Schendel Speech & Hearing Clinic offers parent-child playgroups
Parent-child playgroups designed to facilitate early communication skills
Eleven children and their parents participated in weekly playgroups this spring sponsored by the Communication Disorders Department, Project TIES, and the Language and Literacy grant funded through the US Department of Education. The new program was designed to facilitate children’s communication skills and provide opportunities for graduate students to participate in guided experiences with parent consultation and embedded instruction. The playgroups were provided under the direction of Juliann Woods, Professor and Chair, Carla Wood Jackson, Assistant Professor, Jade Coston, Project Director and Shubha Kashinath, PhD.
Graduate students in speech-language pathology at FSU collaborated with parents to integrate instructional techniques into play-based group activities. Parents received informational resources and support on building routines, using responsive strategies, arranging the environment and sharing books. As one parent participant enthusiastically noted, "My favorite part about the playgroup was the clinicians; each week everyone brought enthusiasm and creativity to the gathering. The relaxed setting and delightful activities created bountiful opportunities for my child to talk. The clinician, my son and I formed
a team and together we made wonderful progress. We look foward to the fall!"
Faculty and staff at the Department of Communication Disorders look forward to offering the weekly playgroups again next semester. Interested families should contact Carla Jackson at 850-645-6567 to register.
