shared book reading and speech-language pathology

Language Intervention

Information about Language

Reading Disorder

Social Language

Best Books Information

Website Information

Information for Teachers and Speechies

[?] Subscribe To This Site

Shared book reading. What is the role of the speech-language pathologist?

Shared book reading is a literature based language intervention that has a strong evidence base.

I think literature based intervention is a terrific way of teaching students language and literacy skills.

Speech-language pathologists who use this method don't teach reading. Instead we focus on the underlying language that underpins all literacy.

Recent research indicates that text-based language intervention is best practice. That is,(text-based)intervention is based on current research, and is perhaps the best way forward in the treatment of school-age language disorders.

I use the shared book reading method often, and the benefits and the results I've had are very encouraging. What I like is that text-based intervention has a very strong contextual base.

This is important, because it tackles head on the problems associated with decontextualized language.

Contextual support is really useful when a language impaired student is learning new language concepts.

Shared book reading's primary goal is for a clinician to use a story book as a therapeutic tool to improve language knowledge and use.

This is done by using the text and illustrations in a picture book as the source of language stimulation. The language is extracted from the text and pictures in the story book.

The sheer number of language goals that can be gained from one passage in a well written children's book is quite amazing.

Class teachers are also more likely to follow up on the clinician's language goals and recommendations, because the text-based intervention tends to be a close fit or can be custom fit with a student's overall academic goals.

I recommend that school-based speech-language clinicians, and teachers, read the books of speech-language pathologists Geraldine Wallach, Kathryn DeKemel and Marion Blank.

The research and work practices of the above authors offers speech-language clinicians an integrated language intervention that is fully formed and evidence based.

Text-based inervention dispenses with 'cookbook' type therapy and its sometimes lack of direction.

Instead text-based intervention focuses language impairment in a coordinated, systematic and precise way.

And it's fun. It's fun to use text-based intervention. The students enjoy it too. That's because they get to think and learn about literacy and language in a new way that is interesting to them.

Sequence of Text-based Language Strategies

Please follow the links for a more in depth discussion on shared book reading strategies.

Building Background Knowledge (Preparatory Set)
Shared Reading Activity (Clinician and student read book together)
Basic Comprehension Questions (Clinician asks a series of literal and inference type questions)
Language Arts Activities (Clinician uses a variety of language stimulation techniques to facilitate student's understanding of semantics, grammar, story grammar, syntax, and pragmatics.)

When I was a speech pathology student the textbook we studied for the language development lectures was Rhea Paul's Language Disorders: from Infancy through Adolescence. I believe that many speech-language pathologists have a copy of this book, as it was required reading for all undergraduates.

The book itself is a huge purple tome and tends to sit on many speechies bookshelves and simply gather dust.

The wealth of information in this book is simply mind boggling. The pro's and con's of literature-based intervention and other theories are discussed and explained, and it points the reader in the right direction if they wish to learn more.

I continually refer to this book, and can always find new and relevant information, and practical ideas on how to begin them.

So, if you do have a copy and you don't read it often, take it down from its shelf, blow off the dust, and read it. It's worth a look at the very least.

A language intervention ebook custom made to teach your students language skills, that includes inferencing activities. To learn more please click here.

Also, please sign up for the Language Dispatch newsletter. The newsletter provides essential monthly language intervention tips, techniques and information.

The information provided in the monthly newsletters is ideally suited to be used by speech-language pathologists, teachers and parents of language impaired students.

Once you've signed up to the Language Dispatch you'll also receive a new free Idioms ebook, On Cloud Nine.

The On Cloud Nine Program features 100 context based scenarios, and a multiple choice format to effectively teach this difficult figurative language concept.

The program is very easy to use and is yours free, once you've signed up to the Language Dispatch. The program is available as an Adobe pdf download.

Enter your E-mail Address

Enter your First Name (optional)

Then

Don't worry -- your e-mail address is totally secure.
I promise to use it only to send you The Language Dispatch.

Return from shared book reading to speechlanguage-resources home page