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Promoting Language Skills Through Play

The Phebe Anna Thorne School offers traditional classes and specialized programs for children with speech and language-based difficulties.

Entering preschool is an exciting time for children. It’s a big jump in their ability to explore, learn, and discover their world. But for some children, especially those with language and speech-based learning difficulties, this time can be frustrating for them, and they need additional support.

The Phebe Anna Thorne School offers programming for children with identified speech and language difficulties at this critical early age. For children in preschool, the Language Enrichment Preschool Program (LEPP) lets preschool age children work closely with both a classroom teacher and a speech-language pathologist to improve their receptive, expressive, and social language skills.

These language skills are integral to both classroom and social life for children. Not sure what they are? Here are the basics:

Receptive Language is the ability to comprehend and process information said aloud, like verbal directions, following along with a storytime, or learning new facts. (An example: an instruction to “put the bear on the chair.”)

Expressive Language is the ability to put words together to form sentences using appropriate vocabulary and grammar in order to communicate ideas, tell stories, and provide information to others.

Social Language is as equally important, and is how children communicate with their peers, both during play and conversation. This is crucial in developing friendships and engaging in group activities.

Bolstering these these language skills through play is an integral part of LEPP. Children are able to enjoy a classic preschool curriculum while receiving support to help develop their speech and language skills. That’s happening even at circle time, during storytime, and through recreational play.

Additionally, the Phebe Anna Thorne School offers traditional developmentally oriented, child-centered preschool programs for children ages 2-6 as well as a full day Kindergarten program. Research shows that imaginative play enhances problem solving and social skills, leading to more curious, independent and joyful learners.  At The Phebe Anna Thorne School, children gain a sense of competence and well-being within a group through play, problem-solving, and social interaction. Thorne classrooms invite children to explore and learn in a nurturing, enriched environment that helps them master a foundation of academic skills while becoming caring, creative and self -confident. At the full day Kindergarten, located at Haverford College, children have the opportunity to explore the many areas of the campus from the track, to the art gallery and observatory.

The language and traditional programs at Thorne give kids a chance to become more aware of themselves and feel more empowered and successful — both academically and socially, in and out of the classroom.

You can learn more about the Phebe Anna Thorne School on their Profile Page and their Facebook Page. Contact Amanda Ulrich for enrollment information at 610-526-7913. 

This story supports the Main Line Parent Community with photographs courtesy of Phebe Anna Thorne School. 

Learning to Play, Playing to Learn: The mission of the Thorne School is to provide play-based, developmentally appropriate child-centered programs for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarteners.

1 COMMENT
  • Lauren Kaufman May 23, 2019

    My son is in his second year at Phebe Anna Thorne School/Language Class, and I continue to be amazed by how much he has learned. The teachers are leaders in the early education field and are truly top notch. They have a 3:1 teacher to student ratio, and two of the teachers are speech language pathologists. The teachers work directly on strengthening social language and play skills as well as supporting expressive and receptive language abilities. We are so grateful to have found Phebe Anna Thorne School!

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