Cozy chats about speech, language and learning

Rakovic Speech and Language Chat

Rakovic Speech and Language Chat

Cozy chats about speech, language and learning

Recent Posts

Circle Time Song Choice Board

Circle Time Song Choice Board

Circle Time Song Choice Boards is my go-to for new students. As I prepare for back to school I begin to organize my supplies and things that I will need to begin therapy. The first thing I always pull out is my Circle Time Song…

Top 7 Reasons Why an SLP  is Important to your Literacy Program

Top 7 Reasons Why an SLP is Important to your Literacy Program

Top seven reasons why a speech and language pathologist should be part and indeed play an integral role in your school’s literacy program.

Prepositions their Importance and How to Teach

Prepositions their Importance and How to Teach

Why should we teach prepositions? Prepositions are part of our everyday conversation. They are a big part of what we use when we give directions. Think about some of the early directions that we give our own children. ” Put on your shoes”, “Get in…

Understanding the Complexity of Choosing Tier Two Vocabulary

Understanding the Complexity of Choosing Tier Two Vocabulary

It is important to have an understanding of the tiers of vocabulary. Recently I was working with a group of Providence College graduate students as we created a reading lesson plan using the story ‘Caps for Sale’ for students with autism spectrum disorder. As part…

Articulation:                   Making Drill Work Fun

Articulation: Making Drill Work Fun

It is progress report time which has meant that I have administered an articulation test to all my speech students. I am consistently amazed at how well they do each quarter with many of them reaching their yearly goal within the quarter. How is this…

How Technology is Rewiring Childhood Mental Health

How Technology is Rewiring Childhood Mental Health

Jonathan Haidt “Technology is rewiring childhood mental health.” Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness takes a hard look at the rise of anxiety and depression among young people in the age of smartphones…

Inclusion Has Been a Fundamental Part of My Educational Journey

Inclusion Has Been a Fundamental Part of My Educational Journey

  Inclusion has been a fundamental part of my journey since the very beginning of my educational career. It is more than just a professional practice for me—it is a core value that defines who I am as a person. My commitment to inclusion was…

Upstream Thinking in Education – A Lesson from Dan Heath

Upstream Thinking in Education – A Lesson from Dan Heath

As educators, we often find ourselves reacting to problems as they arise—students struggling with coursework, behavior challenges in the classroom, or systemic issues that seem impossible to untangle. But what if we could address these problems before they even occur? That’s the premise of Upstream…

7 Compelling Reasons to Teach Kids About the Pumpkin Growth Cycle

7 Compelling Reasons to Teach Kids About the Pumpkin Growth Cycle

Teaching kindergarteners or preschoolers about the pumpkin growth cycle is important for several reasons: 1. Connecting with Nature and the Environment 2. Understanding Life Cycles and Science Concepts 3. Building Language and Vocabulary Skills 4. Enhancing Cognitive Development 5. Incorporating Math and Counting 6. Fostering…

BOOST LANGUAGE WITH SONG ADAPTATIONS

BOOST LANGUAGE WITH SONG ADAPTATIONS

Learning adaptations of songs, such as Leaves of the Tree to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus, offers a powerful tool for enhancing students’ language and learning. Here are some reasons why these adaptations are so effective: 1. Familiarity Enhances Engagement When students…

Unlock Early Language and Learning Skills with Twinkle Star

Unlock Early Language and Learning Skills with Twinkle Star

As educators, parents, and therapists, we’re always looking for ways to make learning both fun and effective for young children. The Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Nursery Rhyme Interactive File Folder Activities is a tool that achieves just that, by combining classic nursery rhymes with engaging,…

Understanding Attention Deficit the Role of Speech-Language Pathologists

Understanding Attention Deficit the Role of Speech-Language Pathologists

Elijah came barreling toward me, his excitement barely contained as he nearly collided with me. With a huge grin plastered across his face, he shouted, “Are you going to take me?” Elijah, a five-year-old kindergartener, is like a lively ping pong ball, bouncing from one…

9 Ways to Unlock the Potential of Gestalt Language Learners

9 Ways to Unlock the Potential of Gestalt Language Learners

Language acquisition is a unique journey for every child, but for Gestalt Language Learners, the process is particularly distinct. Understanding this approach and crafting a tailored speech and language therapy plan can significantly enhance their communication skills. In this blog post, we’ll explore what Gestalt…

The Magic of Joint Attention: Observing Our Little Ones at Family Dinners

The Magic of Joint Attention: Observing Our Little Ones at Family Dinners

This summer, our family started a new tradition of weekly dinners, alternating between two homes. It’s been a delightful experience, especially watching our grandchildren interact with each other. The two girls, both one year old, are a joy to observe. What has really caught my…

Multi-Sensory Strategies for Story Sequencing

Multi-Sensory Strategies for Story Sequencing

Helping children understand and sequence the beginning, middle, and end of a story is a crucial skill for developing literacy and comprehension. For children who thrive on sensory experiences, incorporating multi-sensory strategies can make this process more engaging and effective. Here are some creative and…


My Diary

Hello world!

Hello world!

A New Day

You can’t be that kid standing at the top of the water slide, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute. ~ Tina Fey

I have been standing at the top of the water slide, afraid to take the plunge into a different blogging experience. In June 2013, I began a blog on Edublogs. I was new to blogging but wanted the opportunity for my graduate students to be able to read, comment, and make suggestions on a variety of topics.

Teaching students whether they are school age or adults is still my passion in life. What has evolved from the beginning blog has been the opportunity to share with a wider audience.

The goal of education is not to increase the amount of knowledge but to create the possibilities for a child to invent and discover, to create men who are capable of doing new things”

This new blog will continue to have educational related topics but it will also have resources that I would like to share with you. My goal is to create a space that we can continue to discover together.

Will you take the plunge with me? Follow my blog with Bloglovin


All Time Favorites

3  Ways To Teach Greetings and Names a Beginning Social Skill

3 Ways To Teach Greetings and Names a Beginning Social Skill

A potential friend is only a ‘Hello’ away. Paul Liebau One of the first social skills that I love to teach is greetings and student’s names. As a speech and language pathologist I know that although it might seem like a very simple skill when you…

Songs Are An Important Language Development Tool and Free Download

Songs Are An Important Language Development Tool and Free Download

Songs are an important language development learning tool. One of my favorite speech and language therapy techniques is using singing to develop language. Using songs for preschoolers for language learning is fun and effective. Preschoolers can learn so much through songs. Why use songs in…

TILT-WHIRL: School Year 2020-2021 and Some Solutions

TILT-WHIRL: School Year 2020-2021 and Some Solutions

I am not sure what your year has been like, but mine has been crazy.  Our administration has told us that we need to ‘pivot’ to adjust to the changes that seem to happen daily.   I begin to feel like I am on the…

Hello world!

Hello world!

You can’t be that kid standing at the top of the water slide, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute. ~ Tina Fey I have been standing at the top of the water slide, afraid to take the plunge into a different blogging…

Top 10 reasons you should be a speech and language pathologist

Top 10 reasons you should be a speech and language pathologist

January 1979 I started my Clinical Fellowship Year as a speech and language pathologist. I have NEVER regretted the decision to become a speech and language pathologist. It has been a phenomenal adventure! When I began my college career I had not really known a…