The Weekly Review: Week 65

SLP Idea of the Week

Take bubble wrap, the big kind, and plosive sounds or affricates on each bubble. For Ava, /k/ is the perfect target. Better yet, do 2/3 of them with your target letter and write a foil on the rest of them. So, 2/3 could be /k/ and the rest /p/ or something like that. Then, let your child find all the targets producing the sound as they pop each one they find. Simple, fun, and inherently rewarding. Find my inspiration (and a picture) for this idea here.

Blog Posts of the Week

Jessica at Balancing Everything has written an outstanding series of posts about her son's struggle with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Read part 1, part 2, and part 3 and then stay tuned for the next promised installment.

Ava this Week

She's three. I know she's been three for 3 1/2 months now, but as she continues to grow in independence it hits me more every day. Ava completely, 100%, knows her own mind and will not be persuaded by peer pressure, bribery, or reason to consider changing her mind. She's dressing herself, getting into and out of the car on her own, handling all of her (umm...) hygiene on her own, and pretty much trying to assert control over her world. She is a joy and wonder to me.

Weekly Michael

My son is avidly listening to chapter books. He still enjoys a good picture book, but he begs for the next installment of whatever chapter book we're reading at the moment. First we read the Catwings series which was amazing. Then we read the Moongobble books by Bruce Coville. We've just started Little House in the Big Woods. He'll ask, "Mama, can we read Laura? Please mama."

Not to go off on an aside but...

I hadn't read Little House in the Big Woods since I was young. I suppose it always had all that butchering in it. I did manage to read most of that first chapter with minimal censoring and the children handled it well. But goodness, did it always have so much spanking in it? I have been liberally switching in time outs, yelling, fussing, etc. for the many spankings. It's a bit exhausting.