Therapy series : Oral Motor Excercises 3

Tongue base

1. Click your tongue on the roof of your mouth
2. Stick your tongue out, then pull your tongue back in until it reaches the back of your throat
3. Say the syllable .ka.
4. Say the syllable .ga.
5. Say the syllable .ag.
6. Swallow very hard

Source : Clarian Health Partners, Inc., 1998

School Series : Be a partner with your child’s school

Being a partner with your child’s school means working together with teachers, assistants, the nurse, counselors, and the principal to do what’s best for your child. Here is how to do that:
• Volunteer to help. If you can, spend some time at your child’s school. You will develop a good relationship with your child’s teachers. Helping at your child’s school can give you a better idea of the people and programs that are available to your child. Offer to help out in the school library or classroom. Volunteer to chaperone a field trip, be a “class parent,” or share something special about your job with your child’s class. Volunteer to work at the refreshment stand at a football game, or offer to drive students to volunteer in a community program. If you can’t be in school during the day, you can offer to type up field-trip forms or class lists, make class phone calls for the teacher, donate supplies, or make nutritious snacks for the class. You might organize a study group for the students before a big test or final exams. Serve “brain food.” Teachers will appreciate the fact that you care and that you are helping, even when you’re helping out from home.

• Participate in school events throughout the year. It can be difficult to find the time to attend games, concerts, plays, or other activities at school, but it’s important to do it when you can. Invite other family members and good friends—people who know your child well—to join you for these events. Try to attend school events designed for parents, such as back-to-school nights, an open house, or the college or university fair. Join the parent-teacher organization at your school.

School Series : Help your child get organized

We all do better work when we manage our time well and organize the tasks in front of us. Here are some ways to help your child get organized for school:

• Put a family calendar in the kitchen and write down important school dates. Write down when parents’ night at school will be, when report cards are coming out, when conferences take place, and when the holiday show will be. As soon as you receive an announcement of a coming event, write it down on the calendar. Talk with your spouse or partner about events on the calendar so that you both know what’s coming up. If your child’s other parent doesn’t live with you, give him or her a call so everyone can plan in advance for an important event. If you know you will not be able to attend a program at school, ask another family member or friend if she can be there in your place.

• Make sure there is a quiet space at home where your child can study without distractions. Make sure it has good lighting. Turn off the TV. Let younger children know that they have to let their sister work on her assignments because it is important to do them carefully.

• Help your child make lists and charts that will help him remember what he has to do. Make a check or star when each job is finished.

Toddlerhood Series : Support your child’s curiosity, intelligence, and hard work

Here are some ways you can encourage your child to work hard and be a curious and active learner:
• Praise and celebrate your child’s efforts and accomplishments. Focus on how much she wanted to do a good job and how hard she worked. Praise your child for trying hard and sticking with it. The effort is even more important than the final grade. Praise and celebrate every child in your family all year long—not just when report cards come out. Display your child’s papers and artwork on the refrigerator. Tell your child how wonderful her work is.

• Read often to your child and encourage your child to read. Your child is never too young for you to read aloud to him. Your child is never too old to listen to you read aloud. The more your child reads, the better prepared he will be to handle harder and harder schoolwork as he moves up the grades.

• Be interested in all the questions that your child asks. Try to answer or talk about those questions, even if you feel busy or tired. Whenever you can, take the time to help your child find the answers to questions—by looking in books, by asking an “expert,” by figuring it out.

School Series: Be actively involved in your child’s education.

Get to know your child’s teachers. Go to school meetings and special events like plays and holiday shows. Know when a test is coming up or a report is due. Here are some other ways you can be actively involved:
• Walk or drive your child to school when you can. If you drive your child, every now and then park the car and take a minute to go in if you can. Getting to know teachers and staff will help you and your child connect with school, especially in the elementary years.

• Find out about school and become familiar with your child’s schedule. It’s easier to have conversations about school if you know the names of all your child’s teachers and what’s going on in the classroom and at school. That way you can ask specific questions. “I heard you’re taking a trip to the town library next week. What are you studying?” “Are you going to enter a project in the upcoming science fair?” “Is your music class working on anything to perform for the holiday concert?”