Little Dot's Speech and Language Therapy

05/07/2026

Next week I'll be meeting an 11-year-old who is experiencing some speech sound difficulties.
When working with older children, it's so important to choose activities that feel fun and age-appropriate. Games can be a fantastic way to break the ice, build rapport, and create natural opportunities to chat, helping me listen to speech in a relaxed, conversational setting rather than through formal tasks alone.
I've added a couple of Top Trumps games and a Would You Rather...? game to my therapy bag. They're perfect for sparking conversation, encouraging confidence, and making speech practice feel enjoyable.
Sometimes the best assessments happen when a child is simply chatting, laughing, and having fun.

30/06/2026

Today we spent the day exploring a beautiful woodland, and it was packed with wonderful speech and language opportunities.
🌳 We watched and fed the squirrels, encouraging lots of commenting, turn-taking and descriptive language. We talked about what they looked like, how they moved and what they were eating.
🐦 We stopped to listen to the birds and chatted about the different sounds we could hear. This was a lovely opportunity to develop listening skills, sound awareness and introduce new vocabulary.
🦆 At the pond we fed the ducks and swans, comparing their size, colour and behaviour. We used positional words such as on, in, under, behind and encouraged prediction by asking, "What do you think will happen next?"
🍃 Along the way we collected sycamore seeds, fir cones and pebbles. These treasures sparked conversations about textures, shapes, sizes and counting. They also inspired imaginative play and storytelling once we got home.
The best speech and language activities don't need expensive resources. They happen naturally when we slow down, notice what's around us and follow our child's interests. Every walk is an opportunity to build vocabulary, develop listening skills and enjoy meaningful conversations together.

29/06/2026

We had a wonderful day at the beach today, and it reminded me that the seaside is so much more than just fun – it's a fantastic place to develop speech, language and communication skills! 🌊🏖️

My grandchildren, Dotty (4) and Sid (2), were learning through play without even realising it.
Here's just some of what we experienced: 🐚 We built vocabulary by naming shells, seaweed, pebbles, crabs and waves. 💬 We enjoyed lots of conversations, asking questions like, "What can you see?" and "What do you think will happen next?" ❓ We developed understanding by following simple instructions such as, "Find a smooth pebble" and "Put the bucket next to the spade." 🔢 We counted shells, footprints and buckets of water. 🎨 We used lots of describing words including big, tiny, rough, smooth, wet, dry, heavy and light. 📖 We created stories with sandcastles, pirates and sea creatures. 🎵 We sang songs and nursery rhymes together. 👂 We listened carefully to the sounds of the waves, seagulls, wind and boats. 🤝 We practised turn-taking while digging, collecting treasures and playing games.
The best part? They were simply having fun. Children learn best when they're engaged, chatting, exploring and sharing experiences with the adults around them.
Every trip to the beach is a wonderful opportunity to build communication skills. ❤️

05/02/2026

Help! My 4 year old says 'tat' for 'cat' 🐱 and 'but' for 'book' 📔

It’s very common for 4-year-olds to swap sounds (like 't' for 'k'), but by this age, we usually expect those 'back sounds' and final consonants to be popping up! If your little one is still struggling to be understood by others, a quick check-in can make a world of difference.

I’m here to help turn those 'tats' into 'cats' in a fun, stress-free way! 🗣️✨

23/04/2024

LANGUAGE IS IMPORTANT

Children who are behind in language development at age 5 are 6 times less likely to reach the expected standard in English at age 11, and 11 times less likely to achieve the expected level in maths. DfE, 2017.

31/03/2024

17/03/2024

If you are offended by swearing please be aware this young lady swears once.

However, Adults with Down Syndrome are constantly infantalized - hearing them swear helps to break the cycle, like it or not.

14/03/2024

73,000 children and young people
5,000 children waiting over 52 weeks for support. This is very worrying reading.

23/02/2024

This week we are thinking about TV and screens!
Credit to National Online Safety

Follow this link for more information on using a tablet with your toddler www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/toddlers-and-tablets