If you need to reach me it's best to e mail me at kray@srvusd.net;  if you would like to leave a voice mail, please call (925) 855-5216.  Please feel free to e mail or call with any questions, concerns or compliments!

Why learn new words?

Vocabulary is a set of terms that is particularly important to a certain group of individuals and it contains its set of names for things, events and ideas...if we don't have the vocabulary for the "group",  we fail to be effective members of the group.

How do we learn new words?

Early vocabulary growth consists of hearing words and mimicing them as well as associateing them with objects and actions.  As a child's thoughts become more reliant on the ability to express itself, more vocabulary is retained and used.  An average student learns about 3,000 words per year.

What about sounds...How do children learn to make a sound like a "k", "g", "s" or "r" when they are making one incorrectly?

Whenever a child is making a sound incorrectly, he is thinking that he or she is making the right way.  He/she really doesn't have any idea that the sound he/she is making is different from the one that you or I make.  Correcting that sound, or asking the child to make the sound, or copy your production of the sound is just frustrating - for you and the child.  The best thing you can do for your child is wait until you hear a sound made correctly and PRAISE that child for making that sound correctly and then follow the praise with your modeling of the sound:  Your conversation might sound like this:  "Daisy! that "k" sound was great;  I love the way you said the "k" in kitty!  The kitty is funny!  Yes, that silly kitty can do funny things!  Silly kitty!"  Your child will get the message loud and clear and will feel good about his/her speech rather than frustrated!  Keep a list of all the words that he/she is doing correctly - you will be surprised.  There is also something called "muscle memory" where a child will learn new words with their sound and do them correctly but still make old words incorrectly.  That's because the "muscle memory" for the word is the 'old' way.  The word "green" might be "dween" while the word "golden" is said "golden"!

Check out google if you have questions.

As the speech therapist at Baldwin School , I work with kids from age 5 to 5th grade.  I am at Baldwin, on site, three days each week :Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  On Monday and Friday, I am at another site.  I have been working with children and their language since 1980.  My husband runs his own business, and my son is in college.  I love playing tennis, especially on warm evenings, taking photographs and printing in Photoshop CS, quilting, hiking and kayaking.  My favorite vacation spot is Italy and I can't wait to go back!  I also love dogs and have two rescues - one is a Bernese Mountain Dog named Daisy and the other is Farah who is a cross between a Border Collie and a King Charles Spaniel.