EARLY CHILDHOOD
(In this section: Articles Worth Reading, Importance of Play, My TinyTaps for Littles, Nursery Rhymes & Fairy Tales, Parent Resources, Teletherapy with Preschoolers, Therapy Tips & Resources, TinyTap's PreK Curriculum, Websites/Blogs/Social Media Groups)
(See also the Language/Literacy page and the Story Theme Units page.)
This side-by-side video available on Facebook shows the difference in interactions with and without a cell phone in your hand. A must-see for every parent.
ARTICLES WORTH READING
In-depth guide on how to get started with Loose Parts play. Interesting new trend in early education that has tremendous possibilities for speech therapy.
Helpful article from Wunderled. Don't wait until they verbalize their concerns! Many parents just find a new therapist and never explain why.
Recent study with wider cultural variety of subjects show little to no difference in learning language due to socio-economic factors or multilingualism.
Useful info about teaching basic concepts, with resources. From Allison Fors, SLP.
How silly made-up songs shape baby's social and language skills. From abc.net.au, Aug 2023.
Recent research reported in Developmental Psychology, Oct. 2024.
IMPORTANCE OF PLAY
The frontal lobes develop through play, necessary for learning at school. From NPR ED.
From NCHS, a family support organization, this shows the importance of this stage of play that is often overlooked. May, 2023.
Leading child specialists weigh in on the importance of improving the amount and quality of play by limiting the number of toys. (Aug. 2023)
Article from Edutopia, Aug 2022 about the effectiveness of using Guided Play.
Have parents who insist on drilling flashcards with their kids? This response was constructed by ChatGPT, including references. Feel free to copy/paste into your handouts.
An interesting summary of the work of Jaak Panksepp, a pioneer in affective neuroscience.
MY TINYTAPS FOR LITTLES
NURSERY RHYMES & FAIRY TALES
Yes, according to reputable sources, Einstein actually did say this. It's not just a meme!
Award-winning iOS app, puts child into story. Some stories free, some not.
From early child development expert Catherine Lessman, March 2023. Includes links to classics on video, with lyrics.
PARENT RESOURCES
Bedtime stories are not only a way to get your child to relax at bedtime, they are also great language-building opportunities. This is a collection of six stories/songs available in TinyTap. They can be played on any device that can access the internet.
Coach caregivers to engage their young children in learning as they participate in everyday routines and activities that are meaningful to them
Parent handout from ASHA regarding appropriate screen time for toddlers, and impact of too much. (Available in Spanish.)
Free on TpT, this is the American English version. Also available in U.K./Aus English.
This YouTube video explains the 5 types of toys that can send your child to the ER.
Parent-friendly article online, with link to HealthyChildren.org's chart.
TELETHERAPY WITH PRESCHOOLERS
See also the Teletherapy Page for tons of free resources.
Videos of language building songs and rhymes for little ones, in multiple languages.
How to make and use gameboards for your online sessions. From Electronic-Therapy.com.
Several digital activities that are open-ended, socially interactive, flexible, and require communication.
See my digital gameboards available in TinyTap, free for teachers/therapists. Preview them all on my Pinterest page.
THERAPY TIPS & RESOURCES
Looking for songs to use in therapy? Check out JLibrary's list of YouTube song videos for kids. Also search for "Super Simple Songs" on YouTube.
Handy chart with Laura Mize's stages of imitation. See her YouTube channel for videos of each.
Many free projects with visual directions - cooking, science, and more. From LiveLoveSpeech.
If you want to incorporate more movement into your sessions, I highly recommend this book. Used it for years and the kids loved the activities. (Not free) Find it on Amazon and other book stores.
TINYTAP PRE-K CURRICULUM (FREE)
Check out the TinyTap marketplace! They have a whole toddler/prek curriculum with tons of activities for Language, Math, Science & Nature, and Social Skills. All activities are free for teachers and therapists to access. Just set up a free profile. I promise you won't get slammed with emails from them. Access the Learning Plan (curriculum) through the iPad app.
WEBSITES/BLOGS/SOCIAL MEDIA GROUPS
Great resources on her website and blog, freebies for activity ideas based on themes, including books and toys to use with them. Also offers a playbased course. Check out her Facebook page for more ideas.
A public Amazon list specifically for preschool, created by Ashley Renee. NOTE: These are NOT freebies, but you can keep your eyes peeled at garage sales and thrift stores for some of these.
This group is for professional Speech-Language Pathologists only. This group is not for parents and family members. Over 27K members!
Click on the green link above to download this list of instagram accounts for PreK SLPs to follow. Highly recommended.
Hosted by Sally Haughey, experienced early childhood teacher and huge supporter of the importance of play.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is a professional membership organization that works to promote high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8, by connecting early childhood practice, policy, and research.
