I’m Sarah, and I am so glad you found my blog! This is my first ever blog post- I’m not going to lie, it’s a little scary! I’m hoping to share lots of great information with you about speech and language so I think you’ll want to follow along!
Since today is Valentine’s Day, I’ll be blogging about things I LOVE.
First, {just in case you haven’t checked out my website} I want to tell you a little about myself! I am the owner of Discover Speech Therapy and a pediatric speech-language pathologist (SLP). I have been an SLP since 2009 working in a variety of settings including schools, home health, private practice, and early intervention. I have worked in three states {Idaho, Iowa, and Tennessee} and I LOVE that my job has given me the opportunity to work with so many children, families, and professionals!
Now that you know a little about me professionally, I’d like to share a few of the things I LOVE in my life. First of all, I LOVE my family & friends. They mean the world to me and they keep me going. As far as things I LOVE to do during my free time, I enjoy hiking with my dogs, yoga, gardening, cooking, reading, and finding ways to be greener for my health and the environment!
Now what you were hoping for since this is a “speech and language” blog- my top 5 toys I LOVE for building speech and language skills in toddlers.
farm set
A farm set is a must! This toy works on so many things- vocabulary, play skills, following directions, imitating animal sounds and words, and so much more! Amazon Link
puzzles
I love puzzles- my favorites are the farm animals, zoo animals, and transportation from Melissa and Doug! The chunky ones from Melissa and Doug are great for younger children. As your child grows, you can try the ones with large knobs, and then smaller knobs to work on his or her fine motor skills as well. Puzzles are great for working on signing “more” or “please” to request a piece for those who are not using words yet, imitating animal sounds, or working on vocabulary {find the cow OR “what’s this?”}. Amazon Link
bubbles
I don’t go anywhere without my bubbles! They are perfect for requesting “bubbles please”, imitating play sounds such as “pow” as you punch the bubbles, or imitating words such as “pop” or “bubble.” I use the Fubbles brand you can get from Target or Amazon because they are no spill! Amazon Link
ball popper
This has been a favorite with the kids I have worked with {toddlers & school age}. It’s great for targeting “pop,” following simple directions {get the ball, give the ball to me, put it in the penguin’s mouth}, as well as working on social interaction as the child has to bring the ball back to the adult to continue the game. Any game where the child needs an adult’s help is GREAT for working on social interaction- a crucial part of communicating and the first thing I work on with toddlers! There are so many poppers available now and I often see them when I’m out shopping. Amazon is also a great place to find a variety of different characters/animals, etc. Amazon Link
stacking cups
These are great for requesting “cup please” or signing “more” or “please” to get another cup, building vocabulary, turn-taking, colors, numbers, following directions, and positional words such as {up, on, in, top}. I have included a link to Amazon below; however, Walmart has stacking cups that have animals on the bottom of each cup which is great for imitating animal sounds and working on vocabulary. Amazon Link
I hope that you got some good ideas today! Even if your children are older, I hope you’ll come back as I plan to share ideas from toddlers through school age children. Thanks again for joining me on this journey. I hope this day finds you spending time with the ones you love- Happy Valentine’s Day!
Be Inspired,
Sarah