visual program for increasing expressive and receptive language

[lorrainejmc]

My ds just turned 8 has expressive and, to a much lesser degree, receptive language delays. It's long story.....

 

Anyway, he is doing really well this year with rightstart math. I mean REALLY WELL.:D He is also using HWT and I do a bit of phonics with him with OPGTR and a lot of hands on add-ons and living books. He is generally having the best school year yet.

 

I would like to add in something that would help his expressive/receptive language. I have been looking at Picturing Vocabulary from gander publishing and I have also looked at Talkies. I also considered the Kaufman speech praxis program, although the jury is out as to whether my son has apraxia or progressive selective mutism (I said it was a long story....)

 

Any experience with these programs? Or any other suggestions?

[PeterPan]

I'm no help on those programs, but given how much he's enjoying RS, I wanted to toss out to you the value of PLAY for speech. There's lots of speech hidden in board games, if you milk them. http://www.amazon.com/The-Wonder-Forge-1055-Richard/dp/B004S2M414 We like this game and also the Busy Town game. Maybe there's something else he'd like better, but you get the idea. There's TONS of language you can integrate into the game. Who's turn is it? What do I do? Roll dice. Put people on plane. Hop 2.

 

You can also do it with things like feeding puppets or playing store or picnic. Lots of language there, very age-appropriate. Or do crafts where he has to talk to get the next step. (What do I do now? Which color?)

[lorrainejmc]

I do use play and daily routines for language learning opportunities but what I think is making RS such a success is that I have a manual that guides me. Technically, we haven't encountered anything yet in RS that he couldn't have learned through play or real life, but having the curriculum is a safety net for *me*. I know what concepts he is currently learning and can integrate them into other activities, but I have the security of ticking off the activities as mastered, IYKWIM? I have 2 other kids who are much more forward in making sure their needs are met, and throw 5 dogs and a goldfish into the mix.... I think *I* need a program to follow to keep us moving forward.:)

[rafiki]

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