Jo Ann Gramlich has worked as a children’s speech-language pathologist for almost 30 years!! She enjoys working and interacting with children and providing speech-language therapy for little ones with communication delays and disorders. She uses her optimistic nature to empower them to be confident in their voice so they can be heard and recognized out in the world. It all begins with Jo Ann, a.k.a. Miss JoJo, teaching and helping children to tap into their imagination and skillful mind. She feels her philosophy of making learning fun and educational will bring out the best in children and help them explore their creative abilities during the early years and beyond.
Children have brought so much joy into her life and she is naturally in tune with them. She really gets a big kick out of kids and can easily develop fun and loving relationships with children of all ages. Children remind her of little big people with lots of responsibilities. She never minimizes the work of a child because they have so much to learn and at the same time are teaching Jo Ann indirectly about herself each day during daily interactions and encounters. She feels a child’s job of going to preschool or elementary school is like her job of going to work. For example, children are responsible for learning pre-academic skills such as letter recognition, numbers, shapes, colors, and so much more. Sometimes people think their life is so easy, but it isn’t. Even though they get to learn in a childlike environment, it doesn’t mean it isn’t hard or challenging. Children have the same emotions adults have and she thinks some people forget or take it for granted. Jo Ann’s passion for children has led to her career choice as a children’s speech-language pathologist and her business, Talkplayandread.com.
Talk, Play, And Read was inspired because of her passion for helping children achieve. She is an award-winning author of Talk, Play, And Read with Me Mommy and Talk, Play, And Read With Me Daddy interactive activity books. Her other book titles include Talk, Play, And Read With Me Mommy Interactive eBook for iPad users. Her books not only guide parents, caregivers, and educators but also provide many stimulating activities and games that are developmentally appropriate and designed to help enhance children’s language skills during the early years. She is also an International Best-Selling Author (Mission Accepted: 262 Women: Entrepreneurs, Ultrapreneurs, Creatives & Media Rock Legacy & Tell All).
Jo Ann is an expert facilitator and has spoken to small groups up to televised stages in the U.S. and internationally and has changed the lives of thousands of children. She shares her message to help bring awareness of the importance of language and literacy development starting at birth. In addition, Jo Ann writes blog articles using evidence-based research and materials that support topics related to children’s language and literacy development on her website Talkplayandread.com.
Jo Ann Gramlich is the founder and creator of Talkplayandread .com. Her business came to life while working with children in public schools and early intervention and preschool programs. She finds that the main concern parents or caregivers have when she is working with their little ones is “How can I get my child to talk.” Early intervention is so important as it provides education, support, and guidance for parents, caregivers, and families. Early intervention can have a significant impact on a child’s development and academic success. Jo Ann decided to do some research and thought she could come up with fun and educational resources that parents, caregivers, and educators could benefit from during the crucial period of birth to five years of age.
Not only was she working with toddlers and preschoolers, but school-age children as well. She saw that many of her student’s speech and language skills were significantly delayed just as they were beginning kindergarten. So, what better way than to support parents, caregivers, and educators by creating fun and educational resources with easy access to engaging activities along with evidence-based strategies to aid in helping infants, toddlers, and preschoolers learn and use language during the early years? She knew the activities would not only target communication skills but also improve children’s cognitive development, physical growth, and social and emotional development as well. Jo Ann’s books would help parents learn how to expand and build on their child’s language skills during daily routines within the home where a majority of the learning opportunities take place for children under the age of five. Additionally, the books include outdoor activities and can be used when on the go with little ones. Parents would be able to provide the necessary language models daily that children need to develop language and communicate more effectively. Special bonding moments would naturally take place through fun, educational, and creative interactive activities.
“Play is the work of a child,” so let’s make it fun and educational at the same time!! For example, activities such as “Take a Walk with Me, Searching for Shapes, Hunting for Colors,” or “Jump in the Puddle,” are fun activities that are developmentally appropriate and allow children to use their senses to understand the world around them. By stimulating their senses, we can provide learning experiences that increase children’s opportunities to communicate what they see, hear, taste, smell, and touch and at the same time let them learn how to use and understand language.
“Our world is made up of shapes, colors, nature, animals and so much more. Why not introduce these topics and concepts to children at a young age while incorporating strategies and techniques to help them build on their language skills?” Many learning opportunities are available for children to experience and we need to take advantage of them during the early years to get children ready for school. The bottom line is that getting a child ready for school begins as early as birth.
Jo Ann says that Talk, Play, and Read has a very clear and user-friendly message or theme. It takes neuroscience studies about brain development in young children and simplifies it to an easy message every single parent, caregiver, or professional can understand to support a child’s early development. Simply put, talk, play, and read with your child every day.
Talking, playing, and reading with children every day helps with brain development, self-esteem, and vocabulary which is a key predictor of a child’s ability to succeed in school. School success leads to positive outcomes within our community including greater high school graduation rates and more skilled and contributing citizens (The Family Conservancy).
My advice to others about business can be summed up in one word and the word is “Passion.” The life lesson here is to find your passion and listen to your own inner thoughts and voice because it will empower you to move forward during difficult times and in directions that you never thought were tangible or possible. Avoid negative distracting thoughts from others while venturing out on your journey and remember that obstacles are a part of life and help us discover more about ourselves and others. Your passion will not only lead you to make conscious decisions and life choices but empower you to make a footprint in the world and experience things you never dreamed of. It will permit you to develop relationships with people from all around the world who believe in you, your business, and your dreams. You can cultivate your passion by participating in business activities that spark your imagination along with partaking in fun and exciting adventures while simultaneously interacting with others. Creativity can become a big part of your nature and keep you balanced, grounded, and happy. We all need to strive to become better so, why not find your passion and make a grand mark on the world around you?
For More Information about Jo Ann and her resources visit https://talkplayandread.com/.
