Phonics is the ability to match letters to the sounds that the letters make. It is a necessary skill to learn to read and spell. Instruction in phonics begins in the early grades and teaches the relationship between letters and their sounds. Phonics are skills one level of the Reading Rope. This instruction is direct and methodical. Children are taught one letter and sound at a time with frequent review. The sound-letter relationship is clearly stated, for example, “oa” says [oa] as in boat. This direct, systematic teaching is key to effective learning. Phonics instruction focuses on teaching the following skills.

Phonics Skills

1. Letters of the alphabet have specific sounds. Students learn to match sounds to consonants and short vowels. For example, “a” is the first sound in apple, “b” is the first sound in bat.

2. English has 44 phonemes. Kids will learn some of these as units, “ee” as in tree, “tch” as in catch, “or” as in corn.

3. Blending: Sounds blend together to make words, e.g. the sounds “f’, “i” and “n” make the word “fin.” Quick and accurate blending is necessary for fluent reading.

4. Segmenting: Words will get separated into the individual sounds, e.g., the word “hat” is made up of the sounds “h”, “a”, and “t” in that order. The ability to segment words is necessary for spelling.

5. Decoding: Using knowledge of letters and their matching sounds to sound out words, what we know as reading.

6. Knowing sight words: Sight words contain some letters that follow the letter-sound relationship, but break phonics rules. Knowledge of sight words improves reading fluency.

7. Manipulating sounds: Make new words by substituting, adding or removing sounds. For example, “cat” to “hat”, “hat” to “hats”, and “hats” to “at”.

Fluent readers and good spellers have strong phonics knowledge and are able to use these skills to excel in school.

Ah, summer break will soon be upon us. For many kids, the summer break from school is the best time of the year. With no school to attend or homework to finish, they have the free time to enjoy all sorts of fun activities outdoors as well as inside. While there are numerous advantages to having all this free time, it often leads to a major complaint. “I’m BORED…!” In this non-stop, technological world, boredom gets a bad rap. It’s not uncommon to see kids and teens retreat to tablets and phones when they’re faced with a few minutes of unstructured free time. Video games, texting, and social media sites make it easier than ever to avoid dreaded boredom. But have you ever considered the benefits of boredom? 

Boredom Builds Skills

Letting your kids be bored can be a painful experience for parents and caregivers. But, it can teach them some valuable skills. When kids face free time, it forces them to come up with a way to fill the time. And this leads to creativity. Boredom also helps kids exercise their problem-solving skills and build a tolerance for uncomfortable circumstances.

It’s not the boredom itself that helps children acquire these skills — it’s what they do with the boredom. For starters, it helps kids build tolerance of less-than-ideal experiences. Life requires us to manage our frustrations and regulate our emotions when things aren’t going our way. Boredom is a great way to teach that skill. So, if you’re wondering “is boredom good or bad” or “what are the advantages and disadvantages of boredom,” here are some solid reasons why boredom is actually good for your child to experience.

Boredom Encourages Kids to Think Creatively

Creativity is one of the most important skills a child can develop. We often tie creativity to artistic expression, but really, it’s about exploring ideas and using your imagination to solve problems in interesting ways. It’s no secret that entrepreneurs are just as creative as artists!

Creative thinking can begin when kids have time to sit down and explore their imagination. Boredom and creativity work together to give them this opportunity. When facing long periods of free time, kids are pretty much forced to put on their thinking caps and come up with interesting ways to spend their time. Creativity doesn’t always come naturally; some kids need help sparking their imagination. If your child seems stumped, help get their minds turning by gently suggesting some activities they could try out. Here are some fun summer ideas to start with.

Boredom Teaches Kids to Tolerate Tedium

None of us like being uncomfortable, but learning to tolerate less-than-ideal circumstances is an important part your child’s development. Letting your kids experience boredom exposes them to mundane situations early, ultimately helping them develop the skills necessary to persevere through discomfort as they get older. 

As your kids grow up and experience the realities of adult life (waiting in line at the DMV, Costco lines, being on hold for long periods of time) they’ll be grateful that they learned how to deal with boring, tedious situations.

Boredom Prepares Kids to Plan

To avoid boredom, many of us avoid having long stretches of free time by making plans. Kids work much in the same way: if you let them know that they’re going to have a few hours of free time, they may start thinking in advance and plan how they’d like to spend it. 

Boredom Helps Kids Develop a Growth Mindset

So we now know how boredom can help kids be more creative, but did you know that this increase in imagination can also help children develop a growth mindset? This is one more of the ways that boredom is good for the brain!

Boredom inspires kids to develop a growth mindset. When kids have to figure out how to fill their time on their own, they begin to realize that they have the power to make change happen. Rather than complain or retreat into their phone, a child with a growth mindset knows that boredom is not permanent—they simply need to entertain themselves!

Boredom Benefits Include Ignition of Independence

One of a parent’s primary jobs is to prepare their children for adulthood, and a big part of this is encouraging them to develop a strong sense of independence. Letting kids sit with boredom may motivate them to think, plan, and explore ideas independently as they search for a way to alleviate their boredom. In the process, they discover what motivates them and their likes and dislikes by how they decide to fill their time.

Teaching kids to be independent has a big benefit for parents and caregivers. You suddenly have free time as you do not have to be in charge of keeping your kids entertained. This can lead to improved mental health and well being! (The saying “happy mom, happy home” is very true!)

Allows Room for Mindfulness

When life is boring, it’s usually because there’s nothing stimulating happening—and this can be a good thing. Between homework, after-school activities, and play dates with friends, kids are busy individuals. While kids’ brains need stimulation, too much can lead to stress and anxiety. Like all of us, children need time to rest and recharge their batteries, and periods of boredom make this much-needed downtime possible. The old saying that more is not always better is very true!

Reap the Benefits of Boredom and Let Your Kids be Bored

At its worst, boredom is tedious, tiresome, and time-consuming. However, at its best, boredom can be a valuable tool that benefits kids and teaches them important life skills. Helping your children view boredom as an opportunity to do something will benefit all. Kids will try new activities, develop better frustration tolerance, learn how to take initiative and entertain themselves, acquire planning strategies and problem-solving skills, build perseverance, increase confidence and get to know themselves better. Searching for ways to fill their time helps build creativity, while simultaneously developing a growth mindset and independence.

So… when it reaches that point of summer break where your kids are constantly complaining about being bored, resist the urge to fill their time with plans and activities. Instead, just let them be bored. Who knows? They might surprise themselves by finding out how fun boredom can be! Plus, you’ll hear fewer complaints and have more time to yourself. The next time your child says, “I’m bored,” respond with, “That’s great! I can’t wait to see what you’ll do!”

Social-emotional learning activities are essential to help kids develop the skills they need to succeed in life. Among the most important skills to learn are kindness and compassion. Children begin developing social emotional skills at a very young age. As parents and caregivers of children, there are many ways to promote skills and teach kindness and compassion. A best seller child’s book Have you Filled A Bucket Today is a delightful book that helps teach kindness and compassion by being a “bucket filler” throughout their day. In summary, this book presents the concept that we each carry an imaginary bucket around with us.

Bucket filling is a term that has gained popularity when talking about positive attitudes and behavior. Many education settings use the concept of bucket filling to teach children about feelings and emotions. The underlying message is that each person carries with them an invisible bucket and when that bucket is full, the person is feeling happy, confident, secure, calm and content. On the other hand, if a person is carrying an empty bucket, they are feeling upset, down, dissatisfied, and unhappy.

The goal is to help increase awareness and understanding and be able to monitor how full or empty their bucket is for determining how they are feeling. Being kind to others fills their buckets as well as our own. When we’re not kind, we dip into others’ buckets, depleting them. Bucket filler activities encourage kids to recognize their own “filling” and “dipping” activities throughout the day and encourages them try to fill as many buckets as they can. This concept can easily by implemented in your home.

How to Implement at Home

So a bucket filler does their best to help others feel better, bucket dippers do the opposite. Bucket dippers use actions, words and behaviors that have a negative impact on others. Some examples of bucket dipping include teasing, saying unkind things and refusing to help someone else. 

There are numerous bucket filler activities, ways to implement for various age groups. One popular way is to use soft colorful pom poms and a container (even better if it resembles a bucket!). Recognize bucket filler activities and behaviors by tossing a pom-pom (some times referred to as “warm fuzzies”) into a child’s bucket. They’ll love watching their buckets fill up.

Simple Ways to Be a Bucket Filler

• A hug
• Share something with them
• Let them overhear you saying something kind about them to someone else
• Practice gratitude with them
• Use your manners
• Create ways to include them
• Think of something kind you can do for someone else and do it together
• Bake something for them, or bake together
• Write a thank you note
• Tell someone you are proud of them, with a specific reason why
• Leave sticky notes for someone, with a kind word or kind messages on them
• Listen when someone needs you to listen
• Tell someone you love, that you love them
• Get creative! Get some markers, paints, crayons or pencils and make some art together!
• Smile
• Do something fun!

Being a bucket filler is a wonderful way to help children make connections to how good it feels to both recognize and be recognized for acts of kindness. Here are some additional links to promote being a bucket filler.

Buckets, Dippers, and Lids: Secrets to Your Happiness. This follow-up reminds kids that sometimes they can control who they allow to dip into their bucket and take away their happiness by using a lid.

Growing Up With a Bucket Full of Happiness: Three Rules for a Happier Life. If you’re looking for a way to share bucket filling with older kids, try this chapter book that’s perfect for upper elementary and middle school.

My Very Own Bucket Filling From A to Z Coloring Book/Amazon

My Bucket Filling Journal: 30 Days to a Happier Life/Amazon

“Bucket filling is in the eye of the bucket holder, not the bucket filler. Fill their buckets with things that are important to them … not you” – David Cottrell

Wake up. Get ready for work, get the kids ready for school, pack lunches, drive to school, drive to work, pick the kids up from school, maybe stop at the grocery store, drive home. Always on the move. Make dinner, wash dishes, clean the house, get the kids ready for bed, get yourself ready for bed. Some days you feel lucky if you’re able to sneak in 10 minutes of play with your kids. Then your child’s speech therapist is recommending you help prompt and help with their speech homework. Where are you going to find the time? Here are tips for integrating speech practice into your daily routine.

The truth is, our lives are busy, and sometimes that one extra thing to work on each day can feel daunting. We know that completion of home programming can lead to greater communication gains. We also know that home programming increases carryover of skills taught in therapy. But where (and when) do you get started?

Tips for Integrating Speech Therapy

Here are some tips for integrating speech sound practice throughout your daily routine:

• Don’t worry about how long to practice! 5 minutes of focused, accurate practice 2-3 times a day can be as effective as 20 minutes of less-focused practice once a day.
• Get creative with where to practice. No need to sit at a table facing each other to practice—get creative! Get a few trials in before or after brushing teeth using the bathroom mirror, or in the car on the way to school, just as long as you can hear your child and provide feedback as necessary.
• Make practicing fun and motivating for you and your child. Have a friendly competition for who can hear the most words with their target sound in their favorite show or movie. Find a song that has their target sound(s) repeatedly and sing along together.

For more ideas on how to integrate home programming into your daily routine, talk to your child’s therapist about what works best for your family. Here are some more ideas on how to build vocabulary at home.

Oral health is a critical part of overall well-being, but for many children in the United States, particularly those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it remains one of the most unmet healthcare needs. As the prevalence of ASD continues to rise—with 1 in 36 children now diagnosed (Stein Duker et al., 2023)—dental providers are encountering more patients with unique sensory needs that impact both home-based oral care and in-office treatment. But, we can create sensory safe dental experiences for these kids.

Children with ASD often experience sensory processing disorders (up to 95% of them, according to Cermak et al., 2015), leading to heightened sensitivity to common dental stimuli: bright lights, the taste and smell of oral care products, tactile sensations in and around the mouth, and the loud sounds of dental instruments. These overwhelming inputs can trigger distress, uncooperative behaviors, and even physical resistance, making routine dental visits especially challenging.

Research shows a clear link between sensory integration difficulties and poorer oral health outcomes (Potter et al., 2018). Parents frequently report difficulty with at-home brushing, sometimes resorting to physical restraint due to their child’s sensory sensitivities (Mansoor et al., 2018). These challenges highlight the urgent need for dental professionals to not only understand the sensory profiles of their patients but also to be equipped with strategies and tools to accommodate them.

Occupational therapists (OTs) bring valuable expertise in sensory regulation and behavior management. By working together, OTs and dental teams can co-develop care strategies tailored to individual sensory needs. This partnership can be transformative—not only for patients, but also for families and dental professionals seeking more effective and compassionate care approaches.

Desensitization Strategies

Here are some desensitization strategies to help provide sensory safe dental experiences for your children that will gradually expose them to the feared stimulus in a controlled and safe environment.

• Storytime: Read books about visiting the dentist. Choose stories that feature characters going to the dentist, explaining what happens during the visit. This can help kids understand the process. Here is a social story you can watch together.
• Role-Playing: Set up a mock dental office at home. Use toy dental tools and let your child take turns being the dentist and the patient. This can help reduce anxiety by familiarizing them with the environment.
• Dental Hygiene Demonstration: Show your child how to brush and floss their teeth properly. Use a large model of teeth to demonstrate the correct technique. This activity emphasizes the importance of dental care.
• Create a Visual Schedule: Make a visual schedule of what will happen at the dentist. Include pictures and simple steps (e.g., check-in, waiting, seeing the dentist) to help your child know what to expect.
• Talk About Feelings: Have a discussion about feelings related to visiting the dentist. Allow your child to express their thoughts and feelings, which can help normalize their emotions and reduce fear.
• Craft Activity: Have your child create a “dentist visit” booklet where they draw or paste pictures of what they think they will see or do at the dentist. This can be a fun way to engage them and reinforce learning.
• Watch a Video: Find a short educational video about a dental visit designed for children. Visuals can help kids understand what to expect during their appointment.
• Practice Deep Breathing: Teach your child deep breathing techniques to help them relax before and during their dentist visit. Practice together so they feel more comfortable using these techniques.
• Discuss Rewards: Talk about the rewards they might receive after their appointment, such as a sticker or a small toy. This can create a positive association with the visit.
• Visit a Dentist: If possible, visit a local dental office prior to your child’s appointment. The office can give a tour, can explain their roles, answer questions, and possibly show some dental tools in a friendly way.

Other Items to Consider for Sensory Safe Dental Experiences

• Have parents provide deep oral pressure or vibration using an electric tooth or Z-vibe prior to dental the visit.
• Engage in sensory circuit/heavy work right before the appointment (i.e. pushing/pulling/lifting/jumping).
• Have child eat something very chewy prior to their appointment.
• Bring child’s favorite pair of sunglasses to wear for the appointment.
• Wear a heavy/tight beanie, earmuffs, noise reduction earplugs, or listen to calming/rhythmic music over headphones.
• A fidget toy or a favorite stuffed animal to hold.
• Bring a weighted blanket/vest or ask to wear the x-ray apron throughout the appointment.

References

1. Cermak, S. A., Stein Duker, L. I., Williams, M. E., Dawson, M. E., Lane, C. J., & Polido, J. C. (2015). Sensory adapted dental environments to enhance oral care for children with autism spectrum disorders: A randomized controlled pilot study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(9), 2876–2888. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2450-5
2. Mansoor, D., Al Halabi, M., Khamis, A. H., & Kowash, M. (2018). Oral health challenges facing Dubai children with autism spectrum disorder at home and in accessing oral health care. European Journal of Paediatric Dentistry, 19(2), 127–133. https://doi.org/10.23804/ejpd.2018.19.02.06
3. Potter, C. N., Wetzel, J. L., & Learman, K. E. (2018). Effect of sensory adaptations for routine dental care in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A preliminary study. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 44(3), 305–314. https://doi.org/10.3109/13668250.2017.1409597 
4. Stein Duker, L. I., Como, D. H., Jolette, C., Vigen, C., Gong, C. L., Williams, M. E., Polido, J. C., Floríndez-Cox, L. I., & Cermak, S. A. (2023). Sensory adaptations to improve physiological and behavioral distress during dental visits in autistic children: A randomized crossover trial. Journal of American Medical Association Network Open, 6(6). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.16346 

Summer is winding down, but there is still time for road trips, beach days, and backyard projects. But before you start lifting heavy luggage or moving patio furniture, let’s talk about keeping your back happy and healthy. Your back works hard during these activities. Long car rides, heavy suitcases, and yard work can all stress your spine. The good news? A strong core is your best defense against back pain, and these easy core exercises can help!

Your Core Matters More Than You Think

Think of your core like a natural back brace. These muscles wrap around your middle and support your spine all day long. When your core is weak, your back muscles have to work overtime. That’s when pain strikes.

Your core includes more than just abs. It’s actually four main muscle groups:

• Deep abdominal muscles
• Back muscles along your spine
• Pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragm (your breathing muscle)

Easy Core Exercises You Can Do Anywhere

Dead Bug

Lie on your back with knees bent at 90 degrees. Slowly lower one arm overhead while extending the opposite leg. Return to start. Do 10 reps each side.

• Why it works: Teaches your core to stay stable while your arms and legs move.

Modified Plank

Start on your knees and forearms. Keep your body straight from knees to head. Hold for 15-30 seconds.

• Why it works: Builds strength in all your core muscles at once.

Bird Dog

Start on hands and knees. Lift opposite arm and leg at the same time. Hold for 5 seconds. Do 8 reps each side.

• Why it works: Improves balance and teaches your back and core to work together.

Smart Lifting for Activities

Whether you’re loading the car or moving a grill, proper lifting saves your back. Here is a safe lifting checklist:

• Get close to what you’re lifting
• Bend your knees, not your back
• Keep the object close to your body
• Lift with your legs
• Don’t twist while holding something heavy

Pack Smart for Travel

• Use a suitcase with wheels
• Pack heavy items in smaller bags
• Take breaks during long drives to stretch

Beat Travel Back Pain

Long car rides are tough on your back. Here’s how to arrive feeling good:

Before You Drive:

• Adjust your seat so your knees are slightly higher than your hips
• Place a small pillow behind your lower back
• Make sure you can reach the pedals without stretching

During the Trip:

• Stop every hour to walk and stretch
• Do simple stretches at rest stops
• Stay hydrated (dehydration makes muscles tight)

Quick Stretches for Busy Days

1. Cat-Cow Stretch –  On hands and knees, arch your back up like a cat, then let it sag down. Do 10 slow movements.
2. Knee-to-Chest –  Lying down, pull one knee toward your chest. Hold for 20 seconds each leg.
3. Child’s Pose – Sit back on your heels with arms reaching forward. Hold for 30 seconds.

When to See a Physical Therapist

Most back pain gets better with simple exercises and smart habits. But see a PT if you have:

• Pain that lasts more than a few days
• Pain that shoots down your leg
• Numbness or tingling
• Pain after a fall or injury

Your Back Health Action Plan

1. Start small: Do 5 minutes of core exercises three times a week
2. Practice good lifting: Use your legs, not your back
3. Move often: Don’t sit in one position too long
4. Listen to your body: Rest when you need to

Remember, preventing back pain is much easier than treating it. A few minutes of daily core work can save you weeks of discomfort later. Make your back health a priority. Your future self will thank you when you’re still enjoying activities pain-free!