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August 2024: That's a Wrap!
Elizabeth Knapp
August 09, 2024
In this newsletter:
August 2024
That’s a Wrap!
 Field day rivals make the finest of friends | Well, that was fast! Between a game day, talent show, and indoor field day activities, I think it’s safe to say that summer session ended on a high note. Lower school students’ pretend play continued on as they gathered ‘round the campfire, enjoyed some sand cups at the beach, and had a picnic! Some upper schoolers took center stage to share their talents with an audience of peers. Their indoor field day was a hit, with a bubble machine, dance party, and tons of games! |
 Telling spooky stories  Rainy day game |  Cheers to sand cups!  Having a laugh |  Wordle: a group effort  Campfire collage |
 Talent show All Star! |  Swinging into summer break like |
A Trip to the New School
 The pose was staged but the feelings are real!  Taking it all in | On Thursday, upper schoolers took a trip to the new school! They had a great time exploring the space, gasping and exclaiming at the novelty of it all. Throughout the week, students did an amazing job warming up to the idea. After watching the social story video (in some cases, multiple times!), they asked teachers and therapists tons of great questions and counted down the days to their visit. We are so proud of their flexibility!  The boys approve!  You gotta check out this view |
SLP Spotlight: Ariel Vincent
 Ariel Vincent, CCC-SLP | Ariel Vincent has been an SLP at CA since September of 2022. She currently works primarily with middle and high school students, but she has previously worked with students ranging from preschool to fifth grade. Ariel's areas of interest and expertise include social language development and supporting students’ overall communication through various forms (e.g., AAC). She is especially passionate about building individual relationships with each of her students and colleagues at CA. Her favorite part about working at Children's Academy is being able to share smiles and laughter with her students. When she's not at work, Ariel likes to try new restaurants, go on long walks in Central Park, and travel! |
Topics in Speech-Language Pathology: GLP, part 2
If you missed part one, click here for a primer on Gestalt Language Processing. Now that we have the basics down, let’s take a look at the stages of development to look out for if your child is a GLP! There are six stages first outlined in Prizant’s research (below), and it’s important for the SLP to determine the child’s stage of language processing in order to build on their skills and support their development. Children may present firmly in one specific stage, or demonstrate skills from a combination of stages. Our job is to facilitate their development by modeling appropriate language according to their current stage or stages. |  |
Stage 1: Delayed Echolalia
Children are scripting whole gestalts from people, media, and books.
Example: “It’s time to go home, kids!”
Stage 2: Mix and Match Stage
Children may be shortening their longer gestalt, or mitigating portions to create semi-unique utterances.
Example: It’s time to go!” or “Let’s go home, kids!”
Stage 3: Single words and two-word combinations
At this stage, children are able to identify a word as a single unit of meaning. They are mitigating scripts into single words or word combinations, often with incorrect grammar.
Example: “Home” (single noun); “Kids home” (noun combination)
Stages 4-6: New original phrases with beginning, complex, and advanced grammar.
Example: “The kids goed home,” (stage 4) “The kids went home,” (stage 5) “It’s late, so they went home” (stage 6)
Overheard at CA
 | “Let’s play some ice cream! Pretend it’s Van Leeuwan.” -Zayan Zayan is an 8-year-old verbal communicator and gestalt language processor. |
Do it at home: Visit Your Local Library!
There are so many language opportunities within a simple visit to your library. In addition to the many events and child-friendly activities that might be on your library’s calendar, a solo visit can be just as beneficial. You can plan ahead and look for a specific book or topic, plan questions to ask the librarian, or simply let your child explore. Parents can guide children to areas of potential interest, or model adult reading behavior by perusing books of your own. There is also something special that happens when kids are given their own library card. They often feel a sense of ownership or pride knowing that not only is it theirs, but it holds power. What would they check out if given free reign? |  |
There is also something special that happens when kids are given their own library card.
Letting your child choose a variety of books – regardless of reading level – can reinforce a positive relationship with books and reading. It can be insightful to see what has driven their choices, as it might reflect their current interests or curiosities. How they interact with the book at home can be equally informative. Just looking at the pictures? Pretending to read? Carrying it around like a toy/purse? All of these choices are part of developing print awareness and can further contribute to a positive relationship with books.
Here are some ideas for language-filled, library-related activities that can be modified depending on your child’s level:
Scavenger hunt: Maybe you’re searching for specific colors, animals, or letters. Maybe you’re seeing who can find the most books on a chosen topic. Or maybe you’re feeling really ambitious, and you’re seeking out specific facts, like how many teeth can be found in a Great White Shark’s mouth. (spoiler alert: 300!)
Ask the librarian: Plan out a conversation with the librarian. Encourage your child to share their interests, and ask for a book recommendation! Take it a step further and practice perspective-taking by thinking about the librarian during this interaction. Explain the social expectations of accepting or politely declining said recommendation.
Book review: Challenge your child to persuade you to read (or avoid) a book that they checked out. Encourage them to write, draw, or film a book review.
Follow your child’s interests: 20 books about the Triboro Bridge? Sure, why not! Give each book an award (best pictures, best facts, most exciting, etc.)
Make it a destination: Residents of New York City – and surrounding areas – are fortunate enough to have access to so many great libraries that aren’t too far from each other. Many of our students would not say no to a train ride, so they might like the challenge of a library crawl if it means mapping out a subway route to multiple libraries in your area. Which one is the best?
See you in September!
Wishing all of our CA families a fun and relaxing break.