Point of View/Perspective; Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum

Understanding point of view when reading is important because it leads to critical analysis of the text.  This is a target area for SLPs because it speaks to comprehension of material.  In the classroom, the teacher may discuss how a story can be told from a specific viewpoint, such as that of a worm in "Diary of a Worm" by Doreen Cronin.  Children will also learn how one story can be told differently, such as "The Real Story of the Three Little Pigs" by Jon Scieszka which tells the story of "The Three Little Pigs" from the wolf's point of view.  As children get older, they will move onto chapter books that have more complex viewpoints, including books such as "The Diary of Anne Frank," "Wicked," "Look Homeward Angel" and "The Great Gatsby."  In order to practice understanding point of view, I suggest role playing at the Soliders & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum.  Your child can describe viewpoints of veterans and those from the home front that are profiled in the museum.  This is also a relevant task considering Memorial Day was this week.

Image retrieved from http://www.livingpittsburgh.com/2014/05/pittsburgh-memorial-day-celebration-at-soldiers-sailors/.

Look at exhibits and ask your child questions to get her thinking about possible viewpoints.

 

 Image retrieved from http://pittsburgh.ettractions.com/Soldiers-Sailors-Memorial-Hall-Museum/attractions/7674/.

Here are some questions to get your child started:
What do you think the men were thinking about when this picture was taken?
How do you think the men felt about being in the service?
Do you think the men were fearful of combat?
Why do you think the men chose to be part of the Air Force?

For the more advanced, ask your child to pick a man from the picture, and role play.  Have her pretend to be one of the men, and ask her what she would say to her family back home; ask her what she missed most about being home; ask her about the friendships she developed in the service; ask her what basic training was like.
 

 

 Image retrieved from http://www.yelp.com/biz/soldiers-and-sailors-memorial-hall-and-museum-pittsburgh.

The above is a cast of Abraham Lincoln.  To practice perspective, ask your child what Lincoln would say about problems that our country faces today (international relations, taxes, inequality).

 

Image retrieved from http://soldiersandsailorshall.org/.

Questions to ask with these treasures may include:
How did this man feel about being drafted?
What do you think his perspective was on serving his country?
How would this man view the role of women in the military today?

For the more advanced, ask your child to take on the role of a G.I. from one of the Axis powers from World War II.  Ask her to answer the above questions in that person's voice.

Changing gears: difficulties in seeing another person's perspective is common with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).  Children with ASD often have difficulty perceiving what emotion another person is experiencing.  One way to target this is to pay special attention to facial expressions.

Image retrieved from http://veteranvoicesofpittsburgh.com/2012/03/.

Tell your child that this man is "happy" because he is smiling and showing his teeth, and because his eyes are open wide.  Review photographs of happy people several times with your child, repeating the same information.  Next, look at a photo of someone that is happy and ask your child how he is feeling (the answer should be "happy").  Finally, ask your child to identify a picture of a happy person on her own.

Image retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-15672939.

Tell your child that this man is "sad" because he is frowning, and he is crying.  Review photographs of sad people several times with your child, repeating the same information.  Next, looks at a photo of someone that is sad and ask your child how he is feeling (the answer should be "sad").  Finally, ask your child to identify a picture of a sad person on her own.  Note: this picture is not on exhibit at the museum.

Pittsburgh Jokes

Although April Fools' Day has come and gone, I think it's important to use jokes frequently...even in speech therapy.  Joke telling is a great way to practice turn-taking and social skills.  Telling jokes is also a great way to practice articulation, stuttering strategies, language, voice strategies, abstract reasoning, reading...just about anything!  Here are a few Pittsburgh-themed jokes:

1. Why did the panther cross the road?  Because it was the chicken's day off!

2. What's black and white, black and blue, black and white, black and blue?  A Pittsburgh penguin slipping on the ice!

3. What did the Eat'n Park Smiley Cookie say when he felt sick?  I feel crummy.  I'm about to crumble!

4. Where do Pittsburghers keep their money?  In a river bank!

5. What did the frozen vegetables at Giant Eagle say?  Lettuce out, it's cold in here!

6. How can there be an Upper Saint Clair if there isn't a Lower Saint Clair?!

7. What is the nicest town in Pittsburgh?  Friendship!

8. Knock knock.  Who's there?  Pierogi.  Pierogi who?  Knock knock.  Who's there?  Pierogi.  Pierogi who?  Knock knock.  Who's there?  Pierogi who?  Knock knock.  Who's there?  Orange.  Orange who?  Orange you glad I didn't say Pierogi?!

9. What do lawyers wear to the Allegheny Courthouse?  Lawsuits!

10. Why did the computer go to UPMC?  Because it had a virus!

Please post below any Pittsburgh-themed jokes that are appropriate for children.

Reading; Children's Books

Children's books set in Pittsburgh include:

Pickles to Pittsburgh by J. and R. Barrett
Goodnight Pittsburgh by M. Jasper
Santa is Coming to Pittsburgh by S. Smallman
Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates by J. Winter.

Read these with your child to increase early reading skills, vocabulary and reasoning.  Here is a link about reading milestones: http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/all_reading/milestones.html

Please post below if you know of any additional children's books set in Pittsburgh.

Reading: Young adult books based in Pittsburgh

Help your young adult with her reading skills by reading a book based in Pittsburgh.  You can read along with her to increase her reading comprehension, critical reasoning and vocabulary building.  I can only think of two books set in Pittsburgh:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (note: this does contain some "mature" subject matter, so I recommend reading the book yourself first before recommending it to your child)

The Quilter's Apprentice by Jennifer Chiavarelli (set in southwestern PA).

Please post below if you know of any books set in Pittsburgh appropriate for children/young adults.

Word List: Heinz Chapel

Word lists containing nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs are useful for many goals.  They can be used to target reading, spelling, writing, stuttering, voice strategies, articulation, phonological processes, vocabulary building, sentence structure, etc.  Thus, I have decided to post word lists relating to Pittsburgh.  This one is centered on Heinz Chapel.  Obviously there are many, many words that pertain to this area so I have tried to limit my lists to 25-50 words.  If there is a word that you would like to be included, please post below!

 

 Image retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinz_Memorial_Chapel.

There are many "ten dollar words" here, so this list may be especially helpful for older children in need of acquiring new vocabulary or honing spelling.

Please post below how you use these words to help your child reach her goals.

Aisle

Altar

Architecture

Carving

Cervices

Chapel

Choir

Cornerstone

Cross

Design

Exterior

Façade

Gift

Glass

Hymn

Interdenominational

Interior

Iron

Memorial

Nondenominational

Organ

Pew

Pray

Prayer

Seal

Services

Shield

Sing

Spire

Stained glass

Steeple

Stone

Tours

University

Windows

Wood

Worship

One, two and three syllable words to practice at the Pittsburgh zoo, and at home; Reading

Practicing production of words at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium is fun and a great way to use speech and language in a real world setting.  But what do you do once you are at home?  To take things to the next level, I recommend reviewing the words with your child via books.  Many picture books are centered on animals, and you can find a book for just about any animal.  Choose the animal/book based on your child's interest or speech/language needs.  For example, if she is working on producing two syllable words, then read books on monkeys and pandas.  Have her say the word whenever she sees a picture of the animal.  If she is working on reading chapter books, then have her read about owls in the Harry Potter series (she can read sections aloud so that you can prompt her as appropriate).  If she needs practice on the /r/ sound, reference The Rainbow Fish.  Below is a list of words and books for children.  As always, please post below or e-mail me if you need assistance in meeting goals or creating activities.

One syllable words with associated books:

Fish: The Rainbow Fish
Seal: The Seals on the Bus
Cat: The Cat in the Hat
Dog: Clifford the Big Red Dog
Hen: The Little Red Hen
Shark: Shark in the Dark
Snake: The Snake Who Was Afraid of People
Horse: National Velvet
Mouse: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Bear: The Berenstain Bears series
Pig: The Amazing Bone
Fox: Fantastic Mr. Fox
Moose: If You Give a Moose a Muffin
Bat: Bats at the Beach
Deer: The Yearling
Ape: Evangeline Mudd and the Golden-Haired Apes of the Ikkinasti Jungle

Two syllable words with associated books:

Lion: The Lion King
Monkey: Curious George
Giraffe: Giraffes Can't Dance
Lemur: The Ako Series
Panda: Dinner at the Panda Palace
Rabbit: The Velveteen Rabbit
Camel: How the Camel Got its Hump
Llama: Llama Llama Red Pajama
Sea Horse: One Lonely Sea Horse
Owl: Harry Potter series
Turkey: Turkey Trouble
Stingray: Toys Come Home
Parrot: If You Were a Parrot
Peacock: Three Hens and a Peacock
Spider: Charlotte's Web
Penguin: Mr. Popper's Penguins
Reindeer: Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Tiger: Mr. Tiger Goes Wild

Three syllable words and associated books:

Kangaroo: What do you do with a kangaroo?
Porcupine: A Porcupine Named Fluffy
Elephant: Babar series
Flamingo: Mud City, A Flamingo Story
Koala: Koala Lou
Gorilla: Good Night, Gorilla

Word List: St. Patrick's Day Parade

Word lists containing nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs are useful for many goals.  They can be used to target reading, spelling, writing, stuttering, voice strategies, articulation, phonological processes, vocabulary building, sentence structure, etc.  Thus, I have decided to post word lists relating to Pittsburgh.  This one is centered on the St. Patrick's Day Parade, which will be held March 15th.  Obviously there are many, many words that pertain to this area so I have tried to limit my lists to 25-50 words.  If there is a word that you would like to be included, please post below!

Image retrieved from http://www.examiner.com/article/st-patrick-s-day-parade-downtown-pittsburgh; photo credit Seth Rosenberg.

As with each of my lists, I suggest bringing it with you while you are out and about at any location.  Feel free to give this list directly to your child (if she can read) and have her check off each of the words that she encounters; customize the words and use of the words for her particular goals.  (If you need some suggestions, please post below or e-mail me.)  Explain any unfamiliar words to her.
Bagpipes

Band

Banner

Cabbage

Celebrate

Clover

Confetti

Corned beef

Costumes

Dancing

Downtown

Float

Green

Holiday

Instruments

Irish

Joke

Kilt

Leprechaun

March

Music

Parade

Party

Pot pf gold

Potatoes

Route

Shamrock

Sing

Song

St. Patrick

Stand

Streamers

Street

Watch

"Green Eggs and Ham" Re-imagined

"Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss is one of my favorite contemporary picture books.  I just can't get it out of my head...which is why I re-imagined it in a Pittsburgh setting, with pierogies replacing the green eggs and ham.  Read this out loud to your child, because reading stories and hearing rhymes are helpful for children because it helps promote early literacy and attention.  Or, have your child read this to you to practice reading skills, articulation, stuttering strategies, voice strategies, etc.  I would love to add some pictures to this when I have more time.

Image retrieved from http://www.roadtripsrus.com/2013/10/09/pedaling-pierogies-national-pierogi-day/.

I am Suzy Zees.

I am Suzy Zees.

Suzy Zees – that’s me.

That Suzy Zees

That Suzy Zees!

I do not like

that Suzy Zees!

Do you like

pierogies?

I do not like them,

Suzy Zees.

I do not like

pierogies.

Would you like them

outside or in?

I would not like them

outside or in.

I would not like them

for breakfast, lunch or din-din.

I do not like

pierogies.

I do not like them,

Suzy Zees.

Would you like them

in Station Square?

Would you like them

with a bear?

I do not like them

in Station Square.

I do not like them

with a bear.

I do not like them

outside or in.

I do not like them

for breakfast, lunch or din-din.

I do not like peirogies.

I do not like them, Suzy Zees.

Would you eat them

in Schenley Park?

Would you eat them

with a shark?

Not in Schenley Park

Not with a shark.

Not in Station Square.

Not with a bear.

I would not eat them outside or in.

I would not eat them for breakfast, lunch, or din-din.

I would not eat pierogies.

I do not like them, Suzy Zees.

Would you? Could you?

On a cruise?

Taste them! Taste them!

You can’t lose!

I would not ,

could not,

on a cruise.

You may enjoy them.

You will see.

You may like them

on the T?

I would not, could not on the T.

Not on a cruise! You leave me be.

I do not like them in Schenley Park.

I do not like them with a shark.

I do not like them in Station Square.

I do not like them with a bear.

I do not like them outside or in.

I do not like them for breakfast, lunch or din-din.

I do not like piergoies.

I do not like them, Suzy Zees.

A run! A run!

A run! A run!

Could you, would you

while on a run?

Not on a run! Not on the T!

Not on a cruise! Suzy! Leave me be!

I would not, could not, in Schenley Park.

I could not, would not, with a shark.

I will not eat them with a bear.

I will not eat them in Station Square.

I will not eat them outside or in.

I will not eat them for breakfast, lunch or din-din.

I do not like them, Suzy Zees.

Hey!

In the river?

Here in the river?

Would you, could you, in the river?

I would not, could not,

in the river.

Would you, could you,

in the sun?

I would not, could not, in the sun.

Not in the river.  Not on a run,

Not in on a cruise.  Not on the T.

I do not like them, Suzy, you see.

Not in Station Square.  Not in Schenley Park.

Not with a bear.  Not with a shark.

I will not eat them outside or in.

I do not like them for breakfast, lunch or din-din!

You do not like

pierogies?

I do not

like them,

Suzy Zees.

Could you, would you,

with a feline?

I would not,

could not.

with a feline!

Would you, could you,

on the incline?

I could not, would not, on the incline.

I will not, will not, with a feline

I will not eat them in the sun.

I will not eat them on a run.

Not in the river! Not on the T!

Not on a cruise! You leave me be!

I do not like them in Schenley Park.

I do not like them with a shark.

I will not eat them in Station Square.

I do not like them with a bear.

I do not like them outside or in.

I do not like them for BREAKFAST, LUNCH or DIN-DIN!

I do not like

pierogies!

I do not like them,

Suzy-Zees.

You do not like them.

SO you yell.

Taste them! Taste them!

And you may tell.

Taste them and you may tell I yell.

Suzy!

If you will let me go,

I will taste them.

You will know.

Hey!

I like pierogies!

I do!! I like them, Suzy Zees!

And I would eat them on the incline!

And I would eat them with a feline.

And I will eat them in the sun.

And in the river.  And on a run.

And on a cruise.  And on the T.

They are so yummy, so yummy you see!

So I will eat them in Schenley Park.

And I will eat them with a shark.

And I will eat them in Station Square.

And I will eat them with a bear.

And I will eat them outside and in.

Hey! I will eat them for breakfast, lunch and din-din!

I do so enjoy

pierogies!

Thank you!

Thank you,

Suzy Zees!

Word List: Point State Park

Word lists containing nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs are useful for many goals.  They can be used to target reading, spelling, writing, stuttering, voice strategies, articulation, phonological processes, vocabulary building, sentence structure, etc.  Thus, I have decided to post word lists relating to Pittsburgh.  This one is centered on Point State Park.  Obviously there are many, many words that pertain to this area so I have tried to limit my lists to 25-50 words.  If there is a word that you would like to be included, please post below!

 

Image retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_State_Park.

Image retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Block_house.

This list has a lot of "ten dollar words," so it may be best for older children.  (There is a lot of history with this site, so I recommend it to history and war buffs.)  If anyone has ideas for less complex words pertaining to Point State Park, please post below!  The park is free to visitors, as is admission to the Block House.  I've never been inside the Block House, so if anyone has words associated with the inside please post below!

Allegheny river

American Revolution

Aquifer

Bastions

Battle

Block House

Brick

Bridges

British

Confluence

Continental army

Downstream

Downtown

Fort

Fort Duquesne

Fort Pitt

Fountain

French and Indian War

Golden Triangle

History

Landmark

Landscape

Monongahela river

Ohio river

Outdoors

Park

Point

Recreation

Rivers

Water

Tip: For older children that have an interest in history, I recommend using these words to compare Fort Pitt to other forts in the Pittsburgh area.  Here is a link listing forts in the Pittsburgh area: http://www.northamericanforts.com/East/pa-pitt.html#fay