Esther Nahon

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Esther Nahon, M.S., CCC-SLP, TSSLD
MINDINSYNC founder | Neuroaffirming educator
đź“šLanguage, literacy & learning rooted in connection and care
🔜 Shining Words™ | In the making
👇Resources to eplore in my Linktree

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month and Learning Disabilities Awareness Month, and I can’t think of a better time to hav...
10/13/2026

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month and Learning Disabilities Awareness Month, and I can’t think of a better time to have a conversation about literacy, what it means, and why it matters at every age.

As a speech-language pathologist, literacy has always been at the heart of my work. Over the past 15+ years, I’ve worked with children and adolescents across different stages of language, literacy, and learning development. One thing I continue to come back to is how deeply connected these skills are and how much they influence a person’s ability to learn, communicate, participate, and make sense of the world.

Literacy is so much more than learning to decode words on a page. It involves language comprehension, vocabulary, background knowledge, reasoning, written expression, and increasingly, the ability to navigate and critically evaluate information in a digital world. These skills don’t stop developing when we leave school.

For individuals with dyslexia and other learning disabilities, access to evidence-informed instruction, early identification, appropriate intervention, and continued support can make an enormous difference. We need to recognize that literacy difficulties don’t disappear simply because a student gets older or advances to the next grade.

I care deeply about this work because literacy opens doors to knowledge, connection, independence, and opportunity. Every learner deserves access to instruction that recognizes their strengths, understands their needs, and gives them the tools to continue growing.

My hope is that we move beyond awareness and toward meaningful action in our classrooms, schools, and communities. Literacy is not a milestone we reach and leave behind. It is something we continue building throughout our lives.

Language. Literacy. Learning. At every age. đź’›

Language is literacy, and if you’re doing this work, I know it’s something you find yourself coming back to again and ag...
10/09/2026

Language is literacy, and if you’re doing this work, I know it’s something you find yourself coming back to again and again, too.

Looking through photos I’ve taken since the beginning of the school year, I was reminded of just how much language is involved in what we ask children to do every day.

We talk a lot about phonics, decoding, and fluency, and rightfully so. These skills are essential. Yet the foundations of literacy begin long before children read their first words, through oral language, vocabulary, conversations, storytelling, and building knowledge.

Think about a student explaining a character’s motivation, connecting historical events, or organizing ideas into a paragraph, each task places demands on language that aren’t always obvious. Over the years, I’ve worked with so many children who have wonderful ideas and so much to share, yet struggle to retrieve words, formulate sentences, or express their thinking. I’ve learned that what a child understands and what they’re able to express aren’t always the same.

This extends beyond academics. A child may struggle to explain a disagreement, communicate their needs, or repair a misunderstanding. We may notice frustration, withdrawal, or an emotional reaction without recognizing the communication demands involved. It’s also important to know that not every behavioral challenge stems from a language difficulty, but communication should be part of what we consider.

This is why I believe language needs to be everyone’s business. Understanding how language, literacy, executive functioning, and social communication interact helps us recognize the skills children need and teach them explicitly.
Understanding development, recognizing what may be getting in the way, and providing meaningful instruction and support must all be considered.

The next time a child struggles to demonstrate what they know, look beyond the response itself. Consider the language and cognitive demands involved, the skills they’re still developing, and the support that might help them communicate their understanding.

10/08/2026

This video is for everyone out there who has had to fight for a child to be understood, who has been told a child “isn’t the right fit,” or who has watched the promise of inclusion fade when that child needed more support. It is also for the educators and support staff trying to make that promise meaningful, often without the resources, time, or leadership support the work requires.

As a speech-language pathologist and educator, I think about what children learn from those experiences. Alongside the curriculum, they are learning whether asking for help is safe, whether their struggles will be met with understanding, and whether belonging is something they can count on or something they have to keep earning.

October is Learning Disabilities Awareness Month. For me, recognizing this month means examining what changes after we become aware: how we teach, how we interpret difficulty, how we respond to families, and whether the supports we promise actually reach the child.

We need to examine who can afford to keep filling the gaps. When access depends on outside evaluations, private intervention, and a parent’s ability to advocate persistently, what happens to the children whose families cannot provide all of that? Families should be able to trust that their child’s education will not depend on how much they can spend or how hard they can push.

We also need to consider what our responses teach the other students. We cannot ask children to embrace differences while allowing a classmate to be repeatedly treated as an inconvenience. Empathy becomes meaningful when adults model it through respectful language, thoughtful support, and a willingness to understand what is happening before deciding what should happen next.

I hope this month encourages us to look honestly at the gap between what we promise families and what children experience each day, and to give educators and support staff the resources to close it. When we tell a family, “Your child belongs here,” they should be able to trust that those words will guide our decisions, especially when the work becomes difficult.

10/05/2026

When I’m looking at a child’s literacy development, I’m listening as much as I’m watching them read. How do they explain an experience? Understand a question? Learn an unfamiliar word? Connect what they already know to something new? Those everyday moments offer information about the language skills they bring to reading and writing.

For a young child, that might mean learning what “before” means while we talk through a routine, or explaining why a character is upset during a shared story. For an older student, those same foundations support following a complex sentence, understanding an unfamiliar concept, or organizing an explanation in writing. The demands change, but language continues to matter.

A child might successfully sound out a word without knowing its meaning, or read every word in a paragraph while missing how the ideas connect. This is why progress needs to be understood beyond a reading level. We need to look at both how children recognize written words and how they understand the language those words communicate.

The science of reading helps us understand these connections. It is a body of research, rather than a single program, and it includes much more than phonics alone. Throughout my years of working with children, I’ve learned that a program can provide valuable structure, but it cannot replace an educator’s understanding of the learner. We need to know what a child can do independently, which skills need explicit teaching, and whether our instruction is helping those skills develop.

At home and in the classroom, we can make language more accessible by explaining unfamiliar words, talking about relationships between ideas, and giving children opportunities to tell, question, explain, and reflect. These conversations complement explicit reading instruction, and remain important long after children begin reading independently.

In part two, we’ll take a closer look at how children learn to read through Scarborough’s Reading Rope including how sounds connect to print, how word reading and language comprehension develop, and when difficulties call for further assessment and support.

09/30/2026

The work of a speech-language pathologist is heart work. It asks us to bring our knowledge, clinical judgment, creativity, and humanity into every room, while remembering that the child in front of us may need something different from what we carefully planned.

I mentor and supervise student SLPs, and I see how much pressure they place on themselves to walk into every session with the perfect activity, the right materials, and an answer for everything. I remember that feeling. I also remember the child who would not speak to me and the one who hid under the table. They taught me that sometimes the work begins by sitting nearby, following a child’s lead, and giving the relationship enough time to grow.

That does not mean we abandon our goals or lower our expectations. It means we use our knowledge to understand what the child is communicating and determine how to make the learning accessible. We teach with intention and fidelity, while remaining flexible enough to recognize when our plan needs to change.

Over the years, I have also learned that language is everywhere. It is in play, books, movement, routines, disagreements, jokes, and the stories children cannot wait to tell us. Progress is rarely linear, and it may look like a new word, a request for help, the confidence to say no, or the willingness to try something difficult again.

This work also extends far beyond the therapy room. Parents, caregivers, teachers, and other professionals hold pieces of the child’s story that we need. Some of the most valuable information I have received has come from an honest conversation at the door or a teacher noticing something I could not see during a session.

To the student and newer SLPs finding their way: you do not need to know everything yet, and you do not need a closet filled with materials. Keep asking questions. Find the area of this field that keeps pulling you back, learn it deeply, and trust that your imagination, your growing knowledge, and your ability to connect are already some of your most important tools.

Sometimes the most meaningful work really does begin under the table. 🤍

What is something a child taught you that changed the way you practice?

09/18/2026

Teachers carry far more than most people ever see: planning, paperwork, meetings, parent communication, student needs, and the mental load that continues long after the school day ends.

Many also use their own time and money to create spaces that feel safe, organized, welcoming, and ready for learning. We purchase books, visuals, sensory tools, supplies, and snacks because the environment tells a child:
You were considered when this space was created.

But care should not require constant self-sacrifice.

If we want evidence-based, responsive classrooms, educators need more than a program name or a new set of materials. They need the conditions to implement those practices well.

Meaningful support can look like:

✨ Protected planning and collaboration time
✨ Funded materials and appropriate staffing
✨ Practical training with ongoing coaching
✨ Clear systems that can be implemented with fidelity
✨ Leadership that listens and follows through
✨ Permission to reflect, adjust, and respond to the students in the room

We don’t have to choose between supporting students and supporting teachers. The two are deeply connected.

When educators feel resourced, respected, and regulated, they are better able to create learning environments where children feel the same.

We can hold educators to high standards while also giving them what they need to meet those standards. Reflection and accountability matter, but neither should require burnout.

Today’s Shining Word™ is for educators:

🌟 “You can care deeply and still need support.”

Needing help does not make you less dedicated. You were never meant to fund the environment, build the system, and carry its emotional weight alone.

Supporting teachers is supporting children.

During these first days of school, I’m noticing how hard children of every age are working to understand what is expecte...
09/10/2026

During these first days of school, I’m noticing how hard children of every age are working to understand what is expected of them.

For younger children, it may be separating at the classroom door, finding the bathroom, opening a lunch container, or learning a new routine.

Elementary students are remembering where homework belongs and trying to follow several directions at once. Middle school students are navigating lockers, changing classrooms, and unfamiliar schedules. High school students may appear more independent, but they are still managing heavier workloads, social pressure, and the fear of falling behind.

Not every child will tell us they need help. Some will ask the same question repeatedly. Some will become frustrated. Others will stay quiet and hope no one notices they are lost.

As adults, we can be proactive:

“Do you want to try the locker together before the hallway gets busy?”

“Let’s check what needs to come home today.”

“I’m going to say that again and break it into steps.”

One student needed to hear this week:

“Let’s not worry about the whole year. Let’s just get through the next few minutes.” We then found the next class, checked the schedule, and made a plan. We didn’t solve the whole day or week, but we made the next step feel possible.

That is the heart of Shining Words™. It’s not only about finding comforting words after a hard moment. It’s about noticing sooner, offering support without shame, and preventing a manageable struggle from becoming overwhelming.

Our words may not make every hard moment disappear, but they can lower the pressure and protect a child’s dignity.

See the Moment. Choose the Words. Build the Connection.

Shining Words™ | MINDINSYNC

A few weeks ago, I asked about accommodations and modifications in today’s digital learning environment, and so many of ...
09/04/2026

A few weeks ago, I asked about accommodations and modifications in today’s digital learning environment, and so many of you shared thoughtful ideas from your schools, classrooms, and homes. I promised I’d pull them together, so I created a handout with practical technology access considerations for school-age students.

I understand why so much has moved onto devices. It can make things easier to organize and manage. But from the student side, technology can also add another layer of demand, especially for students with learning, language, attention, processing, or executive functioning challenges.

I’ve watched students use so much energy just trying to find the right tab, open the right document, figure out where to type, or remember where to submit.

I remember thinking: we didn’t even really teach this student how to navigate all of this, and now we’re assessing them through it? That question has stayed with me all summer.

Sometimes technology is the accommodation. Sometimes paper is the accommodation. Sometimes the support is simply teaching the digital skill before expecting independence.

The goal is not less technology. It’s more intentional technology.

Having access to a device is not the same as having access to learning.

Comment TECH and I’ll send you the handout.
Here’s the link to the handout too: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jjAyh4gjG407B0PDg50I4EZ0tywYAZR5/view?usp=drivesdk

08/31/2026

A back-to-school reminder:
relationships matter, and building them takes time.

Children hear so much corrective language throughout the day: hurry up, pay attention, stop, you know this.
Most adults are not trying to make children feel badly. We are managing classrooms, schedules, lessons, and many needs at once. Sometimes correction simply becomes the default.

That is part of why I’m creating Shining Words™. I believe adults need practical language for the real moments, the child who doesn’t want to walk through the door, the student who shuts down when work feels hard, or the teenager who says they don’t care.

This isn’t about memorizing a perfect script. It’s about practicing a more intentional way of communicating until it becomes a habit:

-See the moment. Look beneath the behavior.

-Choose the words. Offer language that validates and helps the child move forward.

-Build the connection. Follow your words with steady, consistent support.

As children return to school, try:

“You don’t have to feel ready yet. We’ll find our rhythm together.”

It doesn’t remove the expectation. It changes how we help the child meet it.

As we begin this school year, let’s give children, and ourselves, time to settle in, build trust, and find a rhythm together. Children often carry our language into their own self-talk. Let’s give them words worth carrying.

That is Shining Words™: The language that builds connection.

Stay tuned ✨Shining Words™ will be available as a card deck in Fall 2026.

The longer I work with children, the less interested I am in asking whether they are moving fast enough and the more int...
08/27/2026

The longer I work with children, the less interested I am in asking whether they are moving fast enough and the more interested I am in understanding what is actually happening.

Every school year comes with expectations. The grade should be higher. They should participate more. Reading and writing should be more fluent. They should have found their people by now. They should be more independent. They shouldn’t need this much help anymore.

There is an important distinction here. Sometimes a skill is still emerging and needs more time and practice. Sometimes there is a delay and a child needs more explicit teaching and support. Sometimes there is a disability and the goal is not to wait for the child to “catch up,” but to make sure they have the instruction, accommodations, tools, and access they need while they continue to grow.

Those are not the same thing, and “give it time” is not an answer for all three. The environment matters too. Schools are systems, and no two systems are exactly alike. They have different expectations, schedules, class sizes, teaching approaches, supports, resources, technology, grading practices, and ideas about what independence or participation should look like. A child who is managing in one environment may struggle in another, not because something suddenly changed within the child, but because the demands around them changed.

That is why I try not to look at a grade, a quiet child, slow work, difficulty making friends, or a need for support in isolation. I want to understand the child, the skill, and the environment asking for that skill.

After many years of doing this work, I still want children challenged. I want us to notice when something is hard and intervene when intervention is needed. I want strong instruction, meaningful practice, appropriate support, and high expectations.

I just don’t want urgency to replace understanding.

There is a difference between giving development room and overlooking a child who needs help. Knowing that difference is part of our job as the adults around them.

We don’t rush development. We pay attention to it.

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