Thank You All and A Happy New Year!

I am so very grateful to all readers who have supported my effort during 2020, 

whether it was a question, an idea, or a critical suggestion. 

A big thank you!

Touch Typing Helps with Spelling and Dyslexia

Gary Hopkins said:

“With an enormous computer presence in schools, the question is no longer whether to teach keyboarding but when to teach it.”

Is Touch Typing a multifaceted ability? The answer is Yes.

Research has shown that learning to type early on, in the first few years of schooling, can benefit a student’s reading and comprehension. With a lower percentage of our attention directed at the keyboard, a student is able to concentrate more fully on his work and the concepts being taught.

What Touch Typing helps with?

Touch Typing teaches a student how to decode and break down words and sentences. That can greatly help with spelling skills. As we learn to type we become used to the pattern of the QWERTY keyboard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QWERTY and the structure of the letters, muscle memory alone can help us remember how to spell!

Learning touch typing leads to a natural fluency when using a keyboard and faster typing speeds on average than someone using the ‘hunt and peck’ method (an improper form of typing where the user looks (hunt) at their keyboard for location, then presses (pecks) the key, generally using only their index fingers.)

For more info check:

Nessy Fingers (Teaches touch typing while improving spelling.)

https://www.nessy.com/uk/product/nessy-fingers/

Education World  https://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr076.shtml

Pros of COVID-19 for Families

At the end of 2020, I wanted to stay on the bright side and look just at the Pros of COVID-19

Extended Family time:

• Sharing household duties
• Cooking
• Reading
• Playing board games and more
• Immediate parental support

Health:

• Longer sleep - No commute required
• Freshly cooked and healthy homemade food
• Outdoor activities - Fresh air, walking, biking, hiking, and other sports
• Exploring nearby neighborhoods and local attractions 
• Outdoor gatherings - Less sitting and eating, more movement and creativity

Online education:

• Convenience and Comfortability - Students can be logged in from anywhere in the world to be on time for the class
• Availability and Affordability - With online courses, the opportunities available to students are boundless. On-line recesses are endless.
• Chance to master time management and technology use
• Online social interaction with a bigger crowd than before - Just set the time

To learn about two sides of COVID-19 read:

https://www.acc.org/membership/sections-and-councils/women-in-cardiology-section/section-updates/2020/06/05/12/38/pros-and-cons-of-covid-19

Tips for Improving Communication When Wearing a Face Mask

What are you saying?

Tips after The National Institute on Deafness and 

Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

Be aware

Is the person you’re communicating with having trouble understanding you?

Ask and adapt if needed.

Be patient

Face coverings block visual cues and muffle sounds that help us understand speech.

It can make interactions frustrating.

Be mindful

Consider how physical distancing might affect your communication.

As distance increases, sound levels decrease, and visual cues are more difficult to see.

Be loud and clear

Speak up, but don’t shout.

Focus on speaking clearly.

Consider wearing a clear face covering, if possible.

If you’re having trouble understanding, ask the person you’re talking with to speak louder.

If you lip-read, ask those you interact with regularly to wear a clear face covering.

Turn down the background volume

Background noise can make conversation especially hard.

When possible, move to a quieter spot or turn down the sound.

Communicate another way

Use a smartphone talk-to-text application or writing tools to communicate.

(Paper, pen, whiteboard, etc.)

Confirm that your statement is clear

Ask if your message has been understood.

Bring a friend or be a friend

If it’s essential that you comprehend important spoken details,

During a discussion with a health care provider, an office worker, or a teacher.

Consider bringing a friend or family member with you.

Or, offer to come along to listen and take notes,

When a friend has an important appointment or meeting.

 

Open the link below for the full article:

https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/about/nidcd-director-message/cloth-face-coverings-and-distancing-pose-communication-challenges-many 

Read ASHA articles related to hearing deficits, communication, and face masks during COVID-19:

ForSpeech Sounds, 6 Feet With a Mask Is Like 12 Feet Without

PediatricHearing Loss Effects Are Anything But 'Mild' During COVID-19

Media Spotlight: Masks and Communication  

Find "Hearing Disorders – Resources" on Motivated Parent - Successful Child: 

https://slpzone.blogspot.com/2014/01/hearing-disorders-resources.html