Cheryl Millar - Speech Language Pathologist
phone. 780-995-4423 | Edmonton, Alberta
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  • What is Speech Therapy?
  • Preschool
    • School Readiness Checklist
    • Boosting language skills
    • ACTIVITY: A place for placemats
  • School-age
    • ACTIVITY: Making a Folded Paper Animal
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Is your child ready for kindergarten?

Boosting language skills

A place for placemats

Boosting Language Skills

Boosting your child's language skills can help them communicate better and boost their confidence as well. Here are two big ways to pump up your preschooler’s language skills: 

Have your child learn music for at least an hour a week.

According to recent research summarized in a Guardian newspaper article of February 27, 2014, “when children start studying music before the age of seven, they develop bigger vocabularies, a better sense of grammar and a higher verbal IQ”.
  • The article explains that “music and language neural networks have significant overlap…children who learn music become better at learning the grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation of any language.”
  • Only one hour a week of learning music is enough for the brain to benefit according to the article
  • Read the entire article at: www.theguardian.com/education (“Are musicians better language learners?”).
Make today lively and low-tech.

Go for hands-on activities: face each other, not a screen. Try these activities:

At home
  • Make cookies together. Try a new recipe.
  • Make a simple craft together. 
  • Set up a safe “obstacle” course. Are you up for crawling under the table? 

In the community
  • Visit a farmer's market and select fruit and vegetables together
  • Take a class together
  • Visit the Telus World of Science

These activities will:
  • build the parent and child bond; you will be a more intuitive and natural teacher
  • give you naturally interesting topics to discuss
  • expose your child to new words and concepts



Home
About Me
Contact
Services + Fees
What is Speech Pathology?
Preschool
School-Age