Welcome to
READ 2 ME (R2M)
Speech-Language & Emergent Literacy Program
Read 2 Me (R2M) is a speech-language and emergent literacy program developed by speech-language pathologists (SLP), who have almost 50 years experience and expertise collectively in training families and professionals in these areas using books and everyday activities.
Program
The Read 2 Me (R2M) program was originally designed as a research project for parents of toddlers with and without speech and language needs to stimulate communication as well as to enrichment pre-literacy skills in 10 carefully-designed sessions of 90-minutes each. Caregivers and their young children were trained in activities centered around the book of the day with accompaying activities that complemented the book theme. In each of the ten (10) R2M days, parents participated in a 45-minute interactive book-reading and speech-language enrichment training by a certified speech-language pathologist. Their toddlers concurrently participated in R2M's theme-based, speech-language enrichment activities in another room. In the final 45-minutes of each day caregivers participated with their children in a variety of multi-sensory learning and play stations activities that introduced the language concepts and allowed a platform to practice skills taught in the parent training lessons. Each training session culminated in re-reading the book of the day in a circle time format that summarized what was addressed that day.
Parents were invited to a password protected webpage to see follow-up R2M activities and related books they could read to their child at home.
NOTE: Two additional sessions for pre- and post- speech-language/literacy measures and video-taping of parent-child reading activities were completed with the parents and their young children that included standard and non-standard testing and pre-post interactive reading sessions with the parents and their toddlers. A written summary of the results of the initial speech-language assessments was provided to the parents at the end of the program.
Enrollment
Families from the Hyattsville, Maryland community were recruited and invited to participate in the bookreading program and subsequently invited to participate in the research study. While the pilot version was geared towards children who may be at risk for literacy issues, such as low-income and/or from a non-native English-speaking home, our first cohort of families who consented to the research were middle-upper SES class two parent families both monolingual and bi-lingual (English-Spanish). Our second co-hort of families was conducted at the University of Maryland Hearing and Speech (HESP) Clinic using the Language-Learning Early Advantage Program (LEAP) preschool classroom and therapy rooms. Parents and their toddler/preschool-aged children with documented speech-language needs participated in the program. An added component to this program were the administration of two (2) speech-language-specific screening measures as well as 10 additional 50-minute therapy sessions that targeted specific communication skills identified in the SLP screening measures.
NOTE: For both cohorts, a pre-screening process was conducted in order for the parent and their child to qualify for the R2M program. The screening included the parent's report of availability to participate in the pre-post assessments and participate on all 10 R2M sessions for both child and parent. In addition, both child and parent should have English as their primary language at least for the initial phase of the training. Once adequate pilot data is gathered, population criteria will expand to other groups of families.
Payment
Currently, parents paid $45/session. Future tuition for parents and their young children enrolled in the R2M program is anticipated to be covered by grant funding. All services include:
See our FAQs on the main menu for more information!
Program
The Read 2 Me (R2M) program was originally designed as a research project for parents of toddlers with and without speech and language needs to stimulate communication as well as to enrichment pre-literacy skills in 10 carefully-designed sessions of 90-minutes each. Caregivers and their young children were trained in activities centered around the book of the day with accompaying activities that complemented the book theme. In each of the ten (10) R2M days, parents participated in a 45-minute interactive book-reading and speech-language enrichment training by a certified speech-language pathologist. Their toddlers concurrently participated in R2M's theme-based, speech-language enrichment activities in another room. In the final 45-minutes of each day caregivers participated with their children in a variety of multi-sensory learning and play stations activities that introduced the language concepts and allowed a platform to practice skills taught in the parent training lessons. Each training session culminated in re-reading the book of the day in a circle time format that summarized what was addressed that day.
Parents were invited to a password protected webpage to see follow-up R2M activities and related books they could read to their child at home.
NOTE: Two additional sessions for pre- and post- speech-language/literacy measures and video-taping of parent-child reading activities were completed with the parents and their young children that included standard and non-standard testing and pre-post interactive reading sessions with the parents and their toddlers. A written summary of the results of the initial speech-language assessments was provided to the parents at the end of the program.
Enrollment
Families from the Hyattsville, Maryland community were recruited and invited to participate in the bookreading program and subsequently invited to participate in the research study. While the pilot version was geared towards children who may be at risk for literacy issues, such as low-income and/or from a non-native English-speaking home, our first cohort of families who consented to the research were middle-upper SES class two parent families both monolingual and bi-lingual (English-Spanish). Our second co-hort of families was conducted at the University of Maryland Hearing and Speech (HESP) Clinic using the Language-Learning Early Advantage Program (LEAP) preschool classroom and therapy rooms. Parents and their toddler/preschool-aged children with documented speech-language needs participated in the program. An added component to this program were the administration of two (2) speech-language-specific screening measures as well as 10 additional 50-minute therapy sessions that targeted specific communication skills identified in the SLP screening measures.
NOTE: For both cohorts, a pre-screening process was conducted in order for the parent and their child to qualify for the R2M program. The screening included the parent's report of availability to participate in the pre-post assessments and participate on all 10 R2M sessions for both child and parent. In addition, both child and parent should have English as their primary language at least for the initial phase of the training. Once adequate pilot data is gathered, population criteria will expand to other groups of families.
Payment
Currently, parents paid $45/session. Future tuition for parents and their young children enrolled in the R2M program is anticipated to be covered by grant funding. All services include:
- Speech-Language/literacy pre-post measures for both parent and child to include report
- Ten (10) 45-minute evidence-based, language and early literacy enrichment classes for young children
- Ten (10) 45- minute parent training sessions on ways to stimulate emergent literacy and speech-language skills in a small group, relaxed atmosphere
See our FAQs on the main menu for more information!
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Sample R2M schedule:
R2M children transition to the circle time area ___________________________________ Welcome song Read theme book Each child has a theme item that goes with the book Book theme-related activities ______________________________ Caregivers go to a separate room for interactive book-reading/emergent literacy and speech-language enrichment training and ways to expand book activities _______________________________ Parents and children transition to the same room. Multi-sensory, book-of-the-week, theme-based stations are set-up around the room. R2M SLP MA graduate and undergraduate students facilitate and reinforce language and emergent literacy activities at these stations e.g., movement, art, dramatic play and other play-based extensions of the book. _______________________________ Closing group circle activity with caregivers. Closing circle with review Goodbye song _______________________________ 
Book of the week stations are planned that include engaging role-play, art, music and movement activities.
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Parachute play during circle time
Friends hanging out
Parents in circle time
Fun parent/child interactive book-reading and activities are planned each R2M day.
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Let the learning & adventure begin!!!