Bright From the Start Approved Trainings
Preschool Speech Pathology 101 – Sections 1 & 2 (each 2 hours)
In the first section, the instructor will briefly review normal speech and language development, including expected milestones. She will then focus on understanding exceptional children including a variety of possible diagnoses educators may begin to recognize in the preschool setting. The instructor will also offer an opportunity for participants to understand learning differences by practice. The roles of various specialists in the preschool setting will be reviewed. Participants will be provided with multiple “handy handouts” that can be shared with concerned parents.
Section two will include the final two hours. Ten functional strategies educators can immediately utilize in their classrooms to help their more non-verbal children talk and effectively communicate will be reviewed and practiced. This hour will also include strategies for working with children with receptive language difficulties. The final hour will be taught as a “circle time” activity in which participants will learn how to utilize music in their classrooms to enhance communication. Everyone will have an opportunity to sing and have a lot of fun! The instructor will suggest specific CDs to order, and she will demonstrate how to immediately use these songs in the classroom to have the children singing and talking.
Strengthening Speech-Language Skills in the Classroom - 2 hours
Participants taking this course should have a basic understanding of how to help children strengthen and develop their speech-language skills, as reviewed in the previous courses: Speech Pathology 101, sections 1 & 2. This next course, “Strengthening Speech-Language Skills in the Classroom” provides teachers with additional tools to more fully and comprehensively strengthen speech-language skills within their classrooms through the use of games, activities and music. The instructor will provide examples of how to use and adapt common books and preschool classroom materials into activities to work on strengthening speech and language skills. How to adapt these strategies for all ages, age 1 through age 5, will be discussed. Course participants will learn through instructor demonstration and partner or small group role playing.
Understanding Auditory Processing and Pre-Literacy Skills - 2 hours
After developing a basic understanding of speech and language in the previous courses: Speech Pathology 101, sections 1 & 2. This next course provides teachers with a more in-depth understanding of the term “auditory processing” and the different levels and types of processing difficulties children ages 3-5 may exhibit. The terms auditory memory, phonological processing, phonological awareness, auditory memory and language processing are defined and explained. Additionally, the relationship between processing and the development of literacy skills will also be reviewed. The speaker will then explain the impact processing difficulties may have on a child’s ability to express themselves well to others. The speaker concludes by discussing how to communicate these types of difficulties to parents, and when a professional referral is appropriate.