Talking Together: From Our Couch to Yours

House of Speech
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Talking Together: From Our Couch to Yours is the official podcast from House of Speech – a warm, insightful space where we unpack all things speech and language development, neurodiversity, early intervention, and parenting support. Hosted by experienced speech pathologists and educators, this podcast invites you into real, relaxed conversations full of practical advice, professional insight, and plenty of heart. Whether you're a parent, carer, or fellow therapist, pull up a seat on the couch – we're so glad you're here.

  1. May 29

    Cue Cards to Support Speech

    In this episode, we take you behind the scenes of the development of Speech Cue Cards and share the journey from initial concept through to the finished product. You'll learn: Why we created Speech Cue CardsThe difference between the Phonetic Cue Cards and Metaphor Cue CardsHow speech sound cueing supports children's learningPractical ways parents, educators and clinicians can use the cardsTips for making speech practice engaging and meaningfulWhether you're a parent, educator, therapy assistant or speech pathologist, this episode will give you practical ideas for using Speech Cue Cards to support children's communication in everyday settings. Join us as we explore the thinking, evidence and real-world experiences that shaped the resource we now use every day to help children communicate with confidence. Want to grab a set? https://www.houseofspeech.com.au/shop/p/speech-cards

    46 min

  2. Apr 14

    Educator & Parent conversations

    This episode explores how educators can confidently identify concerns, gather meaningful observations, and communicate these with families in a supportive and collaborative way. It begins by acknowledging that educators often feel unheard, while also recognising the deep understanding they have of children through daily interactions. The discussion highlights the importance of: Consistent observations across environments and activitiesFocusing on functional impacts (e.g., frustration, participation, social interaction)Tracking observations over time rather than comparing childrenUsing developmental milestones as a guide, not a measuring stickThe episode then unpacks how to approach conversations with parents, including: Starting with open-ended questions to invite collaborationClearly explaining what you’re seeing and how it impacts the child day-to-dayGiving real, specific examples across areas like speech, understanding, and sensory needsFinally, it provides guidance on next steps ✨ Overall, the episode focuses on building trust, sharing insights clearly, and supporting families to access the right help early—without overwhelm or judgement.

    37 min

  3. Mar 13

    Not 'Just Playing'

    Ever wondered what actually happens in a play-based speech therapy session? From the outside it can sometimes look like we’re “just playing” but play is far more powerful than it appears. In this episode, we myth-bust the common perception that therapy should look serious, structured, or separate from play. The truth is that in effective speech pathology sessions, therapy and play are often completely intertwined. We explore the key characteristics that make play a powerful learning experience: joyful, meaningful, actively engaging, iterative, and socially interactive. We also talk about the difference between adult-led play and child-led play, and why both have an important place in therapy. If you’ve ever wondered why your child’s therapy session looks like play, or questioned whether “just playing” can really make a difference, this episode will help you understand why play is one of the most powerful tools we have for supporting children’s learning and development. Links: Learning through play: a review of the evidence.https://cms.learningthroughplay.com/media/wmtlmbe0/learning-through-play_web.pdf

    42 min

  4. Feb 11

    From Babble to Words

    In this episode of Talking Together, we’re diving into speech and language development for babies under 12 months. We touch on what’s typical, what to watch for, and how to support your bub’s communication in everyday life. We cover what you can actually do to help: how to talk to your baby, why imitation and repetition matter, simple ways to build turn-taking, and how to make play and book reading powerful for early language. Finally, we chat about using Australian Key Word Sign and discuss when to seek support, including why hearing checks matter, why “wait and see” isn’t always helpful, and where to find trusted milestone checklists and resources. Links: Raising Children Network Baby Development and Developmental Milestones: https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/first-1000-days/development/baby-developmentSpeech Pathology Australia Communication Milestones: https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/Public/Public/Comm-swallow/Speech-development/At-12-months.aspx

    50 min

  5. Jan 29

    Let's Chat Routines

    Welcome back to the first 2026 episode of Talking Together! This episode, Hermione and George chat simple, real-life routines that foster connection between children and the adults in their world. Drawing on ideas shared by parents, educators, and other allied health professionals, we explore how everyday moments like sitting at the dinner table, sharing highs and lows and family rituals can build language, support problem-solving and make connection thrive. Links: Klemfuss JZ, Peplak J. The influence of parent conversation goal and structure on children's event reports. Cogn Dev. 2023 Apr-Jun;66:101333. doi: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2023.101333. Epub 2023 Apr 25. PMID: 39238806; PMCID: PMC11377029.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11377029/#S24

    30 min

  6. 12/17/2025

    Reflections & Learnings of 2025

    Note: This episode has some blurry video content and the video will cut out about 20 minutes in. This episode wraps up some reflections and learnings from 2025. We chat about mindset shifts, what kids have taught us and what we have changed in our practice over the year

    50 min

  7. 11/19/2025

    Sounds Before Letters: Teach these skills for reading success

    In this week’s Talking Together, Hermione and Georgia unpack the foundation of reading: phonological awareness (PA)—all the sound play that comes before letter–sound correspondence. You’ll get simple ways to practise PA in everyday routines (no worksheets, no apps), plus a quick chat about the rise in sensory needs and why more outdoorsy, heavy-work play still matters. What You'll Learn: PA: what it is and why it sits under early reading and spelling. The core skills (in order): rhyming → alliteration → syllables → first/last/middle sounds → sorting sounds → segmenting → blending. How to model it naturally: book time, car time, line-up games, “sound hunts”, name play. Teacher/parent traps to avoid: don’t lean on letters too soon; skip tricky clusters for sound sorts (e.g., tr- in “tree”). When progress stalls: meet kids where they’re at, shrink the step, then level up. Sensory link: why less outdoor play can show up as attention/“rough play”—and what to add back in. Show notes: Grattan Institute: Australia’s reading fail — https://grattan.edu.au/news/australias-reading-fail/ Nkurunziza, Sheila. (2024). The Role of Phonological Awareness in Early Reading Development. European Journal of Linguistics, 3, 15–26. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/382213485_The_Role_of_Phonological_Awareness_in_Early_Reading_Development

    44 min

  8. 11/11/2025

    Paradigm Shift: Rethinking “Behaviour” with Dr Ross Greene’s CPS Model

    We recap Dr Ross Greene’s Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) model and share five mindset shifts to reduce meltdowns by solving the real problem: unmet expectations + lagging skills. You’ll learn: How to spot “frustration responses” (and why labels backfire) When calm corners help—and when they’re just late How to build problem-solving skills through collaboration Why fair ≠ equal (and how to explain that to kids)New episodes weekly—subscribe and share with an educator or parent who needs this 3 Lives in the balance https://livesinthebalance.org/

    52 min
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About

Talking Together: From Our Couch to Yours is the official podcast from House of Speech – a warm, insightful space where we unpack all things speech and language development, neurodiversity, early intervention, and parenting support. Hosted by experienced speech pathologists and educators, this podcast invites you into real, relaxed conversations full of practical advice, professional insight, and plenty of heart. Whether you're a parent, carer, or fellow therapist, pull up a seat on the couch – we're so glad you're here.

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