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Ms. Rachel, the SLP?
Author: Isabella Knight M.S. CCC-SLP (Check Out Her Staff Page Here)
Why Families Love Ms. Rachel
Ms. Rachel is very popular among my clients and their families. Her channel on YouTube is educational, fun, engaging, and most notably, easy to access on a screen. But is Ms. Rachel really a replacement for real- life learning and interaction? She is a helpful tool, but she is not a substitute for parents interacting with and teaching their kids real-life communication skills, and she is most definitely not a replacement for speech therapy.
What Ms. Rachel Does Well
Ms. Rachel models language in a clear and engaging way. She uses repetition, simple words, songs, gestures and exaggerated facial expressions. Many kids and parents are drawn in by the educational aspect of her videos. She provides opportunities for kids to “practice” what they hear. For example, she pauses and gives kids an opportunity to answer or repeat their responses to the screen.
Why Screens Can’t Replace Real-Life Interaction
And while the videos have great qualities, they are not a replacement for real-life interactions. Children learn well from experiences that involve all of their senses. They can hear you talking to them, they can see your movements and gestures, feel your gentle cues like a pat on the back or a brief touch on their arm to get their attention, taste the ice cream you are talking about, or smell the smells you are referencing. These real-life moments help children connect words to meaningful experiences.
Download our age appropriate check lists to give you a better idea about whether or not to reach out.
Is Ms. Rachel the Same as Speech Therapy?
Some parents think that Ms. Rachel is providing the same thing as speech therapy. Although her videos can support vocabulary exposure and language modeling, they are not skilled or individualized therapy for your child. A video cannot complete an evaluation, listen to parent concerns, consider a child's strengths and areas of need, or create a treatment plan based on evidence-based best practices for that specific child.
When Screen Time Starts Replacing Communication
Some parents may even use Ms. Rachel to replace their own interactions with their kids. Her videos may be put on for their entertainment . However, when videos start to replace physical play, daily routines, and interactions with real communication partners, children may miss out on some of the most meaningful opportunities to learn language.
When Screen Time Starts Replacing Communication
If you have concerns regarding your child’s language development, feel free to contact us to schedule a free phone consultation.