After scrolling through instagram a few months ago, I came across an account that really caught my eye. The account is run by an SLP named Emily (@tandemspeech) and she is the owns a private speech and language company in Austin, Texas. Similar to me, she sees her clients in their natural setting (their home) and puts a large emphasis on parent coaching. The coolest part is that she has her own book! Of course I had to add it to my home library and honestly, I think you should too.
Here’s the Gist
What do kids love to do most? Play! Kids spend so much time learning and exploring the world through play. In Playing With Purpose, Emily details how you can use play to develop your child’s speech and language skills.
Special Features
When I purchased this book I wanted to make sure that it didn’t read like a textbook. My hope was that I would be able to use this as a resource for all of my clients and not just one or two. Here are a few of my favorite features:
The Basics of Language Development
You’ll learn the basics of language development. Emily provides information on language milestones, like when your child should begin imitating gestures, using words and when you should reach out to a professional. It’s like a one-stop shop for everything you’ll need to know!
Why Play Is Important
I love telling families that our therapy sessions will revolve around playtime- some parents just don’t expect that and assume that speech therapy will be full of worksheets and boredom. By reading this book, you’ll learn how beneficial play time actually is to language development. You’ll also gain an understanding of what to look for when purchasing new toys, which is a favorite question of the families I work with (especially around the holidays).
Toys, Toys, Toys
Last, but not least, Emily lists top toys to use during play. If you’ve been in one of my therapy sessions, you might have seen a few of these! By this point in the book, you’ve learned about developmental milestones and why play is so important to language development. Once you read the list of toys, it just makes sense why they are recommended.
There are so many other features to this book that I love, but you’ll have to add it to your bookshelf to see for yourself!
To add this book to your home library, click the button below. I would love to hear what you think about Playing With Purpose! Comment below or send a message straight to my inbox.
