Bee Connected Speech & Language Therapy

Bee Connected Speech & Language Therapy Speech and Language Therapist | Families and Professionals

Books aren’t just for bedtime….they’re powerful tools for building speech, language, and connection from the very start....
21/04/2026

Books aren’t just for bedtime….they’re powerful tools for building speech, language, and connection from the very start. 📚

As a speech and language therapist, I see every day how early reading supports:
• Vocabulary growth
• Listening and attention
• Understanding of sounds and sentences
• Social communication and turn-taking

But just as important as what you read is how you read. Here’s a few ideas on things to include when reading

• Pause
• Point
• Comment
• Ask simple questions
• Let your child lead.

It’s not about finishing the book it’s about sharing the moment.

Even a few minutes a day can make a lasting difference. Your voice, your attention, and your interaction matter more than anything on the page.

Start early, keep it playful, and make it part of your everyday routine. 💬

10/04/2026

Take a peek in my therapy bag! 🌟

Here are 5 things I NEVER go to a session without ⬇️

In my years as a Speech and Language Therapist I have gathered a mountain of resources 😅 Of course, each session is tailored to the child, their needs, targets, preferences and interests but you’ll usually find these things knocking around in the bottom of my bag. They’re motivating, simple and versatile.

1. Playdough - sometimes the oldies are the goodies! Nothing flashy here, a simple pot of Playdough to roll, cut, squash, poke things in and even collect all the pieces. Quick and easy reward!

2. You Choose - If I could recommend one book to you as an SLT this would it be. So flexible and fun, plus each time you look at it you spot something different! No joke my son asked for this for a bedtime story every damn night for about 6 months.

3. Bag of “tiny things” - most of these are stolen from my own kids from years of party bags and McDonald’s happy meals (don’t judge!) but these have so many uses from counters in games to work on concepts!

4. Reward Game (one with lots of pieces) - most of mine come from charity shops. They aren’t anything fancy but the many pieces helps get in those turns and reps!

5. A clicker/counter - no it’s not like dog training 🤣 but have you ever used the age old “I’ll time you to see how long it takes you to get dressed” parent hack? This works the same! Those competative kids can’t wait to hit a target number of reps!

08/04/2026

Little Signs, Big Difference 🤟

This week’s sign is YES.

A simple sign like ‘yes’ can open up so many everyday opportunities for communication: from choosing a snack, to joining in with play, to expressing wants, preferences and agreement.

When we give children a way to communicate before spoken words are fully there, we’re reducing frustration and building confidence, connection and understanding.

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, TA, or early years professional, using simple signs consistently in daily routines can make a really big difference.

✨ Try using YES alongside your spoken word throughout the week:
• “Yes, you can have more”
• “Yes, that’s right!”
• “Yes, let’s go”
• “Yes, you would like a snack!”

✅ As always: keep it playful, repeat it often and pair the sign with a word every time!

02/04/2026

My little sidekick 🫶🏼

He’s bold.

He’s loud.

He’s full of life and energy and oh SO many questions.
And yes….sometimes he’s impulsive. Sometimes he’s seen as “too much.”

At 6 years old he told me “my brain feels like it’s going to explode all the time”. This world isn’t always built for children like him.

Too often, it asks them to be quiet, still, compliant, to hold your emotions in.

But children aren’t meant to fit in boxes.
They’re meant to explore, to wonder, to move, to be.

Here’s your reminder that milestones, tests and assessments don’t measure some things.

They don’t measure creativity, joy, kindness, passion, or perseverance.

But as parents…..we see it.

And we’ll keep showing up, speaking up, and standing beside them always.

Here’s to creating a world that sees you for YOU my sweet boy 💙

Communication win of the week! 🎖️ I was so thrilled to receive this message last night for a client I have worked with i...
01/04/2026

Communication win of the week! 🎖️

I was so thrilled to receive this message last night for a client I have worked with in the past. What a moment for him and his family and I am touched that I get to be included in the celebration of his success 🥰

When we first met, this young person was feeling under confident having conversations and communicating with his peers 1:1 or in small groups. Last night he smashed a presentation to a room full of people and I could NOT be more proud of him.

What.
A.
Legend.

🟢🟡🟠🔴🔵 Do you have a ring stacker at home? It’s a common toy for a reason, and I always bring one to my appointments for ...
30/03/2026

🟢🟡🟠🔴🔵 Do you have a ring stacker at home?

It’s a common toy for a reason, and I always bring one to my appointments for preschool age children! I wonder if you’d realised all the ways you can play with it?

What’s your favourite way to play and model language?

Client win of the week! 🎖️ We’ve been working on a particular sound for this child in a therapy block. When we started s...
25/03/2026

Client win of the week! 🎖️

We’ve been working on a particular sound for this child in a therapy block.

When we started she struggled to articulate it on its own, but quickly progressed to using it in a few target words and then in sentences. She worked so hard!

I was delighted to receive this feedback from her mum saying she had heard her introducing herself clearly to someone for the first time on holiday. What a win! 🙌🏻

24/03/2026

🗣️ Who knew!

I was THAT child. I think every single one of my school reports said something along the lines of “Jenny would learn a lot more if she talked a lot less” 😅

Ah well, looks like all that practice has been put to good use!

23/03/2026

🙌 Little signs can make a big difference! 🙌

The sign for this week is “book” 📖

When children see language modeled during meaningful moments in play, they start to understand and may begin to use it themselves.

Here are three simple ways you can model “book” during play this week!

📚 During story time, hold up a book and say and sign “book” before you start reading. Repeat it each time you open or choose a new one!

🧸 In pretend play, use dolls or toys to “read” a book. Model “book” as they pick it up, open it, or turn the pages.

✅ As always: Keep it playful, repeat it often and pair the sign with a word every time!

20/03/2026

Instead of correcting, try modeling instead ✨

When a child says a word “incorrectly” it’s not a mistake to them - It’s a step in their learning. Rather than pointing out what they’ve done, give them a clear and natural model of the correct sound in your response.

Child: “I see a tat!”
Adult: “Yes, a cat! The cat is so fluffy 🐱”

No pressure. No “say it again.” Just hearing the right version in context can help their brain build the sound system over time.

If you have concerns about your child’s speech development drop me a message ⬆️

Then ➡️ Now. Swipe to see how things have changed 👀I always knew I wanted to be a Speech and Language Therapist.I loved ...
17/03/2026

Then ➡️ Now. Swipe to see how things have changed 👀

I always knew I wanted to be a Speech and Language Therapist.
I loved working with children and families and I’ve always been fascinated by child development…but that didn’t mean I always found the job easy.

I kept going till I nearly reached a breaking point and was forced to take some time off.

Tired.
Stressed.
Overwhelmed.

I wanted so badly to do right by the families I worked with, but I was struggling with the limitations and lack of resources. My team were incredible - supportive and kind - but I still wasn’t feeling the job satisfaction I knew this career could give me.

At one point, I even considered walking away from it completely.

Taking time off gave me the space to step back and see things differently. I realised I still loved the work… I just needed to do it in a way that worked for me too.

I’m still finding my feet in some ways, but I haven’t looked back since 🐝

16/03/2026

🤚🏻 Little signs can make a big difference! ✋🏻

The sign for this week is “stop” 🛑

When children see language modeled in meaningful moments in play, they start to understand and maybe use it themselves.

Here are three simple ways you can model “stop” during play this week!

🚗 When playing with cars, vehicles or a ball say and sign “stop” as it stops moving. Keep going for lots of stop and go moments!

🫧 Blow bubbles then pause once they have all popped. Say and sign “stop” as you finish blowing. Build anticipation by adding “go!” (See last week’s video) before repeating the sequence again!

🛝 Action games - during tickles, spinning, or chasing games sign and say “stop!” When the action pauses. Children can learn to use this language to signal they want a game to stop.

✅ As always - Keep it playful, repeat it often and pair the sign with a word every time!

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