Time flies indeed!
It is already a year since we started the SKILD Center blog. We have shared advice and tips by special education professionals and parents of special needs children. You can browse various topics of interest in past posts and we will continue to announce entries through our Facebook page and Twitter account.
This month’s blog post, November 2021, begins a recently launched digital SKILD series of
73 topical videos relating to 6 categories concerning the education and mental health of our children with special needs.
Today’s topic is Speech and Language Therapy, an important topic for educators, whether parents or teachers, because when children have difficulties speaking or relating to language in any way, it can influence their self-confidence, which directly affects their readiness to learn. For example, some might refuse to go to school to avoid being mocked by classmates. Other children risk getting academically behind because of being afraid to speak up in the classroom in front of their peers. All these issues, individually or combined, influence social interactions and social development.
As a parent, teacher, or therapist, you can find helpful information, tips, and activities for implementing at home, in the classroom, or in a clinical setting, especially when learning to fluidly use the preferred home language of Arabic.
| 1. | Understanding and using facial expressions | 11. | Understanding questions before answering |
| 2. | Tips and strategies to improve clarity of speech | 12. | Developing the ability to analyze sounds |
| 3. | Quick and easy reading and writing | 13. | Short and long sounds in the Arabic language |
| 4. | Distinguishing between (ح ) (ج ) (خ ) | 14. | Characteristics of sounds in the Arabic language |
| 5. | Letters and variety of shapes in the Arabic language | 15. | Developing non-verbal communication |
| 6. | The rule of (ة/ت) | 16. | Strategies for comprehension of a written text |
| 7. | Accurate delivery of information | 17. | Distinguishing between ( ص) ( ض) ( ط) ( ظ) |
| 8. | Development of language inventory | 18. | Visual differentiation |
| 9. | Understanding metaphors | 19. | Exercises for muscles of the mouth |
| 10. | Organizing and narrating ideas in sequence | 20. | Oral fluency |
We hope that you find these exercises and activities useful, and that you will share them with other concerned parents and teachers in your community. Helping children overcome such difficulties is essential for them to learn the Arabic language correctly and to be able to improve their academic performance.
“ Language acquisition in young children is characterized by rapid and obvious change in all areas, including phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. In contrast, change occurs gradually in older children and adolescents.”
(Nipod, M. A. (1993). Adolescent Language Developmental Markers in Adolescent Language: Syntax, Semantics, and Pragmatics. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, Volume 24, 21-28. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1044/0161-1461.2401.21)
