One piece of advice we received during our visit to Chapel Hill on Monday was to work on extending Brooke's vocabulary. For example she know the word "same" but doesn't understand the word "alike". She uses "big" and "small" really well but needs to add some more synonyms for those words. So we have been trying a few new things around here that incorporate into our daily life. With a little focus by me, we are extending her vocabulary.
1. Use active listening to show your child you are listening; create opportunities for your child to comment and add to your thoughts. Create pockets of time in which you really talk with your child. When Brooke brings up and idea or topic, I try to keep the conversation going for a few minutes and include her brother and sister. She loves to talk about things so she really enjoys these conversations.
2. Restate what your child says, using slightly more advanced, new vocabulary. For example, if she says, "Did you see that house by the water? It was big!" respond by saying, "I did- the cabin next to the creek was gigantic!"
3. As your child talks, ask "how" and "why" questions to help her extend and analyze her thoughts. Wonder out loud, for example, how the cabin was build or why the family chose to build it on the creek. Doing so allows your child to use new vocabulary to talk about abstract thoughts, rather than simply talking about the concrete objects that are right in front of her.
The more Brooke is able to hear and understand, the more likely she will begin to use the new words in her vocabulary.
About Me
- The Miller family
- I am just a mom: a mom of three kids and one of them is hearing impaired. We are a busy family and I am a very busy mom. I want my hearing impaired daughter, Brooke, to have every advantage so I try to incorporate as many lessons and strategies into our every day life. Most of the teaching I do with Brooke is incorporated into our daily routines and parent-directed play. This blog will include some of our formal lessons but mostly it will be learning to listen in the everyday.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Our appointments
Brooke had an audiology appointment today at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Though it is a four hour drive from our home, the care we receive is well worth the trip.
To begin our appointment Brooke goes into the testing booth. It is really small sound-proof room with all of the equipment needed to test Brooke's hearing.
Without her hearing aids, Brooke listens for sounds that come through those blue and red wires clipped to the back of her dress. The tubes from the wires are placed into her ears through her ear molds. The therapist wears headphone and can hear the audiologist who sits in the booth through the window. The audiologist plays "beeps" and Brooke places a token into the pig when she hears the sound. The "beeps" are played along different frequencies until she hears it and responds.
Then we move into another room for her hearing aids to be programed. The audiologist uses Brooke's responses from the testing booth and the computer will programs her hearing aids to her exact needs.
This is Brooke with Paula, our audiologist. Paula has taken exceptional care of us over the last 3 years.
To begin our appointment Brooke goes into the testing booth. It is really small sound-proof room with all of the equipment needed to test Brooke's hearing.
Without her hearing aids, Brooke listens for sounds that come through those blue and red wires clipped to the back of her dress. The tubes from the wires are placed into her ears through her ear molds. The therapist wears headphone and can hear the audiologist who sits in the booth through the window. The audiologist plays "beeps" and Brooke places a token into the pig when she hears the sound. The "beeps" are played along different frequencies until she hears it and responds.
Then we move into another room for her hearing aids to be programed. The audiologist uses Brooke's responses from the testing booth and the computer will programs her hearing aids to her exact needs.
This is Brooke with Paula, our audiologist. Paula has taken exceptional care of us over the last 3 years.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
My Special Family
"God doesn't give children with special needs to strong people; He gives children with special needs to ordinary, weak people and then gives them strength. Raising a child with special needs doesn't TAKE a special family, it MAKES a family special." - found this on a friend's facebook status and love it!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Rhyming - Phonemic Awareness - Step 2
Play The Name Game
Just play with line one at first. You can begin with any name or word--but run it through your mind first, to eliminate words that result in unwanted rhymes.
Honey, honey, Bo-bunny Banana-Fanna-Fo-funny Fee-Fie-Mo-money --Honey!
Bear, Bear, Bo-ear Banana-Fanna-Fo-fair Fee-Fie-Mo-mare --Bear!
Jake, Jake Bo-Bake Banana-Fanna-Fo-fake Fee-Fie- Mo- Make -Jake!
Just play with line one at first. You can begin with any name or word--but run it through your mind first, to eliminate words that result in unwanted rhymes.
Honey, honey, Bo-bunny Banana-Fanna-Fo-funny Fee-Fie-Mo-money --Honey!
Bear, Bear, Bo-ear Banana-Fanna-Fo-fair Fee-Fie-Mo-mare --Bear!
Jake, Jake Bo-Bake Banana-Fanna-Fo-fake Fee-Fie- Mo- Make -Jake!
Brooke, Brooke, Bo-rooke, Banana-Fanna-Fo-Frooke Fee-Fie-Mo-Mrooke- Brooke!
Kake, Kate, Bo-Bake, Banana-Fanna-Fo-Fate Fee-Fie-Mo-Mate-Kate!
Mommy, Mommy, Bo-Bommy Banana-Fanna-Fo-Fommy Fee-Fie Mo-Ommy- Mommy!
Stick, stick, Bo-bick, Bannana-Fanna Fo-fick, Fee-Fie Mo-mick --Stick!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Rhyme - Discern and supply rhyming words
Step 1: Rhyme - Discern and supply rhyming words
The first step in phonemic awareness is to recognize rhyming words. Brooke still doesn't completely grasp the concept of rhyming words so we continue to word on this skill in a variety of different ways. Today we played with some rhyming itsy-bitsy miniatures. 
Lesson:
1. Set out 4 objects with 2 that rhyme. Set one on the rhyming objects at the top and the other three objects below.
2. Say: "This is a snake. Say snake."
3. "What word rhymes with snake?"
4. "Listen to the words: Does cake rhyme with snake? Does hat rhyme with snake? Does pan rhyme with snake?"
5. Brooke usually shakes her head yes or no so I have her repeat: "Yes, snake rhymes with cake."
6. Set out 4 new objects. Set one on the rhyming objects at the top and the other three objects below.
7 . Say: "This is a bug. Say bug."
8. "What word rhymes with bug?"
9. "Listen to the words: Does bug rhyme with rug? Does bug rhyme with van? Does bug rhyme with stone?"
10. Have her repeat: "Yes, bug rhymes with rug."
Modifications:
1. I notices that my rhyming pairs were the first choice in these pictures. Of course, move the rhyming object to the second or third choice as well.
2. Use picture cards from flash card decks or games to create some rhyming pairs.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Jake is home from school
Today is the first day of summer vacation for Jake. He is now a second grader and I need a plan for the summer!
I have purchased a few workbooks and his teacher has send home a few workbooks that they class didn't finish during the year. So....every time he annoys, aggravates, bothers, harasses, perturbs, provokes, teases, or troubles his sisters he has to do some pages in his workbooks!
It is 10:10am on the first day of summer vacation and the poor child is on his second page! These are pages he is capable of completing without any parental assistance! Maybe this summer he will become a genius!
I have purchased a few workbooks and his teacher has send home a few workbooks that they class didn't finish during the year. So....every time he annoys, aggravates, bothers, harasses, perturbs, provokes, teases, or troubles his sisters he has to do some pages in his workbooks!
It is 10:10am on the first day of summer vacation and the poor child is on his second page! These are pages he is capable of completing without any parental assistance! Maybe this summer he will become a genius!
Monday, June 6, 2011
S - ounds
Today we did a little phonemic practice my breaking words into 2 smaller phonemes and then saying it "fast" to get the words. Let me give you some example:
1. Lets go get in the \c\ .... \ar\. Say it fast: "car"
2. Would you like a \dough\....\nut\? Say it fast: "doughnut"
3. When Jake gets home from school we will \sw\....\im\. Say it fast: "swim"
4. Will you pick up that \st\...\ick\? Say it fast: "stick"
You get the point.
Kate was really great at this and often knew the word before I even said the last part. Brooke had a difficult time with saying the 2 sounds fast. She would still say to 2 separate sounds instead of the complete word. We will keep working at it: it is a great auditory and pre-read skill.
1. Lets go get in the \c\ .... \ar\. Say it fast: "car"
2. Would you like a \dough\....\nut\? Say it fast: "doughnut"
3. When Jake gets home from school we will \sw\....\im\. Say it fast: "swim"
4. Will you pick up that \st\...\ick\? Say it fast: "stick"
You get the point.
Kate was really great at this and often knew the word before I even said the last part. Brooke had a difficult time with saying the 2 sounds fast. She would still say to 2 separate sounds instead of the complete word. We will keep working at it: it is a great auditory and pre-read skill.
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