Mrs. Waechter

Mrs. Waechter
Speech/Language Specialist

It was nice speaking with many of you during conference week. Please remember to email or call me with any concerns you may have during the school year.

Every year, I try to make some suggestions for gifts you may want to consider for the children on your list, and I try to find toys and games that help stimulate speech and language. Here are some that sound interesting this year (prices are from the Amazon website):

Quiddler - This is a word-building game with cards. It is "easy to learn, quick to play", and fun for all ages. Players try to make words, so it helps with spelling and vocabulary. Reviewers say that young children can play with adults and still do well, since players can make small words as well as big ones. It is for ages 7 and up, and costs $9.34.

Eyeclops Bionic Eye Multizoom - This hand-held magnifying device makes everyday objects look spectacular. Good for getting the children to describe what they see, compare the objects to other things, etc. It even can plug into your TV for large screen viewing. For Ages 8 and up, $24.93)

Have You Herd? - This card game originated in Europe during World War II (so you could even discuss its history). Players try to get one of all five animals on the farm by rolling dice and swapping cards. Watch out for the fox and wolf! For ages 8 and up, $11.19.

Snap Circuits, Jr. - Kids can build over 100 projects involving electrical circuits. It's safe and easy, since the components snap together. Very educational! Children can talk about the steps involved in building their circuits, using accurate names for the pieces and correct sequence for the steps. Ages 8 and up, $25.99.

Illustory - This makes the list every year. Children write and illustrate their own story (including an About the Author page), mail it in a pre-paid envelope, and get back a professionally printed book in a few weeks. Ages 7 and up, $19.90.

Apples to Apples game - Another favorite of mine. We played this after Thanksgiving dinner with the whole family. Players draw cards with names of people, places and things. One player draws an adjective card, such as "hostile" or "fake" or "feminine". Each player chooses one of their noun cards that they think goes with that adjective and gives it to the judge. The judge shuffles the nouns and then chooses the one he thinks makes the best comparison. That person wins that round, and the next player becomes the judge. It doesn't sound like too much fun, but it gets hilarious. You can play it with younger children, but they won't know what some of the noun cards refer to, so this is better for ages 12 and up. But there is an Apples to Apples Jr. game now, too. This game can be played with up to 10 people. $19.99.

There you have it! Of course, I also recommend the "oldies but goodies", too: old clothes and costumes for dress-up, puppets, clay (there's a new one called Moon sand), building blocks, dolls. All of these can get kids thinking, pretending, and TALKING! I hope you and your family have a happy holiday season!

Email: Mrs. Waechter

	It was nice speaking with many of you during conference week. Please remember to email or call me with any concerns you may have during the school year.
	Every year, I try to make some suggestions for gifts you may want to consider for the children on your list, and I try to find toys and games that help stimulate speech and language. Here are some that sound interesting this year (prices are from the Amazon website):
	Quiddler - This is a word-building game with cards. It is "easy to learn, quick to play", and fun for all ages. Players try to make words, so it helps with spelling and vocabulary. Reviewers say that young children can play with adults and still do well, since players can make small words as well as big ones. It is for ages 7 and up, and costs $9.34.
	Eyeclops Bionic Eye Multizoom - This hand-held magnifying device makes everyday objects look spectacular. Good for getting the children to describe what they see, compare the objects to other things, etc. It even can plug into your TV for large screen viewing. For Ages 8 and up, $24.93)
	Have You Herd? - This card game originated in Europe during World War II (so you could even discuss its history). Players try to get one of all five animals on the farm by rolling dice and swapping cards. Watch out for the fox and wolf! For ages 8 and up, $11.19.
	Snap Circuits, Jr. - Kids can build over 100 projects involving electrical circuits. It's safe and easy, since the components snap together. Very educational! Children can talk about the steps involved in building their circuits, using accurate names for the pieces and correct sequence for the steps. Ages 8 and up, $25.99.
	Illustory - This makes the list every year. Children write and illustrate their own story (including an About the Author page), mail it in a pre-paid envelope, and get back a professionally printed book in a few weeks. Ages 7 and up, $19.90.
	Apples to Apples game - Another favorite of mine. We played this after Thanksgiving dinner with the whole family. Players draw cards with names of people, places and things. One player draws an adjective card, such as "hostile" or "fake" or "feminine". Each player chooses one of their noun cards that they think goes with that adjective and gives it to the judge. The judge shuffles the nouns and then chooses the one he thinks makes the best comparison. That person wins that round, and the next player becomes the judge. It doesn't sound like too much fun, but it gets hilarious. You can play it with younger children, but they won't know what some of the noun cards refer to, so this is better for ages 12 and up. But there is an Apples to Apples Jr. game now, too. This game can be played with up to 10 people. $19.99.
	There you have it! Of course, I also recommend the "oldies but goodies", too: old clothes and costumes for dress-up, puppets, clay (there's a new one called Moon sand), building blocks, dolls. All of these can get kids thinking, pretending, and TALKING! I hope you and your family have a happy holiday season!