? About my child's speech teacher?

Question

My child is in a speech class because some letters he does not pronounce correctly. Well yesterday he brought home a paper from his (speech) teacher letting me know that she wants my child to circle a happy face if he thinks he used good sounds and a sad face if he knows he didn't. She also wants his teacher to do the same thing. I really don't see how this will help his speech and also feel it may make him sad and lower his self esteem. Any ideas or advice? I am planning on talking to the teacher today about this but my husband and I don't feel that the happy or sad face paper is needed. My son's teachers say he always tries so hard and does his best. Isn't him trying his best enough or am I looking at this wrong?

Answer 1

I would definitely not allow them to do that to him. Little ones are so easily discouraged, and if he becomes less confident about his speech issues, it will have a snowball effect on his whole attitude towards school and learning! As a former teacher, I saw countless numbers of children who at some point in their school career, were told they couldn't do something well, or were made to feel inadequate. I can't tell you what it did to their self-esteem! I do not think that your child circling a happy or sad face is going to do anything to him but make him even MORE aware of the problem, instead of trying to improve it. As you probably know by now, when a big deal is made about a child's behavior or something of that nature, it makes it worse! I think you should tell the teacher that you will not have him participate in that "face paper" and just focus on getting him to pronounce the letters as best as he can. I am sure that by now, he already knows there is a problem. Children are very aware of things, even if we think they don't know. Give him tons of praise when he does say the letters correctly, and when he doesn't, just keep helping him! Good luck.

Answer 2

I would be upset about that also. I have a fifth grader who has been in speech since first grade, and i've never seen him bring home a frowny face about anything. Early on when he was working on sound production, the paper would have a list of sounds r,th, ch, f, and so on. When he pronounced the sound corectly we would put a check mark beside it, the ones he had trouble with we were to leave blank. At the end of each week, the sound with the most check marks got a prize from that sound box (she has little boxes in her room labeled with each beginning and end sound). I think it is a great system, because no mateer what, on Friday he got a prize. That system helps. He would work at check marks, but never got discouraged if some sounds didn't have many. He felt good about the ones with alot of check marks. I would have been furiuos if we had to put frownie faces, and wouldn't have done it nor would I have permitted her. Good luck mom, I'm sure you can handle this.

Answer 3

I don't think the smiley/frowny thing is meant to indicate that he's doing poorly. The frowny face is meant as a way for your son to indicate that he heard what he said and he felt it wasn't quite normal. If the speech therapist is having the teacher fill one out too, she's probably checking to see if your son's perception of his speech matches up with what he's really saying. That can make a huge difference.

For example, my DD struggled with reading and writing. We discovered that she wasn't hearing the middles of words by working with a similar sort of chart system. That made a huge difference in how we approached her sounding out and spelling from then on.

Depending on your child's age the checks and blanks may be appropriate as a substitute but for young kids smile/frowns have more meaning.

Answer 4

I see what you are saying because my daughter is very sensitive and is only 4 yrs. old. But, if the child knows he is saying it wrong than it will make it easier for him to understand what his problem is and the teacher is only like a coach because the teacher cannot pronounce the words for him he will the person that will be able to corect it. It is his voice and his mouth and he knows best how to operate them better than anyone else. He will actually feel better about himself if he is able to take part in correcting it. Positive encouragement for recognizing his weaknesses will also help ease the process of the smiley face technique she is using. I have an example you may or may not like. My husband cannot roll his r's and therefore cannot pronounce alot of spanish words but he knows this and if he worked on it he will eventually be able to do it. If he didn't know that he was pronouncing the spanish words wrong than it will be harder for him to understand how to correct his problem.
Hope this helps!

Answer 5

If a instructor mentioned my new child needs speech scientific care, i could get her speech scientific care. She is the expert and what new child could no longer use greater help in any ingredient of faculty in first grade good now? college isn't what it replaced into as quickly as we've been infants. My new child in first grade is envisioned to be attentive to way greater effective than I did at that age, why no longer permit her have some help in spite of if she struggles merely a sprint of, she could have the top hand interior the tip. i think of its a sturdy thought to allow her do it.

Answer 6

There are a couple of factors at play here. He may be too old for the smiley face/frown face. Would he be filling out this information in class or during speech therapy? I took speech for a breathing problem I had and what went on in that class, stayed in there. It might be embarassing for your son to have his speech therapy information in his regular classroom.

She should concentrate on modelling good pronunciation, having him read or discuss real world subjects. My speech therapy included a discussion of my daily events, dreams (!) and then reading age-apropriate material (rhymes and folk tales). I think the faces are discouraging and unnecessary.

Answer 7

It's okay to feel offensive about this situation. I don't think the happy/sad face paper is meant to offend you. She just wants him to recognize if he can decipher his learning ability to recognize if he is learning the right pronunciation. Just tell the teacher how you feel about this.

Answer 8

The next time your son has a session with the speech language pathologist ask if you can sit in. It will help you understand why they do that. I have sat in on many session with my son. =)

Answer 9

i think the teacher is just trying to see where he sees himself. no need to take it offensively. when u talk to the teacher she will explain herself.

Answer 10

NO-WAY YOU STAY ON TOP OF ALL OF HIS TEACHERS. MY DAUGHTER IS IN SPEECH AND SPECIAL ED AND NONE OF THOSE TEACHERS CARE FOR YOUR CHILD IT IS JUST THERE JOB. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. DON'T GIVE UP. I WORK AT A SCHOOL AS WELL AND LIKE THEY SAY THE SQEAKY WHEEL GETS THE GREASE. GOD BLESS