July 2024 Newsletter

Eastside SpeechNewsletter

Welcome to our July Newsletter!

It’s been an exciting and productive month here at Eastside Speech Solutions, where we’ve continued to dedicate ourselves to helping our clients reach their communication goals with enthusiasm and expertise. We hope you’ve been staying warm and finding joy in the winter season.

In this month’s newsletter, you’ll discover insights on how long it typically takes for children to master new sounds and enhance their pronunciation in our featured blog post. Plus, check out our ‘Resource of the Month’ spotlight on the beloved book ‘Where’s Spot?’

And don’t miss the chance to meet Hannah, the newest addition to our client experience team.

Thank you for being part of our community. Enjoy the read!

How long will it take for my child to learn new sounds and improve their pronunciation?

When parents bring their children into our clinic to have help with their speech pronunciation, a common (and important!) question they ask is: ”How long will it take for my child’s speech to improve?”

There are a number of factors that affect how quickly new sounds can be learnt:

How quickly your child can learn to make the new sound. That is, if a child can’t say the ‘k’ sound in words and sentences, they first need to learn to make the sound on it’s own. Sometimes this can take some time. Using a PROMPT© approach in therapy, where the therapist can help the child “feel” how to make the sound by using touch can be an enormous benefit. It means that the child doesn’t have to figure out what to do only from watching or listening. Click here to continue reading.

Resource of the Month: Where’s Spot?

In our clinic, we believe that learning can be both effective and enjoyable, and one of our favorite tools for achieving this is the classic children’s book, “Where’s Spot?” This delightful story, featuring the adventures of Spot the Dog, provides a wealth of opportunities to support and enhance children’s speech and language development.

“Where’s Spot?” is more than just a charming tale—it’s a versatile resource for expanding vocabulary and teaching essential language concepts. As children follow Spot’s journey through the book, they encounter and practice a range of new words and phrases. For instance, Spot’s hiding places help children learn spatial concepts such as “inside,” “under,” and “beside.” These terms are foundational for understanding and describing their environment, making them crucial elements of early language development.

Additionally, the book offers valuable practice for articulating the ‘s’ sound. Sentences like “Spot is sitting” provide a fun and interactive way for children to practice pronunciation and fluency. This repetition not only helps with speech clarity but also builds confidence in using new sounds within context.

“Where’s Spot?” also lends itself beautifully to exercises in comparison and contrast. By asking questions such as, “How is Spot different from the butterfly?” children engage in critical thinking and language skills that go beyond simple identification. This comparison activity encourages them to observe details, describe differences, and articulate their thoughts, which are all important aspects of language development. Listen to a reading of this book.

Meet a team member: Hannah

We are excited to introduce Hannah, who has recently joined our team as part of the Client Experience department. Currently in her first year of studying Advanced Science (Pathology) at UNSW, Hannah brings a strong interest in advancements in medical science and healthcare to our clinic.

Hannah is dedicated to fostering a positive environment for our clients and is committed to ensuring the smooth operation of our administrative functions. She is enthusiastic about contributing to our team and is already appreciating the supportive atmosphere of our clinic. Hannah is inspired by the opportunity to see firsthand the meaningful impact that speech therapy has on our clients’ lives. Meet more of our team members.