Shoreline Therapy Services is a private practice proudly serving families in Monmouth and northern Ocean County, NJ. We specialize in speech-language pathology services that support literacy and language development for children and adolescents. Our practice provides intervention for individuals who exhibit difficulties with reading, writing, spelling, comprehension, and expressive or receptive language through individualized, evidence-based evaluations and therapy. With a strengths-based and collaborative approach rooted in the science of language and literacy, we partner with families to help children build confident communication skills for success in school and everyday life.
Language & Literacy Intervention
Why Speech Therapy for Reading?
Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are uniquely qualified to provide literacy intervention. We are extensively trained in the language foundations of reading—including phonology, vocabulary, syntax, and comprehension—allowing us to address the root causes of reading difficulties, not just the “symptoms” that are often highlighted.
Effective, structured literacy intervention addresses all components of reading—including both word recognition and language comprehension. While school-based intervention often focuses primarily on decoding, language skills can be misunderstood or undervalued. Over time, word recognition becomes more automatic, while language comprehension becomes increasingly strategic and complex.
Why does this matter? Understanding where a child’s reading breakdown occurs is essential for providing the right support. At Shoreline, we are extensively trained in both word recognition and language comprehension, allowing us to evaluate and intervene thoughtfully, efficiently, and with your child’s unique needs in mind.
When it comes to reading, it’s important to understand the skills that form the foundation for success. Strong articulation, stable phonological representations, and efficient speech planning all support key reading skills—decoding, spelling, fluency, and comprehension.
In a child’s early years, exposure to letters, print, and sounds is important, but exposure alone is not enough. Reading is not a “natural” skill and requires explicit, systematic instruction. Speech-language pathologists are uniquely trained across all four language modalities—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—allowing us to support literacy development in a comprehensive and connected way.
Key Takeaway…
Speech-language pathologists understand how sounds, word structure, vocabulary, and sentence structure work together to support strong reading skills. With expertise in phonology, morphology, syntax, and comprehension, we are able to address the why behind a child’s reading difficulties—not just surface-level errors. By targeting the underlying language systems that impact decoding, spelling, and understanding text, we provide effective, evidence-based support that helps children grow into confident, capable readers.