Totsy's Place

Talking Tots Communication Clinic - Our replies

Do you have a question about your child's communication?

 Would you like to know more about your child's communication? Do you ever wonder if your child's development is normal, or wish you knew how best to support your child's early language and communication skills?  Whatever your question, we're here to help. Tracey and Lisa (the founders of Talking Tots) are experienced paediatric speech and language therapists, and have many years of experience working with children with all kinds of communication problems. Whether you're just concerned your child is a bit shy, or you suspect a more serious speech and language problem, we'll provide you with practical advice and information.

 If you'd like to ask us a question, just leave a comment on this post (with your question), and we'll answer them  in our next children's communication clinic.

The nation's favourite bedtime story

This Autumn, The  BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine Show set out to find out the nation's favourite bedtime story. Today Jeremy announced that the winner of his Bedtime Stories vote was The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson. 

Last summer, Talking Tots asked 1,500 parents around the UK about their children's favourite bedtime stories and their number one choice was also The Gruffalo. So it seems it's still the nation's favourite!

The Gruffalo is a perfect bedtime book, with colourful illustrations and lots of humour. The right story can give early communication skills a real boost, and research shows that children who regularly read bedtime stories have better communication, emotional and social skills.

Julia Donaldson responded: "I am absolutely chuffed that The Gruffalo came out tops in the Talking Tots Bedtime Story survey. I loved reading bedtime stories with my children, particularly the Frog and the Toad stories by Arnold Lobel, which are ideal bedtime reading."

To help parents make the most of every bedtime, Talking Tots has put together a guide for parents with advice on choosing appropriate stories for toddlers, and using bedtime stories to help stimulate communication and language skills.

Enjoy!

  

Does the dummy suck?

 
New research led by Clarita Barbosa, from the University of Washington, suggests that children who use dummies after three are more likely to have speech & language problems. Read about the research here

As paediatric speech & language therapists, here are our thoughts on the use of dummies.

Most babies have a strong sucking reflex and a dummy can, in many cases, help to settle a baby in the early months. So if your baby needs to suck ... it's fine. 

However, try not to let a dummy become a habit.  Use it at specific times, such as when settling baby down to sleep or when upset. Then take the dummy away.

Wait until your child needs the dummy rather than automatically giving it to them. Most importantly try to wean your baby off the dummy as soon as you can, preferably by 12 months.

However using a dummy too much or as a plug can lead to the following problems: 

Mouth breathing - your child may tend to breathe through their mouth rather than their nose which can contribute to long-term dribbling.

Speech and language problems - your child may not use the full range of tongue movements that are necessary for making all the speech sounds. If a dummy is in a lot, your child has fewer opportunities to babble and  to communicate with you.

Teeth problems - incorrect positioning of teeth so that the  top teeth at the front don't meet properly with the bottom teeth. If a dummy is dipped into sweet things, tooth decay can set in.

Here are our top tips if you child uses a dummy:

• Flat orthodontic teats are better than traditional cherry teats, as they are less likely to affect the shape of the still soft upper jaw.
• ALWAYS remove the dummy when your child is trying to talk/make sounds.
• Try to get rid of the dummy around 12 months or sooner.
• Choose the right time to give up and once you have decided to give up the dummy,  don't be tempted to go back.

A Big Cheer for Play Based Learning!

We were really interested to read the reports in today's papers about the Cambridge Primary Review, which says that children should start more formal learning later than at present. It also says that children respond better to a 'play based' curriculum.

Here at Talking Tots, we understand that children learn best through play, so we’ve created a programme that combines games, songs, rhymes and fun activities to gently boost children’s communication and social skills.

We’ve used our experience as paediatric speech and language therapists to create a fun, rich programme that can benefit all children. Our classes are carefully designed and structured to build on each stage of your child’s natural language and communication development, providing just the right combination of fun, excitement and learning.

So, a big cheer from Talking Tots for play based learning!

Here at Talking Tots we LOVE nursery rhymes!

And that’s why we’re fighting to keep them alive and kicking, despite a report today that reveals many parents believe nursery rhymes are old fashioned and of no educational value.

 Nursery rhymes can:

• Build and expand vocabulary
• Develop good listening and attention skills
• Give children important one-to-one bonding time with parents/carers
• Introduce word play to develop language skills
• Encourage good memory skills though repetition
• Help children communicate through gesture as well as words
• Lay the foundation for future learning by building concentration levels
• Allow children to explore language in a fun and playful way
• Inspire imagination and creativity

 

A poll of 2,500 people for National Bookstart Day (Friday 9^th October) showed parents believed traditional rhymes such as ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’ and ‘Mary Mary Quite Contrary’ were old fashioned and of little educational value.

But nursery rhymes can play a hugely important role in a child’s development – and what’s more they’re lots of fun!

It’s sad that parents are choosing not to teach their little ones these rhymes. Taking time each day to say or sing nursery rhymes with actions can really benefit children.”  

However, it was not all bad news for nursery rhymes, with the poll showing that Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Incey Wincey Spider are still firm family favourites.

Here are some of our favourites at Talking Tots:

• Baa Baa Black Sheep
• Doctor Foster
• Little Miss Muffett
• Pat-a-cake pat-a-cake
• Ride a Cock Horse

If you want to enjoy lots of fun educational activities – including rhymes – then why not come along to Talking Tots!

Here Comes Halloween!

One of the first events that always makes us feel that winter is here is Halloween. The shops are full of all kinds of fabulous outfits and ghoulish treats.

Whilst trick or treating isn’t for us (well it’s far too cold!), we do love a good Halloween party.

Toddlers will love the dressing up aspect of Halloween and we’ve found loads of great reasonably priced outfits in lots of high street chain stores/supermarkets. However, if you’re on a tight budget, here are a few of our ideas to make your own costumes for your little ones:

Mummy
Wrap your child in white bandages. Use white face paint to finish off the scary look.  The stiff-legged walk helps to complete the effect.

Ghost: Use an old white sheet. Cut to length so that it’s short enough not to trip a little one up and cut eye holes.  Cutting armholes will help keep the sheet in place.

Skeleton
Use an old black tracksuit or black leggings & t-shirt. Cut out ‘bones’ from a white plastic bag and attach with craft glue. Use some face paints in black and white to complete the look.

So once your child looks the part ... it’s time to start some party games!

Lots of Halloween games can be adapted for preschoolers, they just need to be not too scary and age appropriate. We particularly love the following games as they encourage good listening & great co -operation.

Monster ‘Stop & Go’
 
Play Halloween music and have the children dance around like monsters & zombies.
When the music stops the children have to stop dancing and freeze.

With older preschoolers, the first child to move is out, and the game continues until only one child is left. With younger children – it’s almost impossible to have children who are ‘out’ – so just have lots of ‘winners’.

 

Pin The Face On The Pumpkin

Toddlers may not like to be blindfolded so try just putting your hands over their eyes.

Using a large piece of orange paper draw a big pumpkin. Draw triangle eyes and nose with a black marker, an X where the mouth should be and pin to the wall.

Cut separate pumpkin mouth/ teeth templates (one for each child) and get the children to decorate their pumpkin mouths. Put some blu tac on each child’s pumpkin mouth. Then, in turn, spin each child around, making sure that he/she is facing the pumpkin at the end. Cover their eyes and have them try to stick the mouth onto the pumpkin where they think it should be.
The child with the mouth closest to the X is the winner.

Wrap The Mummy

This one is a favourite Halloween game that’s easy to prepare. Ideally you need 2 teams and 2 grown ups. The object of the game is to see which team can wrap their grown up with toilet paper the fastest. At the end of the game, the grown up breaks out of the toilet paper making appropriate zombie noises etc…

We’d love to hear your suggestions of  more Halloween themed games for toddlers .

In a couple of weeks, lots of our little Talking Tots will be coming along to class in their finest Halloween costumes – why don’t you join us? Click here to find a class near you.

 

 

 

And the winner is......

A big congratulations to Sonya Brady of Birmingham who is the lucky winner of the Andrex® & Talking Tots fabulous prize of 2 nights for 2 adults and 2 Children at the 4* Best Western in Stoke-on-Trent and a 1 day family pass to Alton towers for a family of 4.

We have more exciting competitions coming soon. In the meantime, why not find out if there's a Talking Tots class near you!

 

Prize draw rules

1. No purchase necessary.
2. Entries must be received by 12pm on 30^th September 2009. The winner will be notified on or before 14th October 2009 by the email address they provide.
3. Entry is strictly limited to one entry per household. Entry to the Prize Draw can only  be made by completing the form online at http://www.talkingtots.info
4. Prize draw winner's name and general location will be published on the main Talking Tots website and blog site..
5. The prize will consist of 2 nights for 2 adults and 2 Children at the 4* Best Western in Stoke-on-Trent and a 1 day family pass to Alton towers for a family of 4. Total prize value £300.00.
6. There is no cash alternative to the stated prize. We reserve the right to offer a similar prize, or a prize of equal or greater value, if the stated prize is unavailable.
7. The promoter  of the Prize Draw is Talking Tots Ltd, 108 Warton Street, Lytham, FY8 5HA.

Autumn is now officially with us.

Here the skies are grey and the central heating is on. It's a great time to be at home spending time with your little one, playing, baking & painting but it's also lovely to get out and meet other Mums and children.

Activity classes are a fantastic opportunity to do this, where  children have fun, make new friends and boost their development but the crucial thing to remember is quality matters more than quantity. If your child is always haring off to one class or another, they will probably be too tired and demotivated to get the best out of any of those activities.  

Look for one or two activity classes per week, that fit in with your schedule and which offer a progressive programme. Young children love repetition, but a good activity class combines repetition with new and more challenging activities, to keep your child learning AND having fun. Look for activity classes that are grouped by age, and where your child will continually be challenged.

You should feel happy and confident that your activity class leader is able to deliver the class effectively, while bringing out the best in each child. A good leader knows how to nurture shy children while also capturing the attention of livelier toddlers! You should feel confident that these are people who will bring out the best in your child. With that in mind, Talking Tots spoke to the marvellous Sue Atkins, parenting coach and author of Raising Happy Children, to see what advice she has on choosing the right toddler activity class for your child.

She says: "Well run and well designed classes represent more than just an opportunity to entertain your kids for an hour! They can make a long-lasting and profound contribution to life long learning and help develop important social skills. As a teacher, I could always tell when children had been to a well-run toddler class. But don't think you have to spend a fortune - choose carefully and don't forget that you are your child's best teacher." 
Sue encourages parents to be really clear about what they want from an activity class and only choose those that feel right.

Questions she thinks you should ask before signing up for any class are: 
* What skills am I looking to develop or encourage in my child?   
* Are the people running the courses and classes professional?  
* Would you be happy to leave your children in the care of these people if you had to?  
* Do they have a progressive programme that builds up as your child develops and matures in skills?
* Are the classes too long, too short, badly organised?   
* Can you see the syllabus for the classes in advance?   
* Is the atmosphere full of playing, exploring and learning together in a fun and relaxed atmosphere?
* If you had to describe the people running the classes what would you say (as this helps you to clarify your intuition and gut feelings)   
* Would you feel happy recommending them to other parents?   
* Are your children enjoying the classes, what are they learning exactly and are they learning happily and easily?  

So why not come along and try a Talking Tots class? Talking Tots unique classes, which follow the developmental stages of language, are bursting with fun ideas and games! Watch your child’s language skills blossom, as they enjoy a variety of exciting and exclusive Talking Tots activities!

Sprites…boosting early chatter This class looks at fundamental skills such as social confidence, sharing & turn taking and listening & attention skills. There's lots of fun & action packed structured games, with exciting props, singing and rhymes. At Sprites, we focus on fun games and carefully-designed activities that encourage your little one’s natural desire to communicate, by building his vocabulary and helping him to understand and talk about the world around him.      

Sprinters… building confident communication At Sprinters, children take part in games and interactive activities that will build their social confidence and listening skills. Our exclusively-designed, vibrant pictures and props also help to develop your child’s narrative ability and build their vocabulary.  

Sparklers… paving the way for school In this pre-school year, children may enjoy playing with sounds, and will begin to join in with word games such as finding rhyming words and identifying the beginnings of common names and objects. Sparklers builds on this natural interest in words and sounds to boost a child’s pre-literacy skills and help prepare them for the classroom. At the same time, our friendly, supportive classes promote vital social skills such as listening, turn-taking and sharing.

Visit us here and see if there's a class near you!

You really do make the difference!

As a parent we play so many roles, usually juggling them all at once! But how can we get the balance right?

We are the Nurturer.

We want to make everything ok for our children, to make it easier and safer. It's hard to stop that natural instinct to 'do it' or 'fix it' for our children, but by doing this, we sometimes might deprive fabulously curious and inquisitive minds that are still so open. It's a tough call.

We are the Organiser.

We all know what's it's like. Whether it be through a high tech Joggler, Post It notes or a good old fashioned calendar ... we need to plan and schedule. Life is busy with day to day demands. The problem is that sometimes it's not easy to find time to spend 1:1 time with your little one.

We are the Teacher.

At Talking Tots we truly believe that you are your child's best teacher. We have much to share with our children and lots to tell them. It's so exciting... but it's also important to remember to give your child time to respond. The power of the pause - allow your child time to respond.

These are just a few of our roles (not mentioning cook, cleaner, nurse ... we could go on).

Our point here:

. where possible and practical, allow your child to sometimes take the initiative and follow their lead

. do give a 'voice over' for your child and comment throughout the day - but do allow time for a response  of any kind

. do reward any attempts at communication.

You really can make the difference.

September is nearly here - are you ready for big school?

Lots of children can't wait to start school, but even for the most confident of four year olds, it can be a bit daunting. Here are some of our ideas to help your child through the first day.

•   Be positive. Your approach to your child's first day will guide their feelings.

• Hopefully you’ll have visited the school before your child's first day. Talk about their new classroom, their teacher and things like where they leave their coat and lunchbox etc.

• Talk about the routine of the day... you could even draw a visual timetable together (pictures of the sequence of things that will happen in the day). This helps your child make sense of their day.

• At home, point out the structure and routines in a day - "Let’s have our lunch now, this is the time you’d be having your lunch as school too.”

• Practise dressing and fastening shoes (go for velcro shoes, if possible), but don't worry if this proves too difficult, reception class teachers are used to helping.

• Help independence by practising social skills, such as taking turns, making choices and following directions.

• Help your child to recognise his name - they may be able to recognise the first letter  or even the whole word.

• Get uniform ready and laid out ready for the morning and make sure all school bags are ready.

•  About a week before the first day, start getting into the routine of getting up early, getting dressed & having breakfast. It’s very unsettling for children if they are woken at the last minute and deposited at school, with breakfast on the go.

• Teachers are very familiar with children who are worried in their first few weeks of 'big' school and are well equipped to deal with fears and tears.

• If you’ve got any concerns, don’t be afraid to go in to school – you’re not a paranoid parent!

• Finally … don’t forget to get the camera charged and ready to record the big day.

 

These are some of our ideas. We’d love to hear more from you!

 

12 Top Tips For Bedtime Stories

Reading bedtime stories with your children is a great way to bond, but did you know it's also one of the best ways of boosting your little one's communication skills?

 

Research shows that children who regularly read bedtime stories tend to perform better at school, have wider vocabularies and better imaginations. Yet almost a quarter of parents admit they struggle with the bedtime story routine.

 

Sadly, we can't offer any magic way to get your children to agree to go to bed quietly, but here are some tips on how to make the most of bedtime stories with your little ones:

 

   1. Reading is a journey of exploration for babies. Curved corners are ideal for nibbling, while flaps and textures are irresistible to little fingers.

   2. Animal stories are perfect for encouraging children to communicate before they can form words - encourage your baby to join in with animal sounds as you read the story.

   3. At this age, reading is a visual experience, so look for books with bright, simple illustrations. Place your baby’s hands on objects as you read the words – this helps him to associate the object he sees with the spoken word.

   4. Bedtime stories are a great way to teach children that words and language are fun! Lose your inhibitions and join in with silly voices, sound effects and funny faces.

   5. As your baby gets older, he will love “naming” objects and pointing to pictures when prompted. 

   6. Toddlers are independent, so be sure to let them choose the story and take charge of turning pages.

   7. When you’re reading, pause every so often to let your child guess the next word or line. This will be easier if the book has simple language with lots of rhyme and repetition. With a little practice, your child may even learn a favourite story by heart.

   8. Look for books with rhymes. Learning about rhyming sounds is an important building block of literacy, and it helps children to guess what's coming next. As she gets older, your toddler will love catching you out when you get the words wrong. This game helps to develop memory and attention skills, as well as boosting self-esteem.

   9. At some point, you'll probably find yourself reading the same book every night for a month. Don't worry - repetition is a great memory-building tool, and a familiar book can be a great comfort to a tired toddler.

  10. Younger toddlers tend to enjoy stories about everyday experiences they can relate to, but from the age of three, children begin to realise that things aren't always what they seem. This makes it the perfect time to introduce stories with jokes and tricks - the sillier the better!

  11. Always discuss stories with your children. In the early days, this might mean asking them to point to objects on the pages. As they get older, talk about what might happen next, or whether the characters in the story were happy or brave.

  12. As your child nears school age, begin tracing words with your finger as you read. Ask your child to identify the sound that words start with, or words on the page that rhyme. These activities help develop pre-literacy skills, which are vital in helping children learn to read and write.