Free Therapeutic Programs at the Playhouse

We are so thrilled to finally be offering our One-on-One Literacy Tutoring and Amina Grace Speech and Language Program at the Playhouse!  

One-on-One Literacy Tutoring 

The ability to read opens doors for individuals with Down syndrome in the workplace, schools and the community.  Developing reading skills also leads to improvements in speech and language development, auditory perceptual skills and working memory function.   

“Teaching phonograms is my favorite part of the literacy tutoring program. It’s fun to see my students make the connections between letters, words, and objects in the playhouse. We definitely have fun with phonograms!  

Each week we introduce new phonograms and practice writing the upper case and lower case letters — which seems to be everyone’s favorite activity. We also sing a catchy jingle with each letter that helps with both pronunciation and association.  

Here’s an example for the letter Mm: 

The name of the letter is ‘M’ 

The sound or the letter is ‘mm’ 

March to the music, ‘M’ says ‘mm’ “

-Alina, Literacy Tutor Volunteer at GiGi’s Playhouse Sacramento  

Our goal is to foster a love for reading and provide an opportunity to develop and master skills, all while building a positive relationship with our volunteer tutors.  Trained tutors work at the level of the child, continually challenging and encouraging him/her to reach their Best of All.  Students can start in our program as early as age 3 or any year after that. It’s never too late to start!  Weekly lessons last 45-60 minutes for 10-12 weeks at a time.  Family members attend each tutoring session and leave with practical activities to continue the learning at home. 

One-on-One Speech Therapy 

The Amina Grace Speech and Language Program came to be by the generous donation of Munawar Ali and Maura Cullen in honor of their daughter Amina Grace. Effective enunciation, clarity of speech, word order and message meaning are paramount to fostering greater self-confidence, comprehension, problem-solving, school readiness, social skills, independence, and overall quality of life. 

“We’ve been busy with our 1:1 speech therapy around the Playhouse!  We have 14 participants ranging in age from three to twenty-seven.  We are busily working on speech clarity, social language, vocabulary, sign language, expanding sentences, etc.  Watch for our summer registration coming soon!” -Danielle, Speech Pathologist and Board Member of GiGi’s Playhouse Sacramento  

A Lifelong Commitment

Programs at GiGi’s Playhouse offer foundational learning opportunities for individuals with Down syndrome, their families and the community. 

GiGi’s Playhouse programs are a place for parents/caregivers to share ideas and network with one another. We invite caregivers to communicate their needs, questions and concerns with one another, and promote connections to be made in support of each other. GiGi’s programs embrace the family and help aid the development of a healthy, successful relationship between parents, individuals with Down syndrome and siblings. 

“A reward sandwich for doing a good job at GiGi’s Playhouse Sacramento’s speech therapy program” -Sheyenne’s Mom

How You Can Help!

We are always looking for more volunteers! With one hour a week you can support an individual with Down syndrome in unlocking doors and opportunities in school, the workplace and in the community! We supply the training & support; you provide the time and passion to create a lasting impact! If you are interested apply HERE!