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6 Keys for Raising Bilingual Children

If you have a bilingual household and your child is learning two languages at the same time, you might have some questions about best practices to use at home when speaking to your child.  Some parents are worried that if their child is having difficulty with the second language, that they should stop speaking their primary language (i.e. Spanish) and only speak the second language (i.e. English) at home.

Children have the capacity to learn two or more languages efficiently, so do not feel like you are overwhelming your child. Many parents worry that teaching their child more than one language at a time will make them behind in one or both of the languages, but actually a child is capable of learning two languages at the same time and learning two languages at once will not cause any language problems. Research is showing that being fluent in more than one language can contribute to academic success, so it is great to encourage both languages!  Here are some tips you should know about dual-language learning:

1. Practice Opportunities

Give your child many chances to hear and practice both languages during the day.  Read books, sing songs and speak in both languages. If the child receives only English at school, it is OK to speak another language at home.

2. Exposure

Even if your child is having difficulty acquiring the second language, you should still continue to speak both, especially if they are going to have meaningful interactions with family members and friends in their primary language.  Children learn by being exposed to a language, so if you want them to learn it, they need to hear and speak the language frequently.

3. Question

When teaching new concepts to learners who are acquiring a second language, ask many questions! It lets the child practice using their second language, and it allows the parents/teachers to gauge what the child is understanding.

4. Point Out Similar Words

When reading books with your child, point out words  that are similar in both languages. It will reinforce their new language skills while showing them how much they understand of their first language too.

5. Make it Visual

Students who are learning a second language may benefit from using visual aids to help them develop English language skills.  Showing them videos or pictures to go along with vocabulary words will make it easier for them to comprehend the auditory information.

6. Effort

By making an effort to help your child succeed in both languages, you are setting them up for success!

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Patient Reviews

LLA Therapy

Patient Reviews

Crystal Scheibe

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Great place, glad we found them. Been going to Medina over 2 months now and he loves Lauryn and Kyler. Wish they had more ABA therapy places available... live in Wooster and long drive everyday.

Karrie Swan LaRock

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My 11 year old son has dyslexia and has made noticeable gains in working At LLA THERAPY. Katie is strong in her approach toward him and also keeps him comfortable enough to perform well. We will continue visiting both the Fairlawn and Hudson offices and recommend them highly.

Ron Monroe

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My 9 year old just completed about 9 months of weekly speech sessions (due to his stuttering) with Matt Hagge at LLA and we are thrilled with the experience and results. What I thought might be a negative (what kid really wants to go to speech class?) was made very positive by Matt, and my son never hesitated or complained when we talked about class. He really enjoyed it and really took what Matt taught him to heart. His speech has been greatly improved and we definitely recommend LLA. Thank you so much!

Heather Dougherty-Pantoja

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My son’s Occupational Therapist, Jess, is an amazing OT! She gives practical tips on working with my son at home and school!

Terri Apgar

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I cannot say enough good things about LLA Therapy. My daughter was a client of Teal Simmons’ for approximately 2 years and was just released from speech therapy! She was diagnosed with Apraxia in 2015 and worked with Teal twice a week. Through Teal’s application of PROMPT therapy, my daughter had age-appropriate speech after one year. All of the staff we interacted with at LLA were absolutely wonderful. They really care about what they do and making sure your child achieves their goals.

Kelli Geisler Davisson

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LLA Therapy has been an excellent experience for my son as well as my family! My son always asks, "When can I go see Ms. Jeannine again, is it Monday??" He has also made huge gains in only 5 months! I would highly recommend LLA and have already shared my experience with friends looking for services!

Victoria Hansford-Price

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We are so grateful for our Speech Therapist Ms.Teal. We have seen a great improvement with our sons confidence and communication abilities since we have started "Prompt" therapy. What we love the most about LLA and Ms. Teal is that Kohl feels comfortable and relaxed which has played a critical role in his progress. Thank you Ms. Teal for all you have done.

Laura Lee Hogsett

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They have helped in numerous ways. Speech, OT and behavioral. I've had numerous compliments on my son's progress thanks in very large part to LLA. I would recommend LLA before I recommend our local children's hospitals, though they are good, they don't have the staff that LLA does.

Amy Furukawa

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We had a great experience with Matt Hagge at LLA! Our Middle School age son was becoming very conscious of his voice, which is nasal due to a cleft palate. Matt helped him to better form his sounds and project his voice in a way that makes the unavoidable nasality less noticeable.Our son is more confident and outgoing & even took on a speaking role in the church play. Matt has the perfect personality to relate with our son, and we would recommend him to anyone needing speech therapy services!

Jessica Havalotti

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LLA Therapy has been an excellent experience for our daughter. I would highly recommend LLA. Miss Grace was so amazing and I can't believe how quickly our daughter showed improvement. Thank you!
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