Jj is for Jottings 104.  Sound-Letter Links and Less Regular Words. Once children know their sound-letter links thoroughly, they are then able to sound out any 100% regular word.  These could be real words or nonsense words of any length, as long as one letter equals one sound (with the basic exceptions here).  But what […]

Jj is for Jottings 133.  Vocabulary: Homonyms, Heteronyms and Homophones. Following on from learning vocabulary and direct vocabulary instruction, it is useful to consider another aspect of vocabulary: homonyms, heteronyms and homophones.  These categories are often either unknown or confusing for many people, so this is a good time to sort them out.  We can […]

Jj is for Jottings 54.  Should I Correct My Child’s Speech? This is Linguine, Kieran’s Murray Darling carpet python. The pic I really wanted was too blurry. Shikha caught a 23 cm long baby brown snake last week and brought it to the front door step to play with. Having just stepped out of the […]

Jj is for Jottings 142.  Critical Thinking. I was thinking the other day about how the world would be much better if more people applied critical thinking skills in their daily lives.  Also about how we can introduce critical thinking to children.  Funnily enough, the very next morning I read an article in the newspaper […]

Jj is for Jottings 113.  Neuroplasticity and Complaining. Following on from the previous article on neuroplasticity, we will now be more specific – how complaining rewires the brain for negativity.  Research shows that most people complain once a minute during a typical conversation.   Although complaining might feel good, but just like smoking or eating a […]

Jj is for Jottings 80.  Decodable Readers. What are Decodable Readers? As mentioned in the previous article (see here), decodable readers support the teaching of phonics in a cumulative manner.  The rules and patterns of the English language are taught sequentially.  As the student learns the rules, he practices using decodable readers.  In this way […]

Jj is for Jottings 148.  Other Effects of Noise. Most of us know about the effects of noise on our hearing, discussed in the previous post.  Spending much time in noisy environments can cause long-term damage to your hearing.  Examples are working in a noisy factory or living near an airport.  Exposure to loud music […]

Art meets photography in Glenda Cornell’s Whistle Stop Studio Gallery. Jj is for Jottings: 8. Effects of Screens on Children – My Observations, Part 2. Here is the list of some of the changes I have seen in children and families, partly as a result of technological growth: Continue reading

Jj is for Jottings 143.  Mouth Breathing. Mouth breathing – breathing through the mouth instead of through the nose – seems like a harmless enough sort of habit.  But its effects turn out to be quite far-reaching.  I referred to mouth breathing as a potential side effect of tongue tie, but that is only a […]

Jj is for Jottings 118.  Hearing versus Listening. Consider hearing versus listening: hearing and listening both involve the ears, but hearing is just the first step in the listening process.  Let’s compare the two. HEARING. Hearing is one of the senses, i.e. the ability to perceive sounds by receiving vibrations through ears.  It is an […]

Jj is for Jottings 68. Communication Milestones. Here is a chart put together by a group from Queensland and the National Office of Speech Pathology Australia which you may find useful. Here is the link if you want to print copies. www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/milestones Jj is for Jottings 67.  Reading Comprehension – Is Your Child Barking at […]

Jj is for Jottings 132.  Direct Vocabulary Instruction. When a child has poor vocabulary knowledge for their age, it indicates that they struggle to learn vocabulary from their written or spoken language experiences.  They will then need direct vocabulary instruction to increase their chances of catching up with their peers. It also makes sense to […]

Jj is for Jottings 112.  What is Neuroplasticity? Just what is neuroplasticity?  It is the term which describes a sequence of processes that take place in your brain in response to incoming stimuli. In other words, your emotions, behaviours, experiences and thoughts physically change the way your brain functions. “What is neuroplasticity? I think it […]

Jj is for Jottings 137.  Auditory Processing Disorders. Following on from auditory skills and developing auditory processing skills, we now turn our attention to auditory processing disorders.  There are so many conflicting ideas in the literature as to exactly what constitutes auditory skills. One could really become bogged down by this and therefore any resulting […]