Dad Overcomes Son’s Speech Delay with Books

When Nosakhere A. Griffin-EL, Ph.D.’s oldest son was diagnosed with a speech delay at age three, the initial response from the school district was disheartening. Denied crucial speech services and told not to worry, the educator realized the systemic challenges Black children often face. This moment ignited a powerful determination in Nosakhere and his wife, Eliada Griffin-EL, Ph.D., to take their son’s development into their own hands, setting Nosakhere on a path that would not only help his son but also reveal the profound impact of reading aloud.

From Denial to Determination: The Power of Reading Aloud

Faced with the school district’s refusal to provide services, Nosakhere made the significant decision to become a stay-at-home dad. This allowed him to actively participate in his son’s development. While the family pursued private speech therapy, Nosakhere absorbed every piece of advice, particularly the speech pathologist’s recommendation: read aloud and discuss the stories.

This advice became the cornerstone of their home learning environment. Their kitchen transformed into a vibrant ‘learning lab,’ complete with a whiteboard for phonics lessons and pocket charts. They invested in educational games and, most importantly, a diverse collection of books. Nosakhere made weekly trips to the library with both his sons, encouraging them to choose books that sparked their interests and dreams.

Crafting Learning Experiences Through Stories

Nosakhere didn’t just read the books; he brought them to life. He crafted learning experiences around the stories, even creating customized books where his sons were the protagonists, which amplified their engagement and desire to read. That summer alone, he read over 600 books to his boys, including titles like ‘Let’s Go on a Drive’ and ‘Trombone Shorty.’ Crucially, each reading session was paired with questions designed to foster comprehension of the plot, characters’ emotions, and social-emotional understanding.

One particularly heartwarming moment involved the book ‘Happy Dreamer.’ Hearing his youngest son excitedly exclaim a line from the book, ‘TRUMPETY, ZIG ZAG JAZZ!’, demonstrated the joy and intrinsic motivation that reading can inspire when made engaging. This experience, years later, still perfectly encapsulates how making reading fun can lead children to embrace it independently.

Transformative Results and a Lasting Legacy

The dedication paid off. By the end of that summer, the older son had made significant strides in overcoming his speech delay, astonishing the school’s speech therapist. Today, he’s a thriving seventh grader who no longer requires therapy. The impact extended to his younger son, who, by the age of two and a half, was already reading independently. A memorable moment on a bus, where the younger son sounded out ‘P-I-N-K’ from a bag, left passengers amazed and solidified the profound effect of their parent-led education.

This transformative learning journey laid the foundation for their family business, The Young Dreamers’ Bookstore. Nosakhere now extends his expertise to the wider community, helping families, schools, and organizations support children’s reading development. While acknowledging the role of the educational system, Nosakhere emphasizes the immense power parents hold. Creating engaging learning experiences, like reading aloud, can truly transform a child’s future, enabling them to flourish and pursue their dreams.