On the weekend a friend of mine gave me a book she has written! My kids are super impressed that we have a book signed by the author! It reminded me though of the ‘why’ I love books so much for our kids. Not only are they a gateway to new vocabulary (and research shows […]
If you have a small child, one way to support language development is to expand on what they are saying. The other day we were out walking and I watched a small child (about 18 months) get enthralled by a small dog. He was saying to his family “puppy, puppy” and pointing. Their response was […]
I remember when my children were little and everyone would talk about routines. To be honest, I kind of heard blah..blah..blah.. as I am not a routine person. I like flexibility and I seem to really like change and as such when people would say you need routine. My brain would freeze a little. It […]
Parents are often concerned when their child is swapping sounds in words and I often get asked what sounds to expect at what age? It is a good question. I do think though one of the funniest things as a parent can be how our kids say words. I remember when I was a young child […]
I often hear families share that when they express concerns to their GP, Peadiatrician, Grandparent or friend a common response is the ‘wait and see’ approach. Often well-meaning and possibly sometimes spot on. The reasons though are often – “he is a boy and they are later to talk” or “she has a lot of […]
Is your child really cute, but you can’t always understand what they are saying? This is one of the glorious parts of early communication development. They are not meant to be saying everything exactly the same way as adults. Kids are learning the sounds and then learning how to combine them with other sounds. This […]
I get asked this question a lot. I actually have a love / hate relationship with the question as well. It implies there is a “right” way. We all travel our paths at our own pace and our kids development is the same. It is a marathon and not a sprint. It feels a bit […]
Small Connections is about helping parents feel calm and confident supporting the development of their young child’s language and talking. There are four key ingredients to having CALM connection and communication with your young child. This then allows for talking and language to grow and develop. These four CALM ingredients are: Connection: How we feel, what […]
One very powerful way to engage and connect with your child is to get to their eye level and be face to face with them. This helps them to connect to you, to know that you are talking to them, it helps them understand and to listen to you. Recently my crazy dog ate a […]
Dear Connectors, This is my first post on Small Connections. My first time at putting something that has been in my head for a long time out there into the Universe for people to know about. I am a Speech Pathologist. This is a site that will grow to support parents and families who are […]
Talking to learn…learning to talk..the value of books
/in Speech and Language /by Bonny MarshOn the weekend a friend of mine gave me a book she has written! My kids are super impressed that we have a book signed by the author! It reminded me though of the ‘why’ I love books so much for our kids. Not only are they a gateway to new vocabulary (and research shows […]
Puppies are perfect for building language!
/in Speech and Language /by Bonny MarshIf you have a small child, one way to support language development is to expand on what they are saying. The other day we were out walking and I watched a small child (about 18 months) get enthralled by a small dog. He was saying to his family “puppy, puppy” and pointing. Their response was […]
Routines – The Perfect Tool for Developing Language
/in Speech and Language /by Bonny MarshI remember when my children were little and everyone would talk about routines. To be honest, I kind of heard blah..blah..blah.. as I am not a routine person. I like flexibility and I seem to really like change and as such when people would say you need routine. My brain would freeze a little. It […]
Is swapping sounds normal??
/in Speech and Language /by Bonny MarshParents are often concerned when their child is swapping sounds in words and I often get asked what sounds to expect at what age? It is a good question. I do think though one of the funniest things as a parent can be how our kids say words. I remember when I was a young child […]
Some common myths…about early communication development
/in Speech and Language /by Bonny MarshI often hear families share that when they express concerns to their GP, Peadiatrician, Grandparent or friend a common response is the ‘wait and see’ approach. Often well-meaning and possibly sometimes spot on. The reasons though are often – “he is a boy and they are later to talk” or “she has a lot of […]
Tips for when you can’t understand what your young child is saying.
/in Speech and Language /by Bonny MarshIs your child really cute, but you can’t always understand what they are saying? This is one of the glorious parts of early communication development. They are not meant to be saying everything exactly the same way as adults. Kids are learning the sounds and then learning how to combine them with other sounds. This […]
What is normal?
/in Uncategorised /by Bonny MarshI get asked this question a lot. I actually have a love / hate relationship with the question as well. It implies there is a “right” way. We all travel our paths at our own pace and our kids development is the same. It is a marathon and not a sprint. It feels a bit […]
The four steps to CALM Connection
/in Uncategorised /by Bonny MarshSmall Connections is about helping parents feel calm and confident supporting the development of their young child’s language and talking. There are four key ingredients to having CALM connection and communication with your young child. This then allows for talking and language to grow and develop. These four CALM ingredients are: Connection: How we feel, what […]
The power of being face to face…..
/in Uncategorised /by Bonny MarshOne very powerful way to engage and connect with your child is to get to their eye level and be face to face with them. This helps them to connect to you, to know that you are talking to them, it helps them understand and to listen to you. Recently my crazy dog ate a […]
Hello
/in Blog /by Bonny MarshDear Connectors, This is my first post on Small Connections. My first time at putting something that has been in my head for a long time out there into the Universe for people to know about. I am a Speech Pathologist. This is a site that will grow to support parents and families who are […]