Therapod Podcast
The Therapod podcast is a valuable resource created by a team of experienced clinicians- Hosted by Banu Balaji, an experienced occupational therapist. Joining us as Co-host this season we have Georgie Cooney, dedicated teacher, author, and dyslexia specialist with years of experience supporting learners with Specific Learning Difficulties.
This podcast aims to provide accessible and practical information for parents, caregivers, and professionals working with children, especially those with additional needs. Banu and her seasoned colleagues share their insights on various topics such as sensory strategies, communication, neurodevelopmental assessments, and promoting both physical and mental health in children and adolescents. They bring their years of training and experience to the table in a way that makes it accessible and meaningful.
The emphasis is on the importance of parents providing timely support and help when needed and aim to reduce overwhelm and bring joy to parenting. The podcast delves into the evolving challenges of modern parenting, the impact of changing environments on children, the significance of play in learning and development, and the value of balancing structured activities with free play. Through their discussions, therapod highlights the importance of understanding individual needs, fostering positive relationships, and supporting children's growth and well-being in today's complex world.
Therapod Podcast
Beyond Phonics: The Auditory Foundation of Literacy
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“Teaching phonics before a child is ready is like taking a student driver on the motorway in their second lesson.”
In this episode of the Therapod Podcast, host Carolyn Gelenter sits down with Professor Helen Stringer from Newcastle University to explore the fundamental power of phonological awareness. While the education system often pushes formal phonics at age four, Professor Stringer explains that many children lack the underlying auditory skills needed to succeed, which can turn reading into a "trial" rather than a pleasure.
The conversation clarifies the vital difference between the two: phonological awareness is an auditory skill about how we deal with the words we hear in our brains, whereas phonics is a visual skill linking letters to sounds.
Key highlights from this episode include:
The Developmental Sequence: Why language develops from whole words to syllables and finally to individual sounds—and why jumping straight to sounds can lead to reading failure.
The NAPA & NIPA: An introduction to the Newcastle Assessment of Phonological Awareness and the Newcastle Intervention for Phonological Awareness—free, evidence-based tools designed to help practitioners support children effectively.
Vocabulary & Speech: How phonological awareness serves as the "hook" for learning new words and helps children with speech sound disorders resolve their difficulties more quickly.
A Social Justice Issue: A call to action to move away from "one size fits all" phonics programs and prioritize student readiness to ensure no child feels like a failure at age five.
Bilingual Advantages: Insights into how phonological awareness skills transfer across different languages, providing a bridge for children who speak more than one language.
Tune in to discover how moving "Beyond Phonics" can transform a child's journey into literacy and language.
#PhonologicalAwareness #Literacy #Phonics #SpeechAndLanguage #TherapodPodcast #InclusiveEducation #NAPA #NIPA #EarlyYears #Neurodiversity
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