RiteCare Childhood Language Centers of California, a program of the CSRF

It’s truly miraculous how the right speech, language and reading therapy provided early in a child’s life not only enhances their lives, but it can also change their future and that of their communities. The RiteCare Childhood Language Centers of California prove that over and over again. Children can receive the services they require at no cost to them through one of the 14 RiteCare Childhood Language Centers across California. Please donate today and help us continue to provide these services to children free of charge. Visit https://www.casr-foundation.org/support-us/donate/

Do you shop online with Amazon.com? AmazonSmile is a great Give-Back-to-Charity program that lets you donate to a charity without spending an extra dime. Register California Scottish Rite Foundation as your charity of choice and the Foundation will receive .5% from Amazon every time you shop. Sign up at https://smile.amazon.com and thank you for your support!

Imagination is an essential component of childhood, helping children learn many important lifelong skills. Today is "Make Your Own Holiday Day" and a great opportunity to engage in some imaginative play with your child. What kind of holiday would your child create and why? How would they celebrate their special holiday? These seemingly simple interactions encourage imaginative play which is crucial for a child’s development, giving them the creativity and problem-solving abilities they’ll need as adults. This type of play should be encouraged as much as possible to give kids the opportunities to grow, learn, and imagine. For more information on speech, language and literacy development visit https://www.casr-foundation.org.

Here are a few tips to practice verbal communication skills and increase vocabulary in very young children: - Acknowledge that your baby is speaking to you. Responding with a simple Yes, I see. Or What is that? Show me. - Repeat, repeat, repeat! Say a word that they might be able to learn, then pause and give them a chance to imitate it. - Help finish words or sentences. If your child starts a word, help them finish it. For example, they can say thank and you can add ...Thank you! - Take action! Adding physical movements can help children who might be visual learners! - And don't forget...Read every day! Visit the checklist of Typical Speech and Language Development to see if your child is on track: https://casr-foundation.org/prog/ritecare-language-centers/

The RiteCare Childhood Language Center has been such a blessing for our children. Our kids’ speech and language grew by leaps and bounds while attending their sessions at the Language Center. The staff is amazing with their patience and dedication towards each child. ~Grateful Parent Wonderful supporters like you make such a positive impact on so many children’s lives every single year! It is because of you that speech, language, and literacy therapy can be provided free of charge through the 14 RiteCare Childhood Language Centers of California. Please donate today and help us continue to provide these services to children at no cost. Visit https://www.casr-foundation.org/support-us/donate/

Today is the spring equinox, also called the vernal equinox, which marks the astronomical first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s a wonderful time to get outside and observe nature with children. Every day there’s some new change to see in nature. Pull on your rain boots and go for a walk around your neighborhood, park or along a nature trail and look for signs of spring together. If your child is showing signs that he or she is struggling in the areas of language, reading or speech development, we can help. Visit https://www.casr-foundation.org/ to learn more.

Did you know that cooking with your children boosts their development? January is National Soup Month and typically a slower month for families, so it's a great time to cook together. As you cook, mention the different ingredients to increase your child’s vocabulary. Children also need to follow directions when cooking which enhances receptive language skills. While cooking, explain each step and have your child describe what they are doing for even greater language development. For more advanced learning, have your child predict what will happen next or guess what the next ingredient would be. Visit the checklist of Typical Speech and Language Development to see how your child is measuring up at https://www.casr-foundation.org//ritecare-language-centers/

Practice the gift of "thank you" during National Thank You Month. Encourage your child to write a thank you note and discuss ways to make that thank you card special. Not sure where to start? Have your child write thank-you notes to their friends and family for any gifts received during the holidays. For more information on how to help your child develop better reading, writing, and communication skills visit http://www.casr-foundation.org

The start of the New Year is a great time to implement new traditions! And everyday activities can be opportunities to help prepare a child for success. Here's a simple one that involves the entire family and helps keep track of the year's special moments: a memory jar! Keep a jar or box on the kitchen counter with a stack of colorful paper and a marker. Have family members jot down something that made your family laugh or smile. Next New Year’s Eve, empty the jar, unfold each paper and read them together as a family. If reading is something that is a struggle for your child, reach out to the RiteCare Childhood Language Centers of California to learn how we can help free of charge: http://www.casr-foundation.org

If you're an Amazon shopper, please look into AmazonSmile before your next purchase. It's a wonderful Give-Back-to-Charity program that lets you donate to a charity without spending an extra dime. Register California Scottish Rite Foundation as your charity of choice and the Foundation will receive .5% from Amazon every time you shop. It all adds up! Sign up at https://smile.amazon.com and thank you for supporting the children!

To all those who have served, and those who continue to serve...we salute you! Thank you for your service and sacrifice. Happy Veterans Day!

Does your child have special needs? Before pulling your child out of school, it’s important to consider the pros and cons of homeschooling your child. When daily tasks are mentally and physically challenging, it’s easy to see how frustration and other emotions can take over once in a while. Speak to a child Speech-Language Pathologist near you to find out what’s best for your child. Reach out to the RiteCare Childhood Language Centers of California to learn more. Visit http://www.casr-foundation.org.

Do you do your online shopping using Amazon? AmazonSmile is a great Give-Back-to-Charity program that lets you donate to a charity without spending an extra dime. Register California Scottish Rite Foundation as your charity of choice and the Foundation will receive .5% from Amazon every time you shop. Sign up at: https://smile.amazon.com/

Children learn by imitating scenes from their daily experiences as they act out eating, sleeping, shopping or playing. Often, they will repeat phrases they have heard adults use in association with an activity. Imitating events in their lives gives them a jumping-off point for their own storytelling, embellishing and adding to the story they have lived. Learning starts at home and the RiteCare Childhood Language Centers of California can help guide your child to success! Visit http://www.casr-foundation.org to learn more.

Through the support from generous people like you, the California Scottish Rite Foundation is able to partner with trusted community-based organizations to provide assistance for housing, healthcare, education, and employment to homeless, at-risk, disabled, and low-income military veterans. Our goal is to foster self-sufficiency and ensure long-term welfare after transitioning from military service to civilian life. Learn more about this program https://www.casr-foundation.org/programs/americanism/

A child usually understands what she hears before she uses words. This is receptive language. Your child may be able to point to objects when you name them and follow simple directions. If your child seems to understand well for her age, she is more likely to catch up with her language. If you think she does not understand what others say, she may have a language delay. For more information and to find a RiteCare Childhood Language Center near you, visit http://www.casr-foundation.org.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Children who struggle with reading, writing or spelling can be perceived as lacking intelligence or motivation, but they may actually have dyslexia. Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability resulting from deficits in phonological awareness, rapid automatic naming, working memory and processing speed. Early diagnosis is essential to helping your child’s speech and language skills. To learn how we can help, visit http://www.casr-foundation.org and find a RiteCare Childhood Language Center near you.

So many children’s lives are transformed and enhanced through our speech, language, and literacy therapeutic services all without charge. for about 6 months now, Natalie has made significant improvements and is now able to communicate with less frustration and more complete sentences. Natalie has worked really hard each and every session with the Language Pathologist. She understands it’s her work time, but it is so enjoyable for her. Often times she wants to go even on her days off! Thank you to the RiteCare Childhood Language Center for providing this wonderful speech therapy service we would otherwise not be able to access! Thank you so much. Mother of Natalie Please help us to continue offering these life-changing services to as many children as possible: https://www.casr-foundation.org/support-us/donate/

Do you view art as just messy playtime for kids? Neuroscientists continue to find clues as to how the mental and physical activities required for the arts are fundamental to brain function. Simple creative activities are some of the building blocks of child development. For young children, making artor just talking about itprovides opportunities to learn words for colors, shapes and actions. When toddlers are as young as a year old, parents can do simple activities such as ...crumpling up paper and calling it a ball. By elementary school, students can use descriptive words to discuss their own creations or to talk about what feelings are elicited when they see different styles of artwork. Spend some quality time with your child this spring creating fun art pieces while also benefiting their development! If you're concerned about your child's speech or language development, we can help. To learn more about our free services visit us at https://www.casr-foundation.org/ See more

It’s truly miraculous how the right speech, language, reading and writing therapy provided early in a child’s life not only enhances their lives, but it can also change their future and that of their communities! The RiteCare Childhood Language Centers of California prove that over and over again. Children can receive the services they require at no cost to them through one of the 14 RiteCare Childhood Language Centers across California. Please donate today and help us continue to provide these services to children free of charge. Visit https://www.casr-foundation.org/support-us/donate/

What is one of the most powerful things you can do with your baby? READ! Start early, and read every day with your child from birth onward to establish a rewarding habit early in life. Use funny voices, point out and describe pictures, and ask questions as you go along. These simple actions not only will help hold your child’s interest, but will also spark imagination and curiosity. For more information on speech, language and literacy development visit http://www.casr-foundation.org

Attention all Amazon shoppers! Please look into shopping through AmazonSmileit’s a wonderful Give-Back-to-Charity program that lets you donate to a charity without spending an extra dime. Register California Scottish Rite Foundation as your charity of choice and the Foundation will receive .5% from Amazon every time you shop. Every little bit helps, and it all adds up to support children with speech, language and literacy therapy! Sign up at https://smile.amazon.com and thank you for your support.

Did you know that we partner with highly respected organizations that provide services for Veterans through the Americanism Program to support, empower and employ our nation’s heroes? This approach involves creating strategic partnerships with a variety of organizations that share our commitment to supporting Veterans. For more information visit https://www.casr-foundation.org/programs/americanism/