Thinking to help my son heal his speech right
I had sent out a call on the Freecycle site…
Every day for a week I was checking to see
If anyone local might have some books free.
Remembering childhood and tongue-twisting ditties
I set the request to go out to three cities
Quite soon, sure enough, an address I could look up,
And dive across town to be picking a book up.
It didn’t take long till we had a collection
Addressing lacunae in diction’s defection.
Each morning we’d read and he’d make his lips wriggle
And both, unsuccessfully, try not to giggle.
We read about Sleeping and yawns under noses
And Foxes with Soxes to cover their toes-es,
We read about Green Eggs and Ham and the Cat
Who had juggled the goldfish and then doffed his Hat.
We wrangled with words and with pronunciation
Till it was apparent, with growing elation,
His speech had improved and for reading aloud
The old Dr Seuss books had done my son proud.
I found them today in a nice tidy pile
Though they haven’t been out of the drawer for a while,
So I picked up the books and I started to read
And found the familiar rhythm and speed.
My son listened quietly, keeping a look out
For birds in the garden, while I read the book out,
Then closing his eyes, with a shake of his head,
He heaved a great sigh and quite pointedly said,
“You don’t really think that I think I am too dumb
To see that you’re reading not for me but you, Mum,
If you really think so, you’re hallucinating.”
He’s right, I just couldn’t resist Seussinating.
When Nick was in the early stages of his recovery at home, after six months in rehab his speech was still very thick, monotonous and slurred, similar to that seen after a severe stroke. We were trying a lot of unorthodox approaches to his recovery at the time, so I acquired a pile of Dr Seuss books from Freecycle and each morning Nick would read them aloud, using me as the ‘control’… if I couldn’t get the tongue twisting verses of Fox in Sox out, then he had nothing to worry about. After several weeks of this daily routine, Nick’s speech had improved immeasurably and his voice had begun to recover some expression. I would recommend that book to anyone seeking to help restore diction. I also believe that the repetitive rhythm and rhyme encouraged his damaged memory to begin to repair itself.
I just wish I could have said Thank You to Dr Seuss.
Sue Vincent's Daily Echo 
Congratulations to you both
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Thanks Derrick 🙂
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Pingback: Seussination | oshriradhekrishnabole
Thank you for reblogging 🙂
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There are so many reasons to love Dr. Seuss. You found another. ☺
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I still have my first Sunday School prize… the Sleep Book… (complete with several generations of ’embellishments’). I’ve loved Seuss since way back then 🙂
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Who can resist Seussinating????
I admire you and Nick’s unorthodox and brilliant skills at getting better. 🙂
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We managed to infuse a good deal of laughter into the rehab too 🙂
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Another bonus. 🙂
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Always 🙂
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Reblogged this on Edgewise Words Inn and commented:
I have an adult son with epilepsy. Recently he suffered a seizure in a parking lot, fracturing his skull. He was rushed into surgery, where a brilliant neurosurgeon not only repaired his skull and resolved the sub dural hematoma, he saved my son’s quality of life. His short-term memory is gradually getting back to where it it was before the accident, and he is once again living on his own.
This poem by Sue Vincent really struck a chord with me. Dr. Suess was a brilliant man in so many ways–children and adults all over the world have been touched by his hilarious tongue twisters!
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Thank you, Connie. The surgeons were brilliant with Nick too.
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What a truly ingenious thing! Thanks Sue!
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It really worked too 🙂
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Wow, what a lovely story and a fabulous poem. I just love Seuss – not called Dr for nothing it seems:-) Happy New Year Hugs, Harula xxx
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He certainly earned the title in our household, Harula 🙂 Happy New Year! xxx
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Oh, I believe, the good doctor, heard every word! ❤
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I hope so, Annette 🙂
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Such good learning books, glad they helped Nick. I’ll have to remember that use for them should anyone I know might need it.
The repetition of the prose drove me crazy as a kid. I still barely tolerated them reading to our kids. Suess was born just a short drive away from here and there is now a Suess sculpture garden in that city, with all the favorite characters in bronze for kids to climb upon. It is quite popular.
Suess would have loved your poem!
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I’ve always loved his books, both the poems and the zany illustrations, but never expected to use them in such a positive way.
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Brilliant idea, Sue. my kids read those books early on, and it helped improve their speech too. You and Nick are an unbeatable combination.
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Nick taught his little brother to read with them too when they were both very young.
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Reblogged this on Anita Dawes & Jaye Marie.
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Amazing, Sue. It makes total sense that the verse would improve speech. I love the magic of Seuss. I get to read them all again with my grandson. They never go out of style for good reason 🙂
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I don’t even need the excuse of my granddaughter.. though her collection is building 😉
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Reblogged this on Melissa Barker-Simpson and commented:
I love this. I adored Dr Seuss books growing up, and I haven’t thought about the power of Seuss for a while – how powerful the written word can be and how healing in body and mind 🙂
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This is brilliant. This man’s books are full of tongue twisters, but it is beautiful how he used words to make art. I had a family member sustain a brain injury recently. I know how hard it is. Sounds like these books with the perfect thing to help in your situation.
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I always loved Seuss, both for the verse and the illustrations, and I’m not just talking about through childhood 🙂 The difference these books made to my son in regaining intelligible speech was amazing. I can’t speak highly enough of what they helped him achieve. Nick’s speech is far from perfect, as he states on the video he made recently, but it is so much better now than it once was. I hope your relative is recovering. I know the emotional rollercoaster for all concerned is a hard one to ride.
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You can Sue *whispers* he’ll hear if you rhyme. 😇 I loved this and though I’m English from across the sea, I know that Dr. Seuss is talking to me. X
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I’m English too and even here, old Doctor Seuss is held quite dear 😉
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I found him late my son was eight
I still read it when in a state.
😇😉😃😄
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Well, you can read him here and there, in fact, I’ll read him anywhere 🙂
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☆♡☆
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You just did. 😀
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😀 Must be catching 😉
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LOL Sue. You can’t get away from Seuss. So happy you and Nick found something to help him regain his ability to speak.
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You wouldn’t believe the difference it made… or the fun we had trying 🙂
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🙂
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