Speech Pathology By Design

31/03/2026

Happy Easter from Speech Pathology by Design!
We hope that you have a very special time celebrating.

We will be closed over the Easter school holidays while I recover from surgery.

If you need to contact us, please email and we will get back to you as soon as we are able.

Thank you for your understanding.

27/03/2026

Agreed!

As more U.S. schools hand out iPads to every child, Sweden is quietly making a different choice. Their schools are moving away from screens for younger children and bringing back books, paper, and handwriting. Why? Neuroscience shows that holding a book and writing by hand help kids’ brains grow stronger connections for focus and deep learning.

Research suggests kids remember and understand ideas more fully when they engage their senses and avoid too much screen multitasking. Sweden’s move is not about rejecting technology, but about honoring the real needs of growing minds—helping each child build lasting reading and thinking skills in their important early years.

If you are a parent or teacher, try balancing screen time with real paper and handwriting activities at home. Read together, write notes or stories, and let children touch and turn real pages. Small changes like these might make a big difference for memory and motivation. Technology can be useful, but our kids’ minds sometimes need the simple power of offline moments. Let’s pause and think: are we giving children the learning tools that truly help them thrive?"

19/03/2026

Children don’t crave more stuff — they crave safety, time, and attention.
Every time you stop what you are doing to listen, you are telling your child, You are important. " What you think matters, and I want to hear what you have to say.”

For more inspiration, take our EQ Parenting Quiz, and get a personalized guidebook for raising kind and resilient kids with your results: https://bit.ly/Emotional_Intelligence_Quiz

16/03/2026

Resilience in kids… it’s built in the small moments.

It’s the child who falls off their bike… cries… gets a cuddle… and then says “I want to try again.”

Resilience isn’t about never struggling. It’s about learning that hard things happen, feelings are okay, and there are people who help us through.

If you’re looking for simple ways to build resilience at home, the Resilient Kids Toolkit from Royal Far West is a fantastic free resource for families. It’s full of practical ideas to help kids understand emotions, solve problems, and cope with life’s ups and downs.

👉 https://www.royalfarwest.org.au/resilient-kids-toolkit/

A great little toolkit to add to the parenting toolbox.

A free downloadable guide providing simple and effective ways for parents to build strong and well-balanced kids and families.

01/02/2026

If you have a child with ADHD and you can get to Oran Park - this might be a great opportunity for you.

Supporting parents to better understand ADHD 💙
Join our Thriving Together with ADHD workshop series.
Register here 👉 https://forms.office.com/r/K249wR8APJ

12/12/2025

Language Boost Tip #6 Model

12/12/2025

Such a great post about the dangers of excess technology for kids and the benefits of a tech reduction for our kids. As speech Pathologists we know that face to face and people time is the best way to develop language skills. Children are also experiencing increased technology use in school hours which makes home time even more important to be an 'engaging with people' time. Great timing with the u16 ban.

It’s that time of year when kids start asking for phones for Christmas—and plenty of parents feel torn between keeping them happy and losing control. Both my kids know they’re not getting smartphones til they are at least 16- my daughter thought maybe she could get around us by appealing directly to the big lad at the North Pole in a letter we *ahem* accidentally intercepted- nice try, kid!
After everything we’ve read and seen, the harm social media and constant connectivity are doing to kids is undeniable. Smartphones pull children out of the real world, kill outside time, warp their behaviour, speed them into problems they’re not ready for, and expose them to risks they don’t need. So many parents feel this, but we need to keep saying it out loud.
I recently became an ambassador for the UK’s , alongside and , because-although the tide is turning—we need to normalize the conversation about rethinking the role of phones in our kids’ lives.
The best parts of childhood don’t glow, vibrate, or need charging. And the more families who join the smartphone-free bubble, the stronger it gets.
Click the link in my bio to learn more about Smartphone Free Childhood, the damage they cause, alternative suggestions, and how to help your kids grow up slower, safer, and healthier.
This Christmas, let’s protect what’s left of childhood.

11/12/2025

I'm so excited to share Hanen's free handout focused on how we can make words stand out and repeat them in fun, natural ways. It’s at the heart of what Hanen is all about: giving families practical tools to make the most of everyday interactions.

Link:

11/12/2025

🎄✨ Merry Christmas from Speech Pathology By Design! ✨🎄

As we wrap up another huge year of learning, language, laughter, and connection, I just want to say a heartfelt thank you to all the incredible adults, children, families, teachers, and teams I’ve had the privilege of working with in 2025.

This year has been filled with big feelings, big progress, and so many beautiful moments—first words, confident sentences, brave communication attempts, new sounds mastered, friendships strengthened, confidence gained and lots of joyful play and discussion along the way. ❤️

Thank you for welcoming me into your homes, schools, preschools, and lives, and for trusting me with your and/or your child’s communication journey. Your support, teamwork, and kindness mean the world.

Wishing you all a restful Christmas and a peaceful New Year filled with connection and calm. My motto this year (once work is finished) is to 'let it slow, let it slow, let it slow...'

Stay safe, have fun, and I cannot wait to see everyone again in 2026!

We will be closed between December 22nd and January 29th.

08/12/2025

Language Boost Tip #5 Storytelling

02/12/2025

Vocabulary - I love learning and reading the latest research. ('nerd alert' as my children would say). This one came across my desk and here is a summary! I've been deep diving into vocabulary instruction to make sure I'm working on words that matter to my clients needs and learning, and teaching them in the most effective way possible.

What Makes Vocabulary Teaching Truly Effective?

New research by Green & Coxhead (2025) outlines the Vocabulary Teachers’ Competencies (VTC) Framework — a clear guide to what teachers need to know and do to help children build strong, meaningful vocabulary.

Here are the 5 essential areas that make vocabulary teaching powerful:

1️⃣ Core Knowledge of Words

To teach vocabulary well, we first need to understand how words work.
This includes:
• Word meanings
• Multiple meanings
• Word parts (prefixes, suffixes, roots)
• How words connect to other words
When teachers deeply understand words, they can explain them clearly and meaningfully.

2️⃣ How Vocabulary Is Learnt

Children don’t learn new words from definitions alone — they learn through:
• Repeated exposure
• Rich contexts
• Hearing words used in meaningful sentences
• Using the words themselves
Understanding how children store, retrieve, and use new words helps teachers choose the right strategies.

3️⃣ Effective Teaching Practices

Great vocabulary teaching is explicit, intentional, and interactive.
This means:
• Teaching Tier 2 vocabulary
• Using real examples, visuals, and stories
• Encouraging children to talk, explore, and apply new words
• Revisiting words through routines and play
Effective practices turn words from “heard once” into “stored for life.”

4️⃣ Professional and Curriculum Knowledge

Teachers need to connect vocabulary instruction to:
• Curriculum outcomes
• Classroom goals
• Learner diversity and cultural backgrounds
• Assessment and planning
This ensures vocabulary teaching is purposeful, inclusive, and relevant.

5️⃣ The Big Ideas

At the heart of vocabulary teaching is one simple goal:

'Help children build deep, flexible, meaningful word knowledge that supports comprehension and communication.'

Strong vocabulary grows confidence, literacy, and learning across every subject.

Reference: Green, C. and Coxhead, A. (2025) The vocabulary Teachers' competencies (VTC) framework: The core knowledge, skills and professional capabilities that support effective vocabulary instruction. Literacy. https://doi.org/10.1111/lit.70016