Active Listening
Renee Garvin
July 16, 2025
There’s a fast-food restaurant not far from where we live. On nights when we were too tired or got home too late to cook, my
Finding helpful tools to support children’s learning can often feel overwhelming for educators and parents. Thankfully, the “Icing on the Cake” Book Companions are available and are easy to use. Developed by experienced Speech Pathologist Sheila Steele, these evidence-based resources are designed to boost language and communication skills. Icing on …
Finding helpful tools to support children’s learning can often feel overwhelming for educators and parents. Thankfully, the “Icing on the Cake” Book Companions are available and are easy to use. Developed by experienced Speech Pathologist Sheila Steele, these evidence-based resources are designed to boost language and communication skills.
Icing on the Cake resourcesare specifically tailored to complement beloved children’s books such as Possum Magic, Pig the Pug, The Snail and the Whale and many more. They aim to foster a love for literature while enriching children’s language development. This downloadable PDF resource is highly user-friendly with ready-to-go materials. All you need is the book!
“Icing on the Cake” Book Companions focus on language skill development. Each resource includes graded Blank’s questions that increase in complexity, tailored to each page of the book. This structure encourages children to think critically and engage deeply with the story. This aids both comprehension and the ability to talk about thoughts and ideas clearly.
The resources incorporate embedded vocabulary targets which are selected to enrich the listener’s language. By focusing on specific words within the context of the story, children can learn to understand and use new vocabulary in a meaningful way. This is particularly beneficial for children with language delays or difficulties, as it provides targeted support in a fun and engaging context.
Phonological awareness is a crucial skill for literacy development, and the “Icing on the Cake” Book Companions include dedicated phonological awareness drills using sounds and words from the book. These activities help the listener to recognise and manipulate sounds in words, which is an essential skill for effective reading and writing. By integrating these drills into their reading sessions, educators and parents can provide targeted activities to boost literacy skills. All while making learning enjoyable.
There’s a fast-food restaurant not far from where we live. On nights when we were too tired or got home too late to cook, my
Seeking support for your child can be daunting. We recognise that for many families, coming to speech therapy is as significant for the parents as
Learning to read involves six key elements, each of which is critical for success with reading and writing. Like pillars of a solid structure, the
In 2020, in the midst of settling into the pandemic, we weren’t able to see clients or visit schools face to face, for the foreseeable
Finding helpful tools to support children’s learning can often feel overwhelming for educators and parents. Thankfully, the “Icing on the Cake” Book Companions are available
Snuggling up with a picture book does more than create cozy moments—it lays the foundation for your child’s learning and emotional growth.
Speech Pathology Tasmania acknowledges the traditional owners of country and their continuing connection to land, sea and community throughout lutruwita (Tasmania) and Australia. We give our respect to the muwinina people upon whose land our offices stand.
