Speech therapy groups can be very helpful for preschool and school aged children. Groups provide a more natural environment for practicing the skills learnt in their individual therapy sessions. Children get to use their communication skills in real-life scenarios, such as engaging in conversations, playing games, and working on group activities. This supports generalisation, meaning they’re more likely to independently use these skills outside of therapy.
Speech therapy groups allow children to work on their social skills, including turn-taking, listening, sharing, and responding appropriately to others, which can be harder to practice in one-on-one settings. Children learn to negotiate and adapt their language to different social situations and peer interactions, enhancing their problem-solving skills.
Groups also allow children to further develop a range of language skills. This includes vocabulary building, sentence structure and story retelling. Working on a mutual task with other children helps them apply such language skills in collaborative settings, which can improve their ability to communicate effectively in team situations. Group activities with lots of games, role playing and storytelling make learning more engaging and enjoyable too!
Children can also learn from watching and listening to their peers. They can provide examples of effective communication and language use, which children can then apply in their day to day life.
Being part of a group can also be motivating, and encourage participation if they see other children involved too. Participating in a supportive group environment also helps children build confidence in their communication abilities. Successes and improvements within the group setting can boost self-esteem, motivation and confidence! This may then encourage
greater classroom participation at school; They may not be as reluctant to raise their hand and give the task a go.
If you would like to help your child solidify their speech, language and social skills that they have been developing with their therapist in their individual sessions, the team at Eastside Speech are running a school holiday group program this October 1st-3rd, 2024. Please reach out to secure your spot on 9398 3020.