Where the Story Begins...
Hi, I’m Shannon!
I’m the founder of Play on Words Publishing and a licensed speech-language pathologist. After earning my Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology in 2016, I dove headfirst into the world of early intervention.
In my years of working with little ones, I was always on the hunt for creative ways to keep them motivated and engaged during speech practice. Flashcards? They only got me so far. Sometimes, it felt like I was “tricking” kids into practicing their speech sounds—and I knew there had to be a better way!
An Idea was Born!
I knew there had to be a way to create something that felt less like "work" and more like play. I was determined to find a way to teach children specific sounds, practice those sounds in natural contexts, and keep them engaged throughout the journey. I started mapping out a fun story adventure in my head, and the ideas kept flowing!
Creating the Books
First, I started with "Pete the Puppy". Since the /p/ sound is one of the earliest sounds children master, it felt like the perfect starting point. I designed the story to spark kids' imaginations while naturally encouraging them to practice the /p/ sound. I began to imagine how children would respond to the book, but there was only one way for me to find out...
Kid-Approved
I put the books to the test during my own therapy sessions. I love that I was able to target so many goals with each book (e.g. responding to questions, following directions, vocabulary building, and more). I was able to see what children responded best to, and what features I could improve on. It's safe to say that these books are kid-approved! Some of my little ones began asking for the books each session.
Available for You!
Now I am able to offer a resource that I am genuinely proud of. These interactive speech sound eBooks are resources that can be used by parents, grandparents, educators - anyone who has a young learner! I’m excited to share these books with you all, offering a fun way to support speech and language development at your fingertips. I think you'll love them too. :)
Available for You
Now I am able to offer a resource that I am genuinely proud of. These interactive speech sound eBooks are resources that can be used by parents, grandparents, educators - anyone who has a young learner! I’m excited to share these books with you all, offering a fun way to support speech and language development at your fingertips. I think you'll love them too. :)