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December 2024: Merry and Bright
Elizabeth Knapp
December 20, 2024
A newsletter brought to you by the Speech Department at Children’s Academy
In this newsletter:
December 2024
Merry and Bright
 A festive trip to Rockefeller Center | We are so lucky to have students that let us take a step back from the most hectic time of the year and appreciate the magic of the season! Upper school students lit up while visiting the famous tree and having opportunities to celebrate all month long. Both upper and lower schoolers took part in spirit week, with fun outfits to help count down the days until winter break. Lower schoolers took it a step further by participating in activities related to their outfits, like decorating ugly sweaters and having a pajama party movie day! |
 Purple class pride! |  Cozy vibes unlocked |
Hot cocoa party!
 The art of story building |  Sleigh all day |  The coziest time of the year |
 Unwrapping the sweetest gifts |  The light at the end of the tunnel |
SLP Spotlight: Bonnie Murray
 Bonnie Murray, CCC-SLP | Bonnie Murray has been an SLP at CA since 2021. She currently works primarily with 7th/8th grade, but she has previously worked with students ranging from preschool to 12th grade. Bonnie's areas of interest and expertise include receptive/expressive language, supporting gestalt language processors, and social pragmatic language. She is especially passionate about getting to know her students during all aspects of their day and working closely with other professionals to ensure carryover throughout different settings. Her favorite part about working at Children's Academy is being able to spend so much time with the students in the classroom and collaborating with other SLPs and staff. When she's not at work, Bonnie likes to go to the rock-climbing gym and spend time with her family. |
Topics in Speech-Language Pathology: Dialogic Reading
Let’s chat about reading! We all know the benefits of reading aloud to children. But did you know there’s a way to make story time even more impactful? Dialogic reading is a way to shift read-alouds from a passive activity into an engaging, interactive experience that builds language, literacy, and critical thinking skills. |  |
What Is Dialogic Reading?
Dialogic reading is a style of reading to children that includes having a conversation about the story as you read, encouraging active participation from the child. This is the general practice at CA, especially during lower school’s Language Skills group. But it can be easily implemented at home! Here’s how:
Instead of simply reading the text on the page, pause throughout to ask open-ended questions, prompt your child to make predictions, and expand on their responses to deepen understanding.
For example, while reading a picture book, you might ask, “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why does the character look sad?” These questions encourage your child to think critically, express their thoughts, and build their vocabulary.
Disclaimer: if your child is a GLP, they may initially benefit more from modeling this language (i.e., hearing the adult’s internal monologue aloud) rather than being pressured to respond to questions and prompts.
The Benefits of Dialogic Reading
Expands Vocabulary: By discussing new words and concepts as they come up, children learn how it is used in context.
Boosts Comprehension: Dialogic reading helps children connect the story to their own experiences and improves their ability to understand and retell stories.
Encourages Critical Thinking: Asking “why” and “how” questions encourages children to analyze, predict, and draw conclusions.
Strengthens Social Interaction: The back-and-forth exchange during dialogic reading fosters pragmatic language skills.
Supports Early Literacy Skills: Engaging with books interactively helps children recognize the structure of stories, preparing them for independent reading.
How to Get Started
Choose the Right Books: Picture books with engaging illustrations and simple storylines work best. When appropriate, transition to more complex stories.
Use the PEER Strategy (Prompt, Evaluate, Expand, Repeat): Prompt your child to say something about the book, Evaluate their response, Expand on it, and Repeat the prompt to reinforce learning.
Incorporate the CROWD Method: Use these five types of prompts to guide your reading sessions:
Completion Prompts: Leave a sentence unfinished and let your child fill in the blank (e.g., “The cat is wearing a ___.”). This is great for GLPs!
Recall Prompts: Ask your child to remember details from the story (e.g., “What did the dog find in the garden?”).
Open-Ended Prompts: Encourage your child to describe what they see or think (e.g., “What’s happening in this picture?”).
Wh- Questions: Focus on who, what, where, when, and why (e.g., “Why do you think the character is running?”).
Distancing Prompts: Help your child connect the story to their own experiences (e.g., “Have you ever gone to a place like this?”).
Follow Their Lead: Let your child guide the pace and topics of conversation. If they’re drawn to a specific part of the story, dive deeper into it.
By making dialogic reading a part of your routine, you’re not only exposing your child to language and literature, but also helping them develop foundational skills of how to interact with books and ideas. Let the dialogue begin!
Overheard at CA
 | Dehidra: I had to be flexible and independent! Dehidra is a 16-year-old verbal communicator who emailed her teachers about her bus not arriving in the morning. They arranged an Uber for her to arrive in style. We are so proud of her self-advocacy! And so is she. 😄 |
Do it at home: On Your Marks, Get Set, BAKE!
Multitasking around the holidays is usually a must. What better way to tackle your holiday baking than with your child — while also targeting speech and language?! Following a recipe strengthens listening and sequencing abilities, as the order of operations is especially important while baking. Young bakers can practice listening to directions, with important key words like spatial (e.g. “hand me the spoon that’s next to the sink”) or temporal concepts (e.g., before we bake, we have to wash our hands). |  |
Measuring ingredients has the potential to introduce new vocabulary like “tablespoon” and “sift,” while discussing (and testing!) textures and tastes boosts descriptive language within the context of a fun, sensory activity.
Counting and timing tasks enhance executive functions such as planning, organization, and focus. Plus, hands-on activities like stirring, using cookie-cutters, and decorating is great for those fine motor skills.
Most importantly, baking is a great way to foster connection and confidence as children continue to practice their communication… with a delicious end result!
Happy Holidays!
Wishing all of our CA families a fun and relaxing break.