Role Reversal - Let Students Be the SLP!

having your students be the SLP for one session is a a quick and fun way to see how well they understand their speech therapy goals

This year one of the QR codes in my student reward system allows students to "be the SLP" for their next session. It has turned out to be one of the best rewards in my whole system - for myself and my students. Allowing my students to be the SLP for the day enables them to be in charge, which helps them "buy in" to what they are learning, and gives me a nice way for me to assess how well they actually understand what we have been working on. A type of formative assessment if you will.

Typically during these role reversals, we start with a quick review of the concept or vocabulary we will be using that session. I am still in the teaching role at this point. Basically, I review the learning target for that session and prepare them for what we will be doing. I also make sure to have all the materials ready to go. That way we won't be using up precious time searching for board games, books, or flash cards.

Then we switch roles (Freaky Friday style), and I'm now the "learner"! I always throw in some incorrect answers or inaccurate sound productions from time to time. If I get an answer wrong, that allows me to see if my student can recognize my mistake and help me correct it. It shows a higher level of understanding on their part. If they don't catch my error, I will step out of my "learner" role back into the "SLP" role and make sure we both understand the error and how to correct it.

While I'm being the "learner" I can never quite fully stop being the SLP. I make sure to take note of any terms or concepts that my speech therapy students seem to struggle in "teaching" me. At the end, when we switch back to our regular roles (me as SLP, student as the Learner), I go back and review those tricky concepts and follow-up with them again the next time we meet.

So far, my students have had a blast being the SLP! They really get into their new roles and make sure all the rules are being followed. They're not afraid to give behavior warnings or remind me to listen with my whole body! It's a win-win situation for both of us: they have fun taking over that leadership role and showing me what they know, and I benefit from seeing what they have mastered and what still needs to be worked on further.

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Have you ever let your students teach you? What have you learned from them?

Friday Funny - Halloween Edition!

BOO! Raise your hand if you're excited Halloween is on a Friday this year. All our students can work off their sugar rushes over the weekend :)

Hope you get lots of treats and few tricks tonight!

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Abby is partial to Twix and Skittles. She will also take any Almond Joys that are not wanted.

Phonological Awareness Wizards

introducing a new wizard-themed game for phonological awareness

Abracadabra!

Alacazoom!

Wizards have taken over my speech room!

Phonological Awareness Wizards is a magical new item up in my shop, and my students have been having so much fun with it all week. It includes a game board and everything you need to target phonological awareness skills - we're talking rhyming, syllables, and phonemes. In fact, with this one game board and the 594(!) accompanying playing cards, you are able to target 10 different phonological awareness skills:

RHYMING RECOGNITION

RHYMING DISCRIMINATION

RHYMING PRODUCTION

SYLLABLE IDENTIFICATION

SYLLABLE SEGMENTATION

PHONEME IDENTIFICATION

PHONEME SEGMENTATION

PHONEME DELETION

PHONEME ADDITION

PHONEME MANIPULATION

Deck covers are also included for each set of cards if you wish to use them. The game board comes in two different sizes, and there are also game pawns and a die to coordinate. I cut out the pawns and used binder clips to stand them up - voila!

That's not all - kablam! There are also take-home pages, a progress monitoring rubric, and dot reinforcement pages!

So go ahead, wave your magic wand, and hop on over to pick up this game for your own use. The little wizards you work with will thank you ;) I waved my magic wand and this packet is 40% off until Friday, October 31. Enjoy!

Friday Funny

This is exactly why I don't vacuum:

(source)

WH-Questions Therapy To Go!

introducing a grab-and-go tool for the busy SLP

This year I work with 3rd through 8th graders. My classroom is on one end of the school, and my students are on the very opposite end of the school. Let me tell you, I am logging lots of miles throughout my day just by picking up and dropping off students. In fact, I put the Map My Run app on my phone and was very surprised by how far I walked just in one day!

It can take five minutes for us to walk to and from my therapy room. We all know SLP schedules are tight, and I did not like wasting those precious minutes. So I needed some way to utilize that time in the hallway.

Viola! Grab-and-go therapy materials! This first version targets WH-Questions (who, what, when, where, why, how) and changing statements into questions.

The booklet is sized to be handheld (5 1/2" x 4") and fit easily into your therapy bag or purse.

Perfect for the busy SLP on the go! See it here on Teachers Pay Teachers. Additional booklets in this series are in the works, so stay tuned!

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Abby averages 14 miles walking per week just walking around school with students.

Speech Therapy Reward Board

an alternative way of reinforcing good behavior in the speech room

Whew! September is almost over and I'm finally getting back into blogging again! I ended up taking a much-needed break from writing blog posts this summer because I was busy packing up my apartment and moving a few states away. My husband and I are now residents of North Dakota (The Peace Garden State), and I have a new job working with 3rd through 8th grade.

It was a busy summer, and while this blog was nearly abandoned I did use social media frequently including giveaways, so be sure to follow along! You never know when some fun might pop up ;)

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Things are finally starting to feel normal at my new job, and I'm ready to get back into blogging more regularly. I'll start today with my reward system for this year: my Reward Board!

Thanks to The Speech Bubble for this idea! The school I'm in this year has a building-wide superhero theme, so I had each student personalize their own superhero which I then laminated and cut out. Each time they come to a session, they have the chance to advance their superhero, but only if they are good workers, great listeners, and super friends. There are a couple spots on the board labeled "PRIZE" and when they land on those squares, they get to pick their prize:

I wanted to get away from a prize box this year since I'm working with older students (3rd through 8th grade). So I created QR codes with their rewards. Each time a student lands on a prize space, they can pick a code out of the envelope, scan it, and find out what their reward is.

Rewards range from 15 minutes free time, to listen to music, to game day in speech. Of course, the illustrious prize box is still in there, but only one code leads to it!

This reward board system is working well so far for me this year. Hopefully it will help my students learn that toys and trinkets aren't the only thing that can be rewarding for their hard work.

You can try them out for yourself here with this freebie!
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/QR-Code-Rewards-for-Speech-Therapy-1473496

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Abby was going to have a "piece of candy" prize code, but nixed that idea because she knew she would eat it all.

Friday Funny

Oh no! Hahaha! *tear* I'm not quite sure how to react to this video!

Have a fantastic weekend everybody!

Friday Funny

Ahoy me hearties! Happy International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

(source)

Enjoy yer weekend!

My Summer Reading List

here's what I'll be reading while lounging at the pool or on the patio this summer

Summer! It's here! And it's hoooot! Perfect excuse to lounge by the pool, get a little vitamin D, and immerse yourself in a good book. Here's what I'm hoping to read this summer. (Note: Descriptions borrowed from Goodreads.)

1. The Forgotten Garden - by Kate Morton

Cassandra is lost, alone and grieving. Her much loved grandmother, Nell, has just died and Cassandra, her life already shaken by a tragic accident ten years ago, feels like she has lost everything dear to her. But an unexpected and mysterious bequest from Nell turns Cassandra's life upside down and ends up challenging everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.

2. Bright Not Broken: Gifted Kids, ADHD, and Autism - by Diane M. Kennedy and Rebecca S. Banks, with Temple Grandin (A work-related read for the summer.) 

Twice exceptional kids are both gifted and diagnosed with a disability--often ADHD or an Autism Spectrum Disorder--leading teachers and parents to overlook the child's talents and focus solely on his weaknesses. Too often, these children get lost in an endless cycle of chasing diagnostic labels and are never given the tools to fully realize their own potential. Bright Not Broken sheds new light on this vibrant population by identifying who twice exceptional children are and taking an unflinching look at why they're stuck. The first work to boldly examine the widespread misdiagnosis and controversies that arise from our current diagnostic system, it serves as a wake-up call for parents and professionals to question why our mental health and education systems are failing our brightest children.  

3. Hollow City - by Ransom Riggs (The first book, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was so unique. Unlike any other book I have read. I have high hopes for this one.)

The extraordinary journey that began in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children continues as Jacob Portman and his newfound friends journey to London the peculiar capital of the world. But in this war-torn city, hideous surprises lurk around every corner.

4. This is Where I Leave You - by Jonathan Tropper

Simultaneously mourning the death of his father and the demise of his marriage, Judd joins the rest of the Foxmans as they reluctantly submit to their patriarch’s dying request: to spend the seven days following the funeral together. In the same house. Like a family.

5. Dad is Fat - by Jim Gaffigan (I laughed until I cried watching his Mr. Universe comedy special on Netflix. Hopefully this book is just as funny.)

In Dad is Fat, stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan expresses all the joys and horrors of life with five young children—everything from cousins ("celebrities for little kids") to toddlers’ communication skills (“they always sound like they have traveled by horseback for hours to deliver important news”), to the eating habits of four year olds (“there is no difference between a four year old eating a taco and throwing a taco on the floor”).

6. Until I Say Goodbye - by Susan Spencer-Wendel

Diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) and no longer able to walk or even to lift her arms, Susan wrote this book letter by letter on her iPhone using only her right thumb, the last finger still working. Until I Say Good-Bye is not only Susan Spencer-Wendel's unforgettable gift to her loved ones--a heartfelt record of their final experiences together--but an offering to all of us: a reminder that "every day is better when it is lived with joy."

7. East of Eden - by John Steinbeck

Set in the rich farmland of California’s Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons—whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.

8. The Light Between Oceans - by M.L. Stedman

Tom Sherbourne is a lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, a tiny island a half-day's boat journey from the coast of Western Australia. When a baby washes up in a rowboat, he and his young wife, Isabel, decide to raise the child as their own. The baby seems like a gift from God, and the couple's reasoning for keeping her seduces the reader into entering the waters of treacherous morality even as Tom--whose moral code withstood the horrors of World War I--begins to waver.

9. The Death Cure - by James Dashner (The first two books in The Maze Runner series were so great, easy to read, and hard to put down. I hope this one is just as good as it wraps up the trilogy.)

Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test. What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says. The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.

10. Unbroken: A WWII Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption - by Laura Hillenbrand (I don't read many books based on true stories. This one came highly recommended by my Dad, and sounds thrilling.)

On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.

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Have you read any of these? What's on your summer reading list?

Guest Blog Post: Building Blocks in Speech

Note: This post originally appeared on the Twin Sisters Speech and Language Therapy blog on May 29th, 2014. Thanks for reading!

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Big props to Shanda and Manda for allowing me to guest post for them today! Those two girls have wonderfully creative ideas, so I am thrilled to add to the mix.

With our hectic school schedules, sometimes we have to provide therapy "on the fly". I was thinking last week about my therapy sessions, and I found myself going back to Lego/Duplo blocks again and again as my go-to "grab and go" therapy item. My current assignment is working with early intervention (birth to 3) as well as preschool-aged children, and these little blocks of joy are perfect for bringing communication opportunities and fun to our time together.

What can I target with Lego/Duplo blocks?

You can target so, so much with building blocks! Here's a sampling of what I've done with them:

*Basic Concepts: talk about the colors of the blocks; the number of "bumps" they have; discuss the attributes of the blocks (long, short, skinny, large, etc.); build different shapes or letters out of the blocks; talk about which blocks they need first, next, and last
 
*Emerging Language Skills: Legos provide the perfect opportunity for students to practice requests: more, block please, my turn, more blue, I'm all done, etc.

*Turn-Taking and Pronouns: Some of my preschoolers have a behavior goal for turn-taking. Building blocks are also perfect practice for this as you work together to build a masterpiece. We also get tons of opportunities to practice pronouns: my turn, your turn, we go at the same time, his turn, you do it, I need help, etc.

*Prepositions: up, down, around, bottom, top, inside, through, first, last - they're all covered here!

*Following Directions: You can instruct your kiddos how to build something with the blocks, or have them practice telling each other directions. Since the building pieces are different colors and shapes, it's perfect for adding describing words to your sentences: "Put the long red piece on top of the short purple piece." You can also download building plans such as this one online. Instead of printing them off, I just display them on my laptop or iPad for students to reference.

*Articulation: I have my articulation students practice their target sounds a designated number of times before they can earn more blocks to use. I've also attached their target pictures to the blocks and had them practice as they build. (By the way, this adhesive is such a time and money saver for temporarily attaching pictures! So much better than Velcro!)

Another favorite Lego activity of mine is the Lego Read & Build kits. These neat little activities come with a book and all the Legos you need for building the characters inside the book.

I have this farm set, but there are also caterpillar, fairy tale, jungle, and vehicles sets that I've seen. They are great for little ones and the pages show them exactly how to assemble each item. These are great for traveling SLPs because they are compact and contain only the specific blocks you need for that book.

Finally, if I don't want to lug around a set of Lego blocks as I travel from site to site, I always can count on the Lego Juniors Create & Cruise app to help me out. It is a wonderful and FREE app that I recommend to all the parents and teachers I work with. Students get to build their own Lego car (great for targeting language goals as they describe the car they want to build!), and then drive it while they earn additional game pieces! This one is a must-have app and it is definitely a favorite of all my students :)

Thanks so much for reading! I hope I've inspired you to "build" some fun into your therapy sessions!