SOAR Position: Member

Major: Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology

Faculty Mentor(s): Meghan Wendelken and Kathryn Blankenship

Current Focus

The Good Gardener: A Dialogic Storybook

Additional Interests: Member

Project Description

Through a children’s narrative, "The Good Gardener" will act as a vocabulary instruction tool for parents and educators to engage children in dialogic reading to promote vocabulary learning in emerging literacy by using the embedded shared reading tool. Professionals in the speech-language and hearing sciences will be able to promote a tool that synthesizes research on vocabulary acquisition and put the ability to help children learn into the hands of their caretakers.

Why does this topic interest you?

Children's literature has always interested me because of its fun nature and ability to create and teach various topics. A personal goal of mine was to write and complete a children's storybook before graduating from MTSU, and this passion for children's literature led me to choose this topic for my creative project. Throughout my speech and hearing sciences classes, I have learned how valuable storybook reading is to teaching children and conducting therapy. My goal for this project is to create a tool that far surpasses the therapy room and instead equips any adult with the ability to help children grow in their vocabulary ability.

What are your professional aspirations?

Upon graduation from MTSU, I will attend graduate school to obtain a Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology. I will become a certified and licensed therapist, hopefully working with clients who benefit from shared storybook reading and vocabulary instruction.

Do you have any advice for future researchers?

My one piece of advice is to dive right in. The research process is intimidating, but starting is the hardest part. I would advise future researchers to jump in and be prepared to lean on their faculty mentors and be prepared to work hard.