Welcome to Speech and Language!  I am the Speech Language Pathologist who will be working with your child this year on their speech and language needs.  I am very excited about this school year, since I have an assistant, Ms V, who will be helping me with the speech and language students.   We provide services to the students at all four of the city run charter schools. 

Speech schedules are made in cooperation with the student’s classroom teacher.  It is designed to best meet your child’s speech and language needs with as little disruption to their school day as possible.

 
Once your child is scheduled in speech or language therapy, they will receive a yellow speech folder.  This folder will be my way of communicating with you.  On a weekly basis, your child will receive home practice activities to ensure carryover of the newly learned skills.  Also, inside their speech folder is a prize chart.  Students will be rewarded with stickers when they are prepared for speech class, homework is completed, and good listening skills are demonstrated (up to 2 stickers per day J).  When the prize chart is filled they will be allowed to select an item from the treasure box, Woooo Hoooo!

 

Ms V and I are looking forward to working with your child this school year!  Please feel free to email me with questions or concerns. 

 

Thank You!

Miss Jill

 

Jill Griffin-Sotak, M.S., CCC-SLP

jill.sotak@capecharterschools.org

Office – (239) 542-1577 x 210

 

MEET OUR TEACHERS

Jill Sotak		Room No: 159
Danielle Rivoli		Room No. 159

 

Mrs. Jill Sotak		I was born in New Jersey and moved to Bethlehem Township, PA where I grew up in farm country.  I received my BS degree in Communicative Sciences and Disorders from Penn State University, State College.  After graduation in 2002, I attended Bloomsburg University and earned my Master’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology.  I also published my thesis regarding the accuracy of teacher referrals for students with speech and language needs.  After I graduated, I worked on the Traumatic Brain Injury wing at Good Shepherd Rehab hospital in Allentown.  Then I accepted an Early Intervention position at the Colonial Intermediate Unit, where I worked with children diagnosed with Autism, Downs Syndrome, CP and Apraxia.    In 2005 my college sweetheart, Kevin and I were married at the on Vanderbilt Beach, in Naples and made the decision to move to Cape Coral.  I have been working in the City Charter schools, since Oasis Elementary opened in August 2005.  Currently, I work as the Speech-Language Pathologist for all four Charter Schools providing speech and language services to many students in need.  Outside of school, I love to cook gourmet food, host dinner parties, work on cars, sing karaoke, shop, and spend time with my family.  I’m also a huge sports fan, NY Yankees, NY Giants and of course PSU… “We Are”!  We are the proud parents of two awesome Golden Retrievers, Jewels and Riley (no human children yet!).  In the future, I hope to pursue my doctorate degree in Speech Language Pathology and teach at the University level.
Danielle Rivoli

Communication Norms for School-Aged Students - by grade

www.asha.org

 

**This is to be used as a guideline.  Every child develops differently, please refer to the

Speech-Language Pathologist

if you have concerns regarding a child's communication development**

Kindergarten

Listening

• Follow 1-2 simple directions in a sequence
• Listen to and understand age-appropriate stories read aloud
• Follow a simple conversation

Speaking

• Be understood by most people
• Answer simple "yes/no" questions
• Answer open-ended questions (e.g., "What did you have for lunch today?")
• Retell a story or talk about an event
• Participate appropriately in conversations
• Show interest in and start conversations

Reading

• Know how a book works (e.g., read from left to right and top to bottom in English)
• Understand that spoken words are made up of sounds
• Identify words that rhyme (e.g., cat and hat)
• Compare and match words based on their sounds
• Understand that letters represent speech sounds and match sounds to letters
• Identify upper- and lowercase letters
• Recognize some words by sight

Writing

• Print own first and last name
• Draw a picture that tells a story and label and write about the picture
• Write upper- and lowercase letters (may not be clearly written)

1^st Grade

Listening

• Remember information
• Respond to instructions
• Follow 2-3 step directions in a sequence

Speaking

• Be easily understood
• Answer more complex "yes/no" questions
• Tell and retell stories and events in a logical order
• Express ideas with a variety of complete sentences
• Use most parts of speech (grammar) correctly
• Ask and respond to "wh" questions (who, what, where, when, why)
• Stay on topic and take turns in conversation
• Give directions
• Start conversations

Reading

• Create rhyming words
• Identify all sounds in short words
• Blend separate sounds to form words
• Match spoken words with print
• Know how a book works (e.g., read from left to right and top to bottom in English)
• Identify letters, words, and sentences
• Sound out words when reading
• Have a sight vocabulary of 100 common words
• Read grade-level material fluently
• Understand what is read

Writing

• Express ideas through writing
• Print clearly
• Spell frequently used words correctly
• Begin each sentence with capital letters and use ending punctuation
• Write a variety of stories, journal entries, or letters/notes

2^nd Grade

Listening

• Follow 3-4 oral directions in a sequence
• Understand direction words (e.g., location, space, and time words)
• Correctly answer questions about a grade-level story

Speaking

• Be easily understood 
• Answer more complex "yes/no" questions
• Ask and answer "wh" questions (e.g., who, what, where, when, why)
• Use increasingly complex sentence structures
• Clarify and explain words and ideas
• Give directions with 3-4 steps
• Use oral language to inform, to persuade, and to entertain
• Stay on topic, take turns, and use appropriate eye contact during conversation
• Open and close conversation appropriately

Reading

• Have fully mastered phonics/sound awareness
• Associate speech sounds, syllables, words, and phrases with their written forms
• Recognize many words by sight
• Use meaning clues when reading (e.g., pictures, titles/headings, information in the story)
• Reread and self-correct when necessary
• Locate information to answer questions
• Explain key elements of a story (e.g., main idea, main characters, plot)
• Use own experience to predict and justify what will happen in grade-level stories
• Read, paraphrase/retell a story in a sequence
• Read grade-level stories, poetry, or dramatic text silently and aloud with fluency
• Read spontaneously
• Identify and use spelling patterns in words when reading

Writing

• Write legibly
• Use a variety of sentence types in writing essays, poetry, or short stories (fiction and nonfiction)
• Use basic punctuation and capitalization appropriately
• Organize writing to include beginning, middle, and end
• Spell frequently used words correctly
• Progress from inventive spelling (e.g., spelling by sound) to more accurate spelling

3^rd Grade

Listening

• Listen attentively in group situations
• Understand grade-level material

Speaking

• Speak clearly with an appropriate voice
• Ask and respond to questions
• Participate in conversations and group discussions
• Use subject-related vocabulary
• Stay on topic, use appropriate eye contact, and take turns in conversation
• Summarize a story accurately
• Explain what has been learned

Reading

• Demonstrate full mastery of basic phonics
• Use word analysis skills when reading
• Use clues from language content and structure to help understand what is read
• Predict and justify what will happen next in stories and compare and contrast stories
• Ask and answer questions regarding reading material
• Use acquired information to learn about new topics
• Read grade-level books fluently (fiction and nonfiction)
• Reread and correct errors when necessary

Writing

• Plan, organize, revise, and edit
• Include details in writing
• Write stories, letters, simple explanations, and brief reports
• Spell simple words correctly, correct most spelling independently, and use a dictionary to correct spelling

4^th Grade

Listening

• Listen to and understand information presented by others
• Form opinions based on evidence
• Listen for specific purposes

Speaking

• Use words appropriately in conversation
• Use language effectively for a variety of purposes
• Understand some figurative language (e.g., "the forest stretched across...")
• Participate in group discussions
• Give accurate directions to others
• Summarize and restate ideas
• Organize information for clarity
• Use subject area information and vocabulary (e.g., social studies) for learning
• Make effective oral presentations

Reading

• Read for specific purposes
• Read grade-level books fluently
• Use previously learned information to understand new material
• Follow written directions
• Take brief notes
• Link information learned to different subjects
• Learn meanings of new words through knowledge of word origins, synonyms, and multiple meanings
• Use reference materials (e.g., dictionary)
• Explain the author's purpose and writing style
• Read and understand a variety of types of literature, including fiction, nonfiction, historical fiction, and poetry
• Compare and contrast in content areas
• Make inferences from texts
• Paraphrase content, including the main idea and details

Writing

• Write effective stories and explanations, including several paragraphs about the same topic
• Develop a plan for writing, including a beginning, middle, and end
• Organize writing to convey a central idea
• Edit final copies for grammar, punctuation, and spelling

5^th Grade

Listening

• Listen and draw conclusions in subject area learning activities

Speaking

• Make planned oral presentations appropriate to the audience
• Maintain eye contact and use gestures, facial expressions, and appropriate voice during group presentations
• Participate in class discussions across subject areas
• Summarize main points
• Report about information gathered in group activities

Reading

• Read grade-level books fluently
• Learn meanings of unfamiliar words through knowledge of root words, prefixes, and suffixes
• Prioritize information according to the purpose of reading
• Read a variety of literary forms
• Describe development of character and plot
• Describe characteristics of poetry
• Analyze author's language and style
• Use reference materials to support opinions

Writing

• Write for a variety of purposes
• Use vocabulary effectively
• Vary sentence structure
• Revise writing for clarity
• Edit final copies

Frequently Asked Questions about Speech and Language

What types of speech and language disorders affect school-age children?

Children may experience one or more of the following disorders:

• Speech sound disorders - difficulty pronouncing sounds
• Language disorders - difficulty understanding what they hear as well as expressing themselves with words
• Cognitive-communication disorders - difficulty with thinking skills including perception, memory, awareness, reasoning, judgment, intellect and imagination
• Stuttering (fluency) disorders - interruption of the flow of speech that may include hesitations, repetitions, prolongations of sounds or words)
• Voice disorders - quality of voice that may include hoarseness, nasality, volume (too loud or soft) 

Do speech-language disorders affect learning?

Speech and language skills are essential to academic success and learning. Language is the basis of communication. Reading, writing, gesturing, listening, and speaking are all forms of language. Learning takes place through the process of communication. The ability to communicate with peers and adults in the educational setting is essential for a student to succeed in school. 

How may a speech-language disorder

affect school performance?

Children with communication disorders frequently do not perform at grade level. They may struggle with reading, have difficulty understanding and expressing language, misunderstand social cues, avoid attending school, show poor judgment, and have difficulty with tests.

Difficulty in learning to listen, speak, read, or write can result from problems in language development. Problems can occur in the production, comprehension, and awareness of language sounds, syllables, words, sentences, and conversation. Individuals with reading and writing problems also may have trouble using language to communicate, think, and learn. 

How do parents and school personnel work

together to insure that children get

the speech-language support they need?

Parents and teachers should refer any student who shows signs of a speech-language disorder or delay to the Speech-Language Pathologist. Screening, assessment, and treatment of communication problems may involve cooperative efforts with you (the parent) and the following professionals:

• speech-language pathologists (SLPs),
• audiologists,
• psychologists,
• social workers,
• classroom teachers,
• special education teachers,
• guidance counselors,
• physicians,
• dentists, and
• nurses.

SLPs work with diagnostic and educational evaluation teams to provide comprehensive language and speech assessments for students. Services to students with speech-language disorders may be provided in a small group session, in classrooms when teaming with teachers or in a consultative model with teachers and parents. SLPs integrate students' speech-language goals with academic outcomes and functional performance.

 

Related Resources

Speech-Language Disorders Packet/Children 0802026
Brochures: How Does Your Child Hear and Talk?, Child Language, Articulation, The Speech-Language Pathologist, Getting Ready For Reading And Writing, Literacy and Communication Expectations From Kindergarten Through Fifth Grade; Let's Talk: Early ID of Delays and Disorders, Developmental Language, Pragmatics, Activities to Encourage Speech and Language Development; Related Organizations List; Beyond Baby Talk flyer; Communication and Literacy Expectations: Grades K-5.

Please visit the following sites for more information:

www.asha.org

www.stutteringhelp.org

 www.flasha.org

 

 

 

The Top