Word Nerd

12/02/2026

Lots of the kids I work with are movers. Their bodies need to wriggle and stretch so in my sessions I like to:

🕺 incorporate movement into what we do

🧘 use the floor rather than a table. Often their bodies like to be stretched out or feel firm support across more of their body

👐 use therapeutic gestures and actions that help their bodies and mouths know what to do

🚜 follow their interests. It's much easier to focus when what we're doing is motivating for them

Occupational Therapists are the experts on this and I like the tips shared by The Occuplaytional Therapist

Do you know any kids who are movers? What do you find helpful?

09/02/2026

Lots of parents have questions about structured literacy. Here’s a simple explainer of some of the lingo 🙌🏻

Learning to read has become political lately, with experts and politicians debating how best to teach children.

For parents and other bystanders though, all the terms being thrown around can be confusing. What exactly is the 'science of reading'? What's a phonic when it's at home?

Samantha Montgomerie: Writer has written a guide to literacy lingo, so you can understand just what's going on between the pages of those little readers your kids bring home ...
https://www.thesapling.co.nz/literacy-lingo-the-terminology-behind-literacy-and-reading-programmes/

03/02/2026

Notes like this fill my heart! "Dear Ruth, Thank you for teaching me all those tricky sounds! I really enjoyed playing with you and I hope you will have lots of other kids to play with". Dictated by a 5yo friend as he finishes up working with me ☺️

02/02/2026

I'm always learning and I love to share what I learn! Last year learned a new kupu (word) for speech language therapist and shared it with some local SLTs. I wrote about it with the lovely Melva Ritchie from Tongue Twisters and it's featured in the latest New Zealand Speech-language Therapists' Association Communication Matters magazine. You can read it in full here https://speechtherapy.org.nz/assets/Communication-Matters-Articles/2025-Communication-Matters/Communication-Matters-Summer-2025-web.pdf?vid=4

29/01/2026

👋 Welcome to Word Nerd in 2026 🌟

🫆 I’m Ruth Brehaut, a speech-language therapist with almost twenty years experience. I offer fun and evidence based speech-language therapy and literacy support.

🚗 I come to you. Whether at home, school or ECE throughout Kirikiriroa/Hamilton and nearby.

📞 Send me a DM to arrange a free, no obligation chat to discuss what you have noticed and see if I can help.

🙋🏻‍♀️ Maybe you want to know about...

🗺️ Navigating Neurodiversity

🗣️ Speech sounds and speech clarity

🌳 How children understand and use words + sentences

🛝 Language for play and making friends

🗒️ Reading and spelling

_________

I care about making therapy accessible. Therapy approach and frequency can be tailored to suit your budget and family life. If you’re waiting on publicly funded support, I can work with you while you’re waiting.

26/01/2026

Cracking open my to do lists, getting ready for 2026 💪🏻 📒 🌟

11/12/2025

How does your family say Merry Christmas?

02/12/2025

🎄 A Christmas arrangement from today thoughtfully created by Mr5 as he practised his words🎄

20/11/2025

Songs are a great way to expand children's vocabulary!

This potion song is full of useful words. It has simple ones like pot, lid, mix and more complex words like whisk, sift, brew. Including the more complex words can really boost your child's language development!

Who has a kid who loves to make potions? 🙋‍♀️

Join Mr Roberelli and I, and a gaggle of gorgeous kids - just like you - and help us make a magic brew! We'll need lots of it so get stirring and mixing and ...

18/11/2025

I love to make speech language therapy fun!

17/11/2025

Looking to support your child's speech language development over the summer holidays?

Maybe your child has been struggling to communicate and you'd like to understand why and how to help them?

Get in touch! I have appointments available before the summer break to help set you up for talking fun in the sun*

*sun not guaranteed

08/10/2025

Pups ready to bring the fun during a session this morning!

🐶 🚓🚜🚁🐶