Cove Therapies

Home
Canada
Saskatoon, SK
Cove Therapies

🌞 Speech & Language Therapy
📍 Saskatoon, SK
🌿 Now accepting new clients of all ages

〰️ Helping you grow, connect, & communicate with confidence.

www.covetherapies.ca

03/13/2026

Hearing your child make a speech sound error? Here’s how you can respond:👇

1️⃣ Model, don’t correct. Repeat the word back with the correct sound and gentle emphasis. Child: “Tar!” → You: “Yes! A ssstar!”

2️⃣ Build sound awareness. Talk about sounds, point to your mouth, use a mirror, and notice sounds in books and everyday moments. “Look! A sssun. That’s the snake sound — ssss!”

3️⃣ Check in. If your child isn’t on track to meet a speech sound milestone (check out an earlier post for this outline!), a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) can assess the nature of the errors and share strategies to try at home.

✨ Early support for speech sound development can make a big difference in the long run!

03/10/2026

Let's chat about a cool language study! We often talk about play as the gold standard for language stimulation, but research suggests feeding may be an underused powerhouse. 💪🏼

A study found that in a group of 12 babies:

• Infant-directed speech (i.e., "parentese" — exaggerated pitch and prosody that support language learning) and other intentional language strategies were strongest during play. They were not used as often during milk feeding and solid feeding.

• Feeding routines offered greater lexical diversity (i.e., greater range and variety of vocabulary) than play.

📌 Key takeaway:

Feeding is an obligatory routine that happens multiple times a day. With small, intentional shifts, mealtimes (including milk feeding) can become powerful, repeatable opportunities to support early language development!

💡Try using a strategy from our "caregiver tip" series next mealtime!

🧾 Zimmerman et al., 2019. Infant Behavior & Development.

03/04/2026

What a joy it's been to create this little safe haven, that aims for every individual to be valued, connected, and heard. 🌱

Cove in Saskatoon offers collaborative, strengths-based adult & pediatric speech-language therapy from an SLP. Check out the link in bio to learn more! ☺️

02/25/2026

Whether you’re a clinician, a parent, a speech therapy client, or anyone doing the quiet work of change, progress rarely follows a straight path.

There are waves, pauses, and recalibrations. Weeks that feel like nothing is happening.

A reminder that every phase is an important part of the process! 🫶🏼

02/18/2026

What if I told you…that "silly" voice you use with your baby…
 the one you’d never use with another adult…

is actually powerful! 🧠✨ And speech therapist-recommended.

Research shows that infant- and child-directed speech (aka parentese) helps little ones tune in, process speech sounds more clearly, and grow their vocabulary.

Here’s the key: “parentese” is NOT baby talk.

Baby talk changes words: ❌ “Wook at da widdle doggie.”

Parentese keeps words real but makes them easier to learn: ✅ “Look at the DOGGIE! He’s running so FAST!”

Same correct words — just: • Higher pitch • Bigger expression • Slightly slower pace • Short, meaningful phrases

✨ To scaffold as your child grows: • Add one word (“car” → “fast car!”) • Expand their phrase (“dog eat” → “the dog is eating!”) • Stretch or stress key words ("up, up, UP!") • Pause and wait • Follow their interests

It’s not silly. It’s strategic, responsive, and brain-building! 💛

📩 Send this to someone with the best “mom voice!”

02/13/2026

Can you spot the infamous Brown Bear, Brown Bear book? 🐻📚

There's a reason this one's so popular among speech therapists!

It's one of those books that really encourages participation and communication.

• Predictable pattern = kids learn the structure fast

• Repetition = more chances to hear and practice new words

• Simple sentences = less cognitive load, more talking

• Easy to build cloze phrases (“Brown Bear, Brown Bear… I see a ___”). Pause for your child to fill in.

Simple books can be powerful language tools!

02/09/2026

🧠✨ Did you know… sensory development and sensory-rich experiences support speech and language outcomes?

Sensory play… • Creates natural motivation to communicate (more, wow, go, soft) • Builds vocabulary through real, hands-on experiences • Supports the ability to process and interpret sensory information, which language relies upon • Encourages back-and-forth interaction and joint attention • Supports the sensory-motor foundations that speech can build on • Lowers pressure — and language grows best when play feels safe and fun

And best of all, if often doesn’t require you buying anything extra!

✨ Try sensory play like:
• Water, sand, or messy play
• More tactile play (playdough, slime, sensory bins)
• Movement (swinging, climbing, crashing, dancing)
• Sound play (music, instruments, fun sounds)
 💬 Sensory play helps build the brain-body foundation that supports our communication. And–it’s fun!

02/05/2026

🍳💬 Using a play (or real!) kitchen to support language

Pretend play is a powerful way to build communication — especially when adults join in.

Try this: • Follow your child’s lead and talk about what they’re doing
 • Model simple words & short phrases (cut, it’s hot, I’m stirring, more)
 • Use commenting over questioning (“You’re chopping!” vs. “What are you doing?”)
 • Pause and wait to give your child a turn to communicate
 • Add choices (apple or banana?)

• Model talking about opposite concepts (what’s dirty vs. clean, hot vs. cold)

• Model social communication with our older children (what would you like?, I like strawberries, how about you?)
 • Act out simple routines (cook → eat → clean up)

✨ Real kitchens count too — everyday moments = language moments.

01/23/2026

Did you know...Cove Therapies in Saskatoon offers speech-language therapy for adults? Many people associate speech therapy with pediatrics, but we can support people through the lifespan!

Cove's SLP has additional training and experience supporting individuals post-stroke or brain-injury in areas such as:

📩 Aphasia — difficulty understanding or expressing language

🗣️ Apraxia of speech — difficulty planning and coordinating speech movements

🧠 Cognitive-communication — changes in attention, memory, and problem-solving that affect communication

📖 Reading and writing — challenges with reading, spelling, or written expression

Supporting people as they reconnect with communication after these life-changing events is incredibly meaningful work to be a part of! 🤍

01/13/2026

You Might Be Asking Your Toddler Too Many Questions! 👀

And you're not alone...we all do it!

Questions like “What’s this?” or “Say ___!” are usually meant to help, but here’s a gentle shift that can make a big difference.

Frequent quizzing during play can lead to:
- Children waiting to be prompted to communicate.
- Guessing the answer instead of learning what words really mean.
- Interruption of play, adding pressure to “perform,” rather than connection and back-and-forth interaction.

One simple strategy many speech-language pathologists recommend is less quizzing, more modeling. 🧸💬

A helpful guideline is aiming for about 1 question for every 4 comments. 🌱

To support spontaneous communication, try joining your child’s play and commenting on what you see, think, or feel:

Labeling & narrating:
- "Big truck!” 🚗
- “It’s a cow!” 🐮
- “This is fun!” 😊

Copy & add:
- Child: “Car.” Adult: “Fast car!”

Verbal routines & fill-in-the-blank phrases:
- "Ready, set…” 🟢
- “The cow says…” 🐄

Save this tip and give it a try next time you're playing with your child!

01/12/2026

Bilingualism Myth-Buster ⭐

This is a question speech therapists receive often, so let’s discuss!

💡Did you know… studies find that learning more than one language does not cause delays in language development.

Bilingual children may mix languages as they learn, but this is a normal and healthy part of development. 🌱

Using more than one language can allow children to build and maintain meaningful ties to their culture, family, and community. It may also strengthen overall communication and early academic skills.

Tips for families:
🐣 Start early. Use your languages with your child as early as you can; the more input the better.  💛 Keep speaking the language you’re most comfortable speaking in. Quality and quantity are important. 📚 Read and sing in both languages (separately) when you can. 🔁 Use daily routines for natural language practice.

Note: If you're noticing speech or language delays, these delays are likely to show up across languages. In this case, it's best to chat with an SLP!

11/20/2025

My most recent post was for those wanting to support a little one’s pre-linguistic skills, or those worried about a late talker. Let's chat more about this!

Imitation & modeling is everything, when it comes to learning to speak and communicate!

💡TIPS:

1️⃣ If your child seems “stuck” in a certain imitation stage, try modeling a bigger variety of skills around that stage.

For example: If they aren’t copying you tapping a drum, model other actions like putting toys in a container or stirring during pretend cooking.

2️⃣ If they aren't imitating you, try imitating them! Following their lead and copying their actions can boost connection and help imitation grow. 🌱

Address

380 C 2nd Avenue N
Saskatoon, SK
S7K2B9

Website

http://covetherapies.ca/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Cove Therapies posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Cove Therapies:

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Saskatoon?