TWIN FALLS, Idaho – The College of Southern Idaho Early Childhood Education Program Laboratory School is dedicated to fostering an environment for children to develop their speech and language skills, in an age when children can struggle to develop these skills.
St. Luke’s speech-language pathologist Alexis Dutko (MSDCC-SLP) said he’s noticed a decrease in children’s socialization, which is one reason children may experience speech and language delays. language.
One piece of advice Dutko gives to all parents is that they can help keep their children on track by being an announcer for their child’s life.
“Our children learn from us, as if we were their best language models,” Dutko said. “So the more they hear their parents speak, the richer their linguistic environment and the more they absorb.”
Rather than telling a child what to say, Dutko encourages parents to give their children the opportunity to use language for themselves.
Preschool leader Jamie Bridges says having conversations with children is one of the best things for fostering their development.
CSI’s preschool lab teachers have worked directly with children who have not had the opportunity to engage in frequent social interactions.
“Speech develops through relationships with children,” Bridges said. “Children develop relationships by talking to teachers, bonding with a teacher or parent, and learning a lot of that language back and forth.”
Dutko said the first signs that a child may need speech intervention can be spotted by their use of language, the way a child plays, their engagement and their social interactions.
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