Any child can read a book, but it takes good comprehension skills to be able to absorb and retain the information. If your child has this skill, it will carry them through their entire school career, from preschool to college. It also means they are less likely to get bored with reading.

Sometimes children struggle with this a little bit and it’s up to parents and teachers to work as a team to get them on the right track. Here are 6 tips on how to improve reading comprehension and ensure that your child won’t just be reading books, but thoroughly enjoying them and increasing their vocabulary.

1. Point Out Connections

Many parents elect to read out loud with their children. This opens up great learning opportunities. One of those opportunities is to make connections.

For example, if you’re reading a book with your child about a beach, and you and the family have been to the beach on vacation, you can bring that up. The child will be able to make a connection about the reading and identify with it a bit more.

You can talk a little bit about the memories you had there, or what the beach looked like. This will make the child more focused on the reading and helps with improving reading comprehension.

2. Stop and Ask Questions Often

When you’re reading out loud with your children, you can stop and ask questions. This will encourage the children to backtrack and reread to search for answers. It will also leave them wondering about the content they just read.

Allow them to ask you questions and discuss possible answers, as this helps with improving reading comprehension.

If your children are reading a book by themselves, you can still be involved and ask them a question. When you notice your children reading a new book, you should ask them questions about it. This will make them really think about what they’ve read so far so they can give you satisfying answers.

The questions should cause them to think. For example, asking them what they enjoy about a book will make them think of common themes in the story.

Ask them what’s going on in the book because then they will have to think of parts that they read recently and revisit them to tell you. When they’ve finished the book, ask them if it ended the way they thought it would, or to summarize it.

3. Make Inferences

To make inferences is to guess how you think the story will go based on the clues it’s given you so far. For example, if character A is blushing while talking to character B, we can infer that A has feelings for B. You may guess that they will get together before the end of the story.

Don’t be afraid to make these inferences out loud so your child can make their own. Respond to their inferences as they would yours. This stimulates conversation and will help the child pay closer attention to the plot and characters.

4. Have the Child Read Out Loud

When a child reads out loud they read a bit slower which allows them to really take in the information that they are reading. Also, many people learn easier when they aren’t only seeing information but listening to it as well.

Even as adults we tend to catch things that we wouldn’t when hearing it aloud. This same idea works for a child. Listen to the child read, and help out when you can.

By doing the things we’ve listed so far while reading out loud, you will stimulate learning and change the way the child reads. They may even find a lot more enjoyment from it.

5. Find the Right Reading Material

It’s important that your child is reading books that are on their reading level. If they stumble on words that are too big for them, they may become frustrated, and the reading won’t be enjoyable. Not only will the reading not be enjoyable, but the frequent stops they will have to make will prevent them from absorbing the information.

On the flipside of this, if the reading is too easy for the child, they will become bored because they aren’t being given a proper challenge.

6. Talk to Their Teacher

Some children struggle with reading comprehension more than others. If you notice your child isn’t grasping it, don’t be afraid to schedule a meeting with their teacher. Together, you might be able to come up with a plan to help them.

This doesn’t end with reading comprehension.

If you notice that your child really enjoys reading, but isn’t doing as well in other subjects, you can meet with the teacher to find out what they are currently studying.

For example, if your child is failing in science, you can ask the teacher what subject they are covering in their science class at the moment. Get a book that revolves around this subject but is interesting to read. The child might be able to understand the information better this way.

Steps on How to Improve Reading Comprehension

Taking these steps on how to improve reading comprehension will help open new doors for your child. They will be able to take this skill and soar to new heights throughout their entire educational career. All it takes is reading with them.

Are you ready for your child to start back school? Visit our blog for great tips for back to school success.

“There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book. “

—Frank Serafini, author

 

Kids generally learn to read until third grade. After third grade, they read to learn.

Reading is the basis of learning and the benefits are many. On a practical level, reading helps us navigate life. Following recipes, taking medications and obeying written traffic signs all require the ability to literally read and understand what we are seeing. On a more cerebral level, reading advances our mind, teaches us language skills, expands our vocabulary, builds our listening skills and develops our imagination and creativity.

Now just imagine a child who is experiencing difficulty reading.

Research has proven that struggling with reading is not a sign of a lack of intelligence. Nor should children who they be labeled as lazy or unmotivated. Often, they have just fallen through the cracks. Sometimes it is simply a matter of finding the right approach.

 

“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”

—Frederick Douglass, escaped slave, activist and abolitionist leader

 

Literacy extends to all academic areas, including math, where understanding the word problems are as essential as computing the correct numerical answer.

Difficulty reading not only affects academic abilities but also self-esteem. When reading skills are deficient, grades may suffer despite average or above average intelligence and self-confidence can go right down the tubes.

Our Reading Skills Mastery Program

has been developed to address grade-specific reading (literacy) skills and strategies. Our therapists are trained to assess each student and identify the issues before implementing a monthly individualized program tailored to the age of the child, the amount of intervention required, and the goals set in the initial session. Each session is 45 minutes with a minimum of three sessions per week.

 

From helping children acquire and master basic reading and writing skills to teaching compensatory strategies, decoding skills, essay writing and note taking, the Great Speech Reading Skills Mastery Program focuses on identifying missing skill sets and creating a targeted program using the check list below.

Literacy Skills:

• Recognition and understanding of letters and letter sounds
• Reading comprehension
• Reading accuracy and fluency Recognition and use of letters and letters sounds
• Learning and application of phonics rules
• Automatic recognition and reading of sight words
• Word attack skills (how to read an unfamiliar word)
• Word study (root, suffix, etc.)
• Reading speed and accuracy

Writing Skills:

• Handwriting or typing of letters
• Learning and applying spelling rules and patterns
• Learning different writing styles and purposes (e.g., persuasive, descriptive, etc.)
• Using various aids when writing (e.g., graphic organizers)
• Learning and applying planning/organization strategies (e.g., outline, brainstorm, timelines, etc.)

Vocabulary Skills:

• Definitions
• Word Relationships (compound words, antonyms, synonyms)
• Contextual Word Lists
• Derivational Word Lists
• Semantic Mapping and Feature Analysis

 

“To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.”

 – Victor Hugo, French poet and novelist

Lighting the fire and keeping the spark alive is one of our areas of expertise. Word power is brain power and has been linked to improved health, socioeconomic status and creativity.  We are proud of the success of those who have enrolled in our Reading Skills Mastery Program and would love to provide services to those who are experiencing academic difficulties due to poor or limited reading skills.

Request a complimentary screening today and ask how we can help!

Maybe you’re thinking it’s too late for you or a loved one diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to get help with their speech.

You’ve heard it’s about time to grow out of it, or that the prime time for language learning is over.

They echo these excuses.

While these misconceptions are completely understandable, you might not know that there are thousands of studies suggesting the contrary.

In fact, there are probably more options for you than you’re aware of.

Therapy is often considered unattainable in certain geographical or financial circumstances, which is the beauty of online speech therapy for autism.

Not only is online speech-language pathology proven to be as effective as in-person, it’s also using cutting-edge techniques to be a positive influence to adults of all ages and backgrounds.

Read on to learn about how we’re using four speech therapy activities to transform lives.

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

PECS is historically one of the most effective activities performed for both children and adults on the spectrum.

This is because it can aid someone throughout all stages of their development, from recognizing basic objects to forming intelligible sentences.

Typically beginning with object recognition, it enhances nonverbal communication skills which can be associated with words in the future.

Let’s say we have a speech-language pathologist (SLP) named Sally.

Communicating live with Sally, you might identify an apple when she shows you a picture of an apple or vice versa. Sally knows that this practice aids the recognition of symbols and their association with real objects.

Once you’ve got a knack for that, you might go onto some form of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), where you would learn to talk without speaking in some form.

This can extend to answering basic questions she asks, such as “Do you like apples?” or “Do you like pineapple on pizza?” (hint: the answer is no).

That skill is actually incredibly important. Did you know studies have shown that children diagnosed with autism will often learn to say yes or no correctly in certain contexts, but cannot answer properly in others?

In other words, if Sally asks “Are you an adult?”, someone with ASD may not know how to respond to that, having only been conditioned to certain kinds of yes or no questions.

For such reasons, PECS and AAC in a wide variety of contexts play a huge role in autism speech therapy.

Imitating Rhythm

Music and language are highly interconnected. They’re so similar that we often play a game of “chicken or the egg” with them.

Since music plays such a large role in the development of language, music therapy has been prevalent in the science of speech therapy.

While working with children on the spectrum, imitating animals noises is a popular activity because it’s important, easy, and enjoyable.

The exact same logic applies to adults in all realms of music.

When we hum or babble in a particular rhythm, it expresses similarity to the sing-song intonation of language.

Reinforcing the musicality of language not only advances understanding but naturalizes the flow of words.

Sensory Integration as Speech Therapy for Autism

If hearing or vision processing are impaired, you can bet language will be out of whack as well.

As these disruptions are prominent among people diagnosed with ASD, learning to speak and write can be frustrating.

This is especially horrible when sensitivities arise towards particular frequencies.

Sometimes you can’t hear a sound at all. Sometimes a simple stirring or rubbing can induce overwhelming.

An inability to hear a particular phoneme (language noise) hinders the processing of it whatsoever.

Fortunately, speech-language pathologists are specially trained to overcome these barriers.

Right on, Sally. With the advantage of modern technology, she can use white noise to muffle the noise and thus reduce the intensity.

On the other hand, she could use warning signals to indicate a certain sound is coming.

All of this can help you adapt to and fine-tune sounds, which in turn fine-tunes language.

Semantic Therapy

It’s not just semantics. The way we use “semantic” here really matters.

“Semantics” refers to the meaning of words in a literal, contextual, or relative sense.

In semantic therapy, our focus isn’t necessarily literal definitions, but on function (i.e., how do you use it?) and association (i.e., what does it go with?).

Although someone on the spectrum may get a wonderful grasp of words, it’s likely that they may not understand the connotation of the words they’re using very well.

It’s been shown that a common symptom of the spectrum is struggling with expressing social cues, feelings, attitudes, values, or perceptions.

And it goes both ways. Recognizing these mental states in others is a different steep.

It’s not a whole other mountain, though.

By training the visual-auditory processing of different words in the sense of their category, usage, and implied meaning, the natural expression of empathy can burst forth more freely.

One example activity is semantic mapping, where the SLP and their student create a diagram of a sentence or conversation.

Not only does this let the individual actually see the conversation–as people with ASD are highly visual learners–, they can diagnose how they’re doing socially.

Do they need to ask more questions, or even more relevant questions? Are they using words properly? Are they fully expressing their emotions?

These are the problems we tackle with semantic intervention.

Thoughts on the Future

Our professionals are thoroughly trained in today’s most effective speech-language therapy procedures, but only time will tell what will come about in the future.

As research builds up, we pursue greater heights for people with autism of all origins.

Rest assured, however, you can rely on us at the forefront of online speech therapy for autism, always seeking out the latest, most substantial tactics.

No matter the regional, financial, or physical circumstance, we’re here to help you.

It’s not too late.

And now it’s never out of reach. Schedule an appointment for a free consultation or drop us a message today.

Autism speech therapy can help you or your child become better communicators over time. It is also proven to enhance social skills, attention to detail, and make better learners.

To learn more about how autism speech therapy can help you or your loved ones, keep reading this article.

The Affect Autism Has on Speech

The development of communication in autistic children is slower than it is in others. In fact, they don’t find mimicking or imitation natural like children without autism.

When children are young, they learn by mimicking and imitating the adults around them. This helps them understand the basics of communication which eventually turns into forming full sentences.

Autistic children, however, don’t learn a language this way. Instead of becoming interested in the way other people are communicating, they are more likely to pay close attention to environmental or background sounds. This can include sounds like a vacuum running or a fan blowing.

Additionally, autistic children might seem disinterested when you speak to them.

Not every autistic child communicates the same way. For instance, some may have really great vocabularies and speak in long sentences.

They often understand social cues like tone, body language, and facial expressions in social situations. Speech therapy can help both autistic children and adults become better communicators.

Benefits of Autism Speech Therapy

Speech therapy can help people with autism become better communicators. This is accomplished when a pathologist or occupational therapist teaches verbal skills they hadn’t picked up on at an early age.

Speech therapy can also help with the correct use of words and improving the rhythm and speed of speech.

Here are other ways that seeing a speech therapist is a beneficial treatment for autism:

It Teaches Spontaneous Communication

The first step in helping someone with autism is to make sure they are able to functionally and spontaneously communicate their needs. This involves the person being able to express what they want or need without being promoted or asked first.

There are a few different ways a speech therapist will go about establishing spontaneous communication. They include using sign language, picture communication, and a voice output AAC device.

Sign Language

Autistic children benefit greatly from using their own bodies to communicate. It’s even been said that sign language gets helps autistic children utilize verbal communication quicker than they typically would.

Picture Communication System

Sometimes using photos is the best way for an autistic child to learn how to communicate. Pictures make communication tangible and concrete for them.

Voice-Output AAC Device

If your child isn’t speaking at all, an AAC device can help them get started. The device will play a recorded message when a child presses a button.

What it says depends on the button they press.

Social Instruction and Interaction

Once a child has begun communicating, it’s important to help them do better in social situations. This will also involve learning what behaviors are socially acceptable, like manners and waiting their turn to talk.

These skills are especially important when children are in school and learning how to become a good friend. Some of the social strategies that might be included with your child’s speech therapy are:

Visual Supports

Visual supports use photos and other visual reminders to help a child remember how to respond in certain situations.

Social Stories

In this part of therapy, books are typically used to teach a child about appropriate behavior. The books that are selected will be targeted to the correct age range and reading level.

Video Support

The video part of speech therapy allows students to watch videos that teach expected behaviors and what to do in common social situations.

Peer Interactions

Since it’s difficult for children with autism to interact one on one with their peers, it is something that has to be taught. Peer interactions are dependent on the child’s age and where they are socially.

When children are young, they will learn:

How to Play Nicely

Just as children without autism often have to be told to play nicely and share their toys, autistic children have to receive the same lessons. Just in a more formal environment.

The primary goal here is to learn how to get along with other kids.

Recognizing Their Name

This is a little-known fact about autism. It can be difficult for a child to understand his or her own name and how to respond when it is called.

So, it’s a skill they are taught during therapy.

Paying Focused Attention

Earlier we mentioned that children with autism tend to pay more attention to environmental and background noises than they do with people speaking. Their speech therapist will help them tune out other sounds and become more focused when someone is talking to them.

Older children will be taught peer interaction with these methods:

Targeted Conversational Skills

It’s easier to pinpoint the specific conversational problems an older autistic child is having. This will allow better communication with their peers and adults too.

Perspective Talking

Perspective talking helps children learn how to put themselves in somebody else’s shoes. It makes them understand that there is more than one perspective and more than one side of the story.

This creates an environment for open-minded communication.

Parental Support

It’s a big misconception that an autistic child is the only one who should receive training from a speech therapist. Yes, it’s true that the child should have plenty of time for therapy, but it is also important for the parents and other adults in the child’s life to help the child implement the new things they learned.

When the speech therapist is able to train the adults who care for a child, they will make quicker progress. This is because they are getting individualized support and practice from multiple sources.

This will also allow the child to practice their new skills in a more natural comfortable environment for them like their home. The setting of a therapy room or classroom can sometimes feel a little formal causing anxiety.

Contact Us

Autism speech therapy varies based on the patient’s individual needs. Some people may have more advanced communication problems than others.

Whether you are looking for a method of speech therapy for an adult or child, our specialized online programs can help you. Just contact us today and we’ll help you get started.

What if you could help your child live a happier and more productive life?

This is what all parents want for their children. However, for parents of children with language disorders, it can be often be frustrating to help their children do anything from speak clearly to understanding others.

However, the more you know about these disorders, the more you can help your child and any others with a language processing disorder. Keep reading to review our comprehensive guide to child language disorders.

What Are Child Language Disorders?

There are different types of language disorders (more on this in a moment). However, they are all rooted in a difficulty finding and saying the right words and/or a difficulty in understanding what other people say.

Adults sometimes confuse certain language disorders with a child being hard of hearing. However, these children do not have trouble hearing. Rather, their difficulty is with fully understanding and applying the various rules of standard spoken communication.

The good news is that the more you know about your child’s language disorder, the easier it will be to treat it.

Different Types of Disorders

There are three different kinds of language disorders. The first is a receptive language disorder, which means that the children have trouble understanding what those around them say.

The second type of language disorder is an expressive language disorder. This means that the child has difficulty in fully expressing their different thoughts and different ideas via language.

The final type of language disorder is a mixed receptive-expressive language disorder. Simply put, this is a combination of the first two disorders, meaning that a child has difficulty understanding others as well as making himself understood by others.

Language Disorder Symptoms

There are a few general symptoms that a child has a language processing disorder. This includes speaking less than other children and speaking in short sentences that are missing conjunctions such as “and” or “but.”

Another symptom is that the child may have trouble responding to directions they are given. This is likelier if the instructions contain information about time, location, or description. They may also have trouble with directions that exclude a certain category of something, such as bringing every ball except the red one.

A final symptom may be that a child continues to misuse verbs or nouns after their peers have stopped doing so. The good news is that these specific systems will give a speech pathologist (either in your area or online) a specific area to focus on during speech therapy.

Delay vs. Disorder

You will hear many different terms when it comes to your child’s language disorder, including “delay” and “disorder.” While some people may use these terms as synonyms for one another, it’s good to know what the actual difference is.

“Delay” refers to a child who is developing their speech skills in the standard order but slower than the standard rate. “Disorder” refers to a child whose development is non-standard, and this may manifest in a variety of surprising ways.

Causes of These Disorders

Many parents are understandably curious about what the causes of language disorders are. Unfortunately, there are many different potential causes, so it is difficult to isolate what may be the cause for a particular child.

In some cases, it is genetic, as anywhere between twenty percent to forty percent of children with a history of family speech issues end up with their own language disorder.

Other cases may be linked to differences in prenatal care. Some studies have shown that women who take folic acid supplements while pregnant have a reduced chance of developing a language disorder.

Finally, speech issues may be linked to other conditions that the child is facing. This includes Down syndrome, autism, and premature birth as well as other intellectual disabilities.

How Common is This?

When your child is dealing with a language disorder, it’s easy to feel isolated and lonely. However, it’s important for parents and children alike to realize that these disorders are more common than most people imagine.

Some studies have found that up to five percent of the child population suffer from various language disorders. This means that over sixteen million children may suffer from these language disorders in America alone.

Reaching out to other families who may be experiencing this can be beneficial and is a good supplement to getting traditional speech therapy.

How to Diagnose This

Earlier, we talked about some of the symptoms that might serve as warning signs of a language disorder. How, though, would a pediatrician actually diagnose this?

Typically, a pediatrician has a good sense of certain language milestones that children will reach and what age they typically reach them. If your child is past a certain age and has not reached that milestone, it helps them identify things like receptive and expressive language delay.

It’s important to seek professional assistance as soon as possible. A pediatrician or other doctor can help rule out things like hearing problems and also accurately diagnosis the exact kind of language disorder the child is facing.

Don’t forget that diagnosis does not have to be expensive. You can typically receive cheap (and sometimes even free) diagnosis via local universities or school districts.

Types of Treatment

Once a language disorder has been diagnosed, the next step is for your child to receive treatment. How, though, will this treatment work?

The truth is that the exact treatment plan varies because the speech pathologist creates an individual therapy for each patient. In addition to their sessions, they will work with you on how you can extend lessons from therapy into your daily lives.

A speech pathologist can also help your child get an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for your local school system so they can participate in the speech rehabilitation. If your child cannot get an IEP, they may qualify for a 504 plan that will help teachers adapt to their unique needs.

The Bottom Line

You know how important a speech pathologist is to help your child’s language disorders. But do you know where to find the best pathologists?

Here at Great Speech, we are the ultimate authority in providing online pathology solutions for your child’s every need. To see how we can make each day brighter, contact us today!