Flourish Speech and Language Therapy

21/07/2026

Comments Beat Questions
Have you ever noticed how quickly conversations with children can turn into a quiz?
❓"What's that?"
❓"What colour is it?"
❓"How many have you got?"
Questions have their place, but too many can put pressure on a child to answer.
Try making comments instead.
💬 "That's a big tower!"
💬 "Your car is going so fast!"
💬 "I can hear the birds."
Comments give children language they can learn from, without expecting an answer.
Sometimes the best conversations start when we stop asking so many questions.

14/07/2026

Follow Your Child's Lead
Children learn best when they're interested and having fun.
Instead of deciding what your child should play with, spend a few minutes joining in with what they've already chosen.
🚗 If they're pushing cars, push a car too.
🧱 If they're building with bricks, build alongside them.
🫧 If they're fascinated by bubbles, enjoy the bubbles together.
When children are engaged, they're much more likely to listen, communicate and learn new words.
Communication starts with connection.

07/07/2026

A Little Communication Tip for Today
Sometimes the smallest changes make the biggest difference.
One simple way to help your child communicate is to narrate what they're doing . For example:
“You're drinking juice. Orange juice! Orange juice tastes yummy!”
Talking about everyday actions gives your child lots of language to hear and learn, without pressure to respond perfectly.
Tip: Keep your sentences short, clear, and natural — it’s about building understanding and confidence, not perfection.

30/06/2026

Hello Again!
Hi everyone! It’s been a little while since I shared a post, but I’m back and excited to reconnect.
I’ll be posting tips, ideas, and simple ways to help children communicate confidently — little strategies you can try in everyday life.
Here’s a quick one to get us started:
When you ask your child a question, give them time to think. Try silently counting 1 elephant, 2 elephants… up to 10 elephants before helping or repeating. 🐘🐘🐘
This short pause gives your child space to process, plan, and find their own words — a small change that can make a big difference!

01/06/2026

I’m pleased to share a podcast I recently contributed to, where I talk about clinical supervision in speech and language therapy.

We explore why supervision matters, what effective supervision actually looks like in practice, and the challenges many clinicians face in accessing it consistently. It’s a topic I feel strongly about, particularly the need to move supervision from something that is “nice to have” to something properly embedded in professional practice.

I hope it adds to the wider conversation about supporting clinicians to deliver safe, reflective, high-quality work.

Link below if you’d like to listen.

All HCPC registered staff are required to have supervision; Libby interviews Rachel Jackson, who is a very experienced clinician but also a very experienced and skilled supervisor. Indeed, she has...

04/05/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1B4GtJ1jJL/?mibextid=wwXIfr

24/02/2026

💬 Let’s Talk Tuesday:
Encourage descriptive language during play. Tell your child the colour, size, and texture of objects. It builds vocabulary naturally

24/02/2026

📣 New Government Plans for Specialist Support in Schools

You may have seen news about the Government’s new Schools White Paper and something called “Experts at Hand.”

In simple terms, the plan is to make it easier for schools to access specialists — like speech and language therapists, educational psychologists and SEND experts — without families having to wait for a formal plan first.

The aim is earlier help, less stress for parents, and more support built into everyday school life.

It’s still in the planning stages, but the focus on early, accessible support is a positive step.

17/02/2026

💬 Let’s Talk Tuesday:
Pause and give your child time to respond. Even a few extra seconds can encourage more complex language and confidence in conversation

10/02/2026

💬 Let’s Talk Tuesday:
Play “I Spy” with sounds instead of letters: I spy something that starts with /s/ or /t/. Fun for articulation practice and listening skills