We tend to celebrate certain communication milestones in infants—their first words, their first sentences, and the first time they write their own names. Each of these accomplishments is a natural evolution of learning a language, and each step opens their world up a little more.
If your child is struggling with a speech or language disorder, or a developmental language disorder, which affects 1 in 14 kids in kindergarten in the United States, their language progression may be affected, which can also impact their ability to learn to read and write.
Here at Celebrations Speech Group, our team of speech therapists and pathologists understands how closely linked learning a language is to future reading and writing skills, which is why we often combine speech therapy with literacy development. We find that this combination approach is a great way to set kids up for success as they move forward.
Here, we review some of the many benefits of adding literacy development to our speech therapy services.
Millions of kids in the United States are affected by a voice, speech, language, or swallowing. Cumulatively, these issues affect about 1 in 12 kids in the US between the ages of 3 and 17.
These issues can include:
While each of these issues is unique, they all affect a child’s ability to communicate with the world around them. If a child is struggling with early language development and not learning words as quickly as their peers, moving on to reading and writing will likely be challenging.
Another challenge for kids with speech and voice disorders is that learning to read or write requires clear communication.
For example, a child who has a disfluency issue like stuttering or an articulation disorder in which they can’t make certain sounds might find it difficult to ask the necessary questions about reading and writing, and they can fall behind. A child with a receptive language disorder might not take in the necessary information to learn to read and write.
By introducing literacy development while addressing their speech or voice disorder, we can simultaneously encourage progress in all communication areas.
When we refer to literacy development, we’re talking about ways in which we help kids learn words phonetically and visualize them as well. We might use flashcards with the word written on them or encourage kids to spell out sounds they struggle to pronounce, for example.
Another reason why we often include literacy development in our speech therapy is that kids are being encouraged to learn to read or write earlier.
A 2009 study warned that kindergarten is becoming the new first grade. Instead of focusing on social and play skills, children are now expected to perform academically. As a result, children with speech, voice, or developmental disorders, even temporary ones like stuttering, are being left behind.
Our view is that we want kids to experience success in all their levels of schooling, and one way we do this is to introduce early literacy skills into our speech therapy.
As you can see, laying the groundwork for literacy during our speech therapy sessions has many benefits. If you’d like to learn whether your child might benefit from early literacy development during speech therapy, please don’t hesitate to contact one of our offices in Brentwood, Stockton, or Elk Grove, California, to schedule an appointment.
