Tips & Tricks for Getting Your Child Ready for KTP!
Written By: Mariah Siciliano MS CCC-SLP
Keeping the Pace is this month and we are so excited to see each of you there! Here are some tips and tricks to get your child involved in our biggest celebration of the year! Children with expressive language disorders often have strengths in receptive language skills which means they understand more language than they can express. Students acquire new vocabulary when they are exposed to salient (important) words multiple times in different and meaningful contexts! Read on for some creative ways to get your child ready for Keeping the Pace 2022!
Talk about the event regularly! Make KTP part of your daily routine by bringing it up in conversation before bed or during a mealtime. Describe what your child they will do while there. Emphasize key words like bike, ride, friends and luau/Hawaiian theme. Why is this helpful? We all benefit from hearing information over again in multiple different ways (verbally, visually).
Use pictures to guide the conversation about the event. Have you previously attended KTP? Great! Show your child the pictures of the event and point out fun and unique details. New to KPT? No problem! You can view videos and pictures of the event on our website!
Mark the calendar or create a visual countdown. You can make a simple paper chain countdown with scrap paper. Your child can help you countdown each day by removing a link!
Do you have an adapted bike at home? Awesome! Start “training” for the event by taking regular bike rides! No bike? No problem! We have been getting the students on bikes regularly at school.
Read books about biking or watch videos of other kids riding adapted bikes! It is so helpful for our students to see themselves represented in the content they consume!
Allow them to be a part of the “planning” process. Present them with fun choices of what to wear to the event!
Mention familiar people they will see at the event like teachers, friends, etc. Use pictures of these people to aid comprehension!
Incorporate stretching routines throughout week as you prepare for KTP 2022! Talk to your child’s PT for easy tips and ideas for home stretches!
Keep it fun! Remember, your child feeds off your excitement and emotion!
LET’S RIDE!
