

Open ended activities are great for speech therapists and teachers who have a variety of goals they want to practice. I particularly enjoy open ended game boards because they keep my students engaged with rolling the dice and trying to win the game while working on speech and language. 

One of my students recently requested a Batman game, so I created a Batman board game just for him. He loved the game and we had fun while working on the /v/ sound, so I decided to add to my repertoire of Superhero themed board games. 

You can make your own or check out my Superhero Board Games which are available here at my TpT Store, SpeechWise. I hope your students and clients enjoy these as much as I have making them! Enjoy and Happy Teaching!

Fun Cookie Categories for Teaching Core Vocabulary and Categorization Skills

Categorization is one of the key skills speech-language pathologists work on with language impaired students. Being able to recognize that animals belong together and that clothes are different is a crucial building block for language development. Some of the first learned categories for children are animals, food, clothes, and vehicles/transportation. 

Once children learn basic categories, they can be further divided into categories such as farm animals, ocean animals, forest animals, for example; Food items can be further divided into fruit, vegetables, and drinks or breakfast, lunch, and dinner food. There are so many ways to categorize, and the more a child knows, the better they are able to compare, contrast, and describe core vocabulary as they get older and their language skills advance. 

As a child's categorization skills advance, vocabulary can be categorized by function or feature. A function is what the item does. For example, a vaccuum cleaner, a broom, and a mop are all items that we use to clean. A feature of a banana is that it is yellow. In this case, the sun, a banana, and a lemon could all be categorized together as things that are yellow. 

When working on categories with children, making activities fun goes a long way! Instead of going through basic flashcards or using worksheets, I have my students put same category items shaped as cookies in labeled cookie jars. Using cookie cut outs keeps my students more stimulated and they enjoy trying to fill up their jars. Check out this activity here: Basic Cookie Categories: Teaching Core Vocabulary and Categorization

#speechtherapy #slp #categories

6 Amazing Facts You Probably Didn't Know about Language

The way people communicate is an amazing thing. While animals often show verbal and non-verbal abilities to communicate with one another, many linguists believe that human language is very different, and much more complex. Here are some interesting facts you probably didn't know about language.

1. Infants can hear sounds in other languages that older babies and adults cannot. Have you ever wondered why speakers of other languages seem unable to say certain sounds in English? For example, speakers of Japanese often mix up the "r" and "l." This is because these sounds are produced in a similar place and in a similar way in the mouth that makes the untrained ear less able to discriminate between the two. Simply put, Japanese speakers don't have to use "l' and "r' in their language, thus they have not been trained to hear and discriminate between these two sounds. Instead, the Japanese use a single sound, that is produced in between where the English "l" and "r" would be produced in the mouth.

However, researchers found that, unlike adults, infants can hear sounds in other languages, even if they are not regularly exposed to them. For example, babies that are exposed to English only will still be able to hear sounds that are unfamiliar up to roughly 10 months of age. Babies who are 10 to 12 months of age will begin to ignore sounds that are not heard in their own language.

2. Babies are able to remember songs and words they were exposed to while still in the womb. Researchers have found that these memories last until around four months after birth. It should come as no surprise then, that newborns are able to recognize the voice of their mother and distinguish it from other female voices.

3. Some linguists believe that language is innate in humans, that is, we naturally develop it with or without exposure. This is where it becomes even more interesting. Thousands of years ago, languages across the world shared similar structures and features even though the different peoples had not yet crossed continents or had the opportunity to converse with one another.

4. Over 900 of the world's languages are dying. When children are no longer taught a language, it is doomed to die with the last of its older speakers. When a language dies, the world loses the unique knowledge it contained, such as the specific names for plant varieties that could be used for medicinal purposes. 

5. The critical age for learning language ends around age 12. This means that children under age 12 learn language more easily and thoroughly. Because of this, children learning a new language who are under age 12 will generally not have an accent when they speak the new language, whereas children over age 12 are more likely to have an accent when they speak.

6. The flexibility of the English language allows for speakers to create grammatically correct, neverending sentences, though most English teachers would likely discourage such a run-on sentence. Consider the following example:

I went to the store yesterday morning in my new car with my mother and my brother, who had recently come into town after graduating from college in New Hampshire, where my older sister had also gone to school and had come to visit before last Thanksgiving, when my Uncle Tom, who lives in New Jersey, had burnt the turkey that my mother had purchased from the grocery store in town that is next to the bank and.....etc.

Humans are also thought to be the only species that uses language to express abstract thoughts and ideas that don't appear to serve any immediate purpose. Humans use language to talk about things that they cannot see or things that are not in their immediate surroundings. We use language creatively and often with the sole purpose of simply expressing ourselves poetically, bluntly, excitedly, or in whichever way we choose, making it evident that human language really is quite amazing.

Remember: The things we say are #SpeechWorthy.

To learn more about amazing language, check out these posts!

• 3 Great Ways to Help Your Child Break Down Language Barriers
• 8 Critical Mistakes to Avoid When Learning a New Language
• Language Myths

#SLP #language #SLPeeps #linguistics

3 Great Ways to Help Your Child Break Down Language Barriers

An important part of speech-language therapy is working at the child's current level and gradually increasing the difficulty of the task. For example, a child cannot be expected to explain what happened in a story if he or she is unable to explain what happened in a single paragraph. Working at your child's level is important and will be discussed using the following three strategies.

1. Use "Wh" Questions to Practice Comprehension

Asking the "wh" questions, who, what, when, where, why, and how, are an effective means to practice comprehension exercises. These exercises can also be incorporated into daily activities, which makes them even more functional.

8 Critical Mistakes to Avoid When Learning a New Language

Learning a new language can be good for many reasons. Whether you are studying French, Spanish, or Chinese, learning a new language can be difficult. Here are some methods that worked for me, which I hope you will find useful. Before you know it, you'll be dreaming in your new language! 

What We Lose When Languages Die

There are roughly 2,000 languages spoken in Africa’s fifty-four countries.   About 40% of these are spoken by communities of less than 5,000 people, and about 70% of these are spoken by less than 100,000 people. It is important to note that just because a language has a small number of speakers does not mean it is endangered, but often this may be the case in Africa.  Language death is inevitable for many of these African languages.  The question is will they become extinct in a hundred years, or thirty?

Treasure Hunt Activity for Speech-Language Therapy

A great activity that I have been doing recently with my elementary school students is a holiday treasure hunt. It can be done at any time of course, but I have found that my students enjoy the Halloween and winter holiday themes.

How to play:

A certain number of clues are hidden around the speech room. I usually make between 10 and 15 clues, depending on the level of difficulty and age of the group. I give the students the very first clue, which will lead them to the next clue. Each clue is numbered and they must be found in order.

Every SLP Grad Should Know The Truth Behind These Speech Myths

Children learn new language every day at incredible rates that make us adults feel really old. Think of all the potential new language that is delayed or lost if a child is inhibited from learning it for some reason. This is why early intervention is so important. Below is an article link that should remind all current and future SLPs that we need to educate the world about what language disorders really are and that speech and language therapy does work to help every child achieve new language.

Read the article below:
4 Myths About Speech Problems in Children

How Do I Become a Speech-Language Pathologist? 6 Major Steps to Becoming a SLP.

Becoming a certified speech-language pathologist involves a few more steps than many other careers. In order to provide some clarity, I'm going to break down some of the major steps to becoming a speech-language pathologist.