Brooklyn Letters
1139 Prospect Avenue, Brooklyn
- We would highly recommend Ally! Our son always asks about her, so very thankful to Brooklyn Letters for introducing us.
~ Emily, mom of Brooklyn 2 year old - I cannot express how grateful and rewarding my experience with Brooklyn Letters has been. Her tutor Ms. Daria is so knowledgeable, amazing, kind and awesome. My daughter has made so much progress in Literacy and Math and it's all … More thanks to Ms. Daria. I know my daughter is sad that she can no longer work with Ms. Daria, as she looked forward to their sessions every week. Thank you again!
- Nicole has been an amazing therapist!! She played a tremendous role in our daughter’s speech progress and overall development. She has come such a long way and we are so happy with the therapy she received!
- We could not be happier with the services Valerie provided! She is very thoughtful and knowledgeable and provided significant guidance to support our daughter's speech development outside of our scheduled sessions. She established … More a great working relationship with her, and she will definitely be missed! Your business model is amazing and it was an absolute pleasure working with Valerie. I've referred your organization and Valerie to the Executive Director of our daughter's school and friends/colleagues who are in need of speech therapy services.
- Christina was absolutely wonderful. She went out of her way to win my son over and it worked. He looked forward to her visits and his speech improved so much under her care. She was super flexible and it’s clear she truly cares. We adore … More Christina and we’re going to miss her. Almost sad he improved so much! She’s simply amazing and we can’t say enough how great she is. I would recommend her services to anyone and everyone, without hesitation. Thank you so much for connecting us with her!
- We cannot say enough good things about Effie, the ASL teacher, who was so engaged and effective with our 2 year old daughter from the very first session! Effie gladly included our whole family in the sessions! Her expertise and fantastic … More personality gave our daughter a way to communicate that she was so desperately seeking. The coordinators at Brooklyn Letters were so helpful and communicative…I would highly recommend their services!
- Samantha Dalmas was fantastic! We saw her for a feeding therapy evaluation and while she doesn’t think my daughter needs more feeding therapy sessions at this time, but she gave me lots of tips to try. If my daughter's doctors want … More to see more progress at her next appointment, I wouldn’t hesitate to reach out to Samantha again.
- Brooklyn Letters was recommended to me through a friend's speech therapist friend in NJ. The articulation evaluation for my daughter went well. We were pleased with Kristin's services.
- Melissa was wonderful. Our daughter warmed to her immediately and by the time she left, had already started "practicing" some of the techniques Melissa had shown her. I will not hesitate at all to reach out to Melissa again, should … More the need arise.
- Aileen was INCREDIBLY helpful to us, both in assessing possible origins of my grandson's food aversions, as well as informing us of various available interventions to consider.
I can’t thank you and Brooklyn Letters enough for connecting … More us with Aileen. In all our feeding therapy journey we have not gotten anything near the kind of benefit that we did from her. Her knowledge, professionalism, and responsiveness have put us on the path of progress with my grandson and has also made us feel genuinely well cared for. - We were amazed with Allison! She met my son at 2 1/2 years old, not speaking much at all, and over a computer, and she was able to develop a bond and friendship, so much so that he would look forward to his weekly computer time with Allison. … More I was not sure how the speech therapy would go- but we are so happy that we tried it out and continued. It allowed my son to gain confidence in his speech, make a new friend :), and also give him the skills and a bit of understanding of how to shape his mouth or where to place his tongue to make the proper sounds. We were extremely happy with Allison- she was fantastic to work with.
- My sessions with Karen have been extremely helpful. My speech has improved tremendously. In fact, I just finished 2 hours of conducting interviews with a consulting client via MS Teams and I have an upcoming conference call. Both my … More neurologist and neurosurgeon remarked about how good my speech is. Much of the day it is perfect, although I still have some rough spots when I get tired or speak too quickly. One of my granddaughters is a speech pathology student at Ithaca College. She sat in on 2 sessions while she was home for winter break, and she was very impressed with Karen.
- We were delighted with Christie. First, and most importantly, our son made great strides under her guidance. So great, that we felt he no longer needed help! She was incredibly patient and kind with him and our son really responded to … More her. Christie was also great with me and my wife. She provided thorough and informative updates on our son's progress and which exercises she was using with him, so we could reinforce what she was teaching him. All in all, we had a fabulous experience with Christie and would highly recommend her.
- Theo was wonderful and his work with my son has produced some progress. I am grateful for the services Theo provided.
- Highly recommend Jill. She is a total pleasure to work with. After a few months working with Jill, my son is reading above grade level and LOVES to read. Mission accomplished!
- Paige was great and we had been really happy with her. I would highly recommend her! I recommend Brooklyn Letters to whomever asks for a speech therapist.
- Isabel was WONDERFUL and our son absolutely adored her, and he is making great progress with his reading and writing.
- Theo was fantastic with our 4yo son. We were very worried that his progress would fall off when we had to switch to remote sessions, but Theo kept our son happy and engaged through the screen. Highly highly recommend!
- We've been working with Theo from Brooklyn Letters for close to 4 months now and the results are apparent; our daughter has vastly improved her speech in a relatively short amount of time. We make "Theo Day" a celebration … More in our house with pancakes for breakfast, and the enthusiasm is matched in the sessions. Theo is fun, patient, professional, and caring, and he gives us the tools to take the lessons beyond the session. Thank you Theo, and Brooklyn Letters, for helping our daughter express herself.
- I worked with Alina to enhance my pronunciation, tone, and pacing while communicating socially and in a work environment. She was great to work with and clear about goals and learning objectives. The improvement from day 1 has been tremendous! … More
- Cathy has been excellent with us and our son. We will sorely miss her. He has improved significantly with Cathy’s help. Cathy was a true partner with us, especially as we pursued additional help through our son’s school system.
- We really loved working with Alina, she is so fantastic. Patient yet firm, and determined the best course of action very clearly and succintly for us. And it all transitioned so well to Zoom as well. I will definitely be back in touch for … More services for our other child after summer break!
- Vera was amazing! My 11 yo daughter made progress so quickly and really looked forward to her sessions. She was kept motivated and engaged.
- The work that Allison P. did with our daughter over the years has been invaluable to us. Our daughter had such a good relationship with Allison, and it allowed them to work really well together - even remotely these past 6 months. This … More year, Allison went above and beyond by helping us throughout the neuropsych eval we did, trying to re-open our daughter's IEP at her school, and eventually landing her at our chosen school. She was in contact with our daughter's teachers, with the neuropsychologist, and made herself available as a reference to speak on behalf of our daughter's learning differences.
Allison stopped by our house last week to give our daughter cupcakes and say goodbye, and I literally cried with appreciation for what an amazing speech therapist she has been. She has been our daughter's biggest champion. The new families that she will work with this year are lucky to have her. - Sydney was great! Our son was sad to end his sessions with her, which says a lot. We appreciated her honest assessment of his skill level, and he now has materials to self monitor and practice. Thank you!
- Our experience with Theo was terrific. Theo was great with my son. He developed a positive relationship with him based on sincerity, respect, trust and a deep personal connection. In their lessons, Theo was encouraging, creative and kind. … More He helped our son understand how to differentiate the sounds he made when he spoke, and gave him great exercises to practice every week between lessons. Our son was sorry to have the lessons come to an end, but recognized that Theo had helped him as much as possible and it was time for him to stop. Theo explained to him (and us) how to keep working to get the last 5%, and encouraged him to keep working on the exercises on his own. I have recommended Theo to another parent who noticed my son's improvement and inquired for her own son.
We are all grateful to have gotten to know Theo, and we greatly appreciate all the work he did to help our son. - "I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Michelle Macroy-Higgins. We are extremely pleased with her work with our daughter. I was so grateful for my daughter to have a speech therapist who is a researcher (specialty in late … More talkers), graduate professor and practitioner. Her expertise was clearly evident in our conversations and work with our daughter. She was very responsive to my questions and often sent articles and other materials about language development that I found helpful. Thankfully, my daughter's speech improved tremendously. Michelle developed such a warm relationship with my daughter. My daughter was always excited to see Michelle and would greet her at the door with a big hug. Lastly, I would add that Michelle always demonstrated empathy with me as a mother who was initially worried about her daughter's language development. I could go on and on about how pleased we were with Michelle's work."
- Theo is a wonderful Clinton Hill speech therapist. We were really pleased with him. Our son showed drastic improvement, not only in his speech but in his confidence.
- Alexa has been an enthusiastic, reliable, well prepared and caring teacher for our 6 year old daughter. She has been able to improve and increase our daughter's confidence lesson by lesson with patience and competence; through varied … More and productive didactic practice. Alexa has engaged our daughter in several activities that always kept her motivated and eager to learn literacy. My wife and I, both of us are educators, feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to observe Alexa's pedagogical skills. Alexa has had a big impact on our daughter literacy growth. Thank you Brooklyn Letters!
- We were absolutely DELIGHTED with Marsha's services. She was wonderful. We found her to be kind, fun, engaging, very knowledgeable. She provided us with clear instructions and additional written handouts each week. She engaged our … More son with different techniques and toys, and showed us how to use her techniques when we were interacting with him. I actually just texted her on Saturday - Our son finally said "more" - one of the target words we had been working on with her. It was a total joy to hear, and I had to share it with her - she wrote back immediately to congratulate us. I am so appreciative of her expertise, and wish we could have seen her for longer. I recommended her to another family in our neighborhood who is looking for a speech therapist.
Emotions are complicated and even more intense in children. There are distinct emotional states which are simplified in an emotional wheel.
An emotional wheel is a tool that can help children understand and express their emotions more effectively. Here, a visual representation of different emotions is arranged around a circle like the spokes on a wheel.
Each emotion is represented by a word or phrase and often by a corresponding facial expression or body language. The emotional wheel uses various terms and expressions to convey emotions. It assists children in better understanding and communicating their emotions.
Even adults may use it to communicate with children in a way that both parties understand. This post will teach you how to utilize the emotional wheel to assist your child in understanding their emotions.
How Do You Teach a Child Emotional Vocabulary?
A child’s vocabulary provides insight into their surroundings. The words we choose to express our feelings, ideas, and experiences enhance our understanding of ourselves and others. Begin by teaching your kid basic feelings like happiness, sorrow, rage, and fear.
You may assist your child in learning and identifying different emotions using an emotional wheel or other visual aids. Assume you see a pattern in your child’s emotional vocabulary, such as using negative words more frequently than good phrases.
In such a situation, you could talk to them about it so they can learn how to express themselves more constructively. Please encourage your child to communicate their feelings by using positive reinforcement. When your child uses a new term to describe their emotions, congratulate them and tell them they are doing well.
How Can Teachers Help Children Learn the Vocabulary of Feelings?
One of the most crucial aspects of emotional growth is the lexicon of feelings. Children who do not learn to express themselves are unable to grasp the feelings of others and frequently feel excluded. To assist youngsters in understanding and identifying emotions, use the moving wheel or other visual aids.
The greatest method for instructors to assist children in building their emotional vocabulary is for them first to comprehend what it means when someone says things like sadness and happiness. If a child doesn’t understand sorrow, they may be unable to answer queries about why someone is unhappy.
Have conversations about what they feel when they experience specific experiences. For example, if you are in a car and your seatbelt is not fastened correctly, you might feel anxious or angry. Explain why certain feelings occur. For example, if you are mad at someone for leaving their seatbelt undone, explain that you feel scared because you don’t want to be injured in an accident.
The above figure is perfect for children to express their feelings nonverbally. Offer opportunities for children to talk about their feelings in small groups or one-on-one with a teacher or counselor. It can provide children with a safe and supportive space to discuss their emotions.
Which Strategy Expands the Emotional Vocabulary of a Child?
Parents must know how their children communicate their feelings to help them build their emotional vocabulary. Children may exhibit specific behaviors when they feel unhappy, angry, or disappointed.
Crying, moaning, blaming others for their difficulties, and refusing to confront the subject are all examples. Several ways may be used to assist a child’s emotional vocabulary in growing:
Give the Opportunities
Offering your kid the opportunity to talk about these experiences and teaching them how to express themselves safely is a fantastic approach to broadening their emotional language.
By attentively listening to your child and sharing your own experiences, you may help them deal with challenging events in life by providing them with the tools they need to cope with stressful situations.
Encourage kids to communicate their emotions and utilize emotional terminology. Ask youngsters about their emotions and urge them to explain them using other terms.
Boost Confidence
Encourage your child to express their emotions. It may be accomplished by having them discuss their feelings, whether irritated, joyful, or sad. Your kid may be unable to explain why they are unhappy or furious, but expressing themselves out loud allows them to get their point through.
Because it is strange ground for children with weak communication abilities, they may struggle to communicate their emotions outside the home setting. Allowing your kid to express their thoughts in a secure environment, on the other hand, will help them acquire confidence in addressing tough matters with others.
Positive Reinforcement
A positive reinforcement action or occurrence helps a child feel good about themselves. It may also be more complicated, such as complimenting them on their artwork or telling them how well they performed in school.
The key to positive reinforcement is providing it to the child frequently and meaningfully. The more you reinforce your child, the better they will learn to feel good about themselves, and the more they will carve the reinforcement.
How Do You Promote Children’s Emotional Literacy?
Emotional literacy is recognizing, expressing, comprehending, and managing emotions. It is one of the most crucial factors to consider when parenting children. They must understand how their emotions influence their behavior and how they might make better judgments and take appropriate actions based on their emotional state.
Conclusion
If a child learns that they are expected not to show any emotions, then they may not know when or how to show them. Children often have trouble expressing their feelings because they fear what others will think about them if they do so.
They may believe that other people will not like them if they show their true selves, so instead of expressing themselves, they try to mask them with indifference or anger.
Parents must make their children understand that feeling happy, sad, angry, and disappointed is part of life. And, it is completely “okay” to even feel afraid and nervous sometimes. A child who cannot express their feelings may not understand why they do things or how they should act in certain situations.
References:
https://veryspecialtales.com/emotions-wheel-printable/
http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/modules/module2/handout6.pdf
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/expanding_your_young_childs_emotional_vocabulary
https://parents.actionforchildren.org.uk/stages-development/social-emotional-development/emotional-literacy-child/
Craig Selinger
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