Dr. Melanie Schuele directs the Child Language and Literacy Lab at Vanderbilt University’s School of Medicine. If that’s not enough, she retains secondary appointments in Special Education and Psychology and Human Development in Peabody College at Vanderbilt. So who better to ask about how SLPs should be thinking about and addressing literacy?

When we sat down to talk with her about her upcoming presentation: SLPs and Literacy: Making Sure ALL Children Read, a few things became really clear to me. For one, SLPs don’t have to choose between improving a child’s literacy or focusing on communication goals, they can be one-and-the-same.

That prioritizing communication over literacy if a child struggles with both, might not get us the best results (Whoa!, guilty on doing this one backwards). That oral phonology use and phonological awareness are intimately tied together. And that I, as an SLP can get even more excited about my job if I am watching the growth of a child both in my therapy session and in the classroom.

Check out these four short videos and then join us on December 13^th to hear the full story and earn CEUs. You can register here and it’s free for SLP Impact Members.

How important is complex syntax for academic success?

Which is the more important focus, speech-language skills or reading?

How should SLPs support narrative development when students have reading difficulties?

How can speech-language pathologists make an impact on early literacy skills for children with developmental language disorders?