Frenzied SLPs: Baselines and Progress Monitoring

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__8jIKDy5Yfbu8r4lR0lQKTAjbdIHeI3Dm-axz9IyyrfpZuSwxcglP6o1ZhjKp6_iwdshqcfWu2LoN9r8fGgnWypfFsNEZvXfYBeoC-ZHChDNSvm6IO0ncO59wsHoge-a9E8ksU6DJ14/s320/Frenzied+SLPs+Progress+Monitoring+and+Data.jpg

The Frenzied SLPs have a plethora of ideas for establishing baselines and progress monitoring.

Data. It's a necessary evil in our field. It can tell us so much useful information and really guide therapy decisions, but it can also be such a dizzying headache to collect and analyze frequently. Some jobs I've had required progress monitoring a certain number of times each month, and for others I've been on my own to monitor as needed. Either way, it can be a messy and overwhelming process if you're not organized.

Many SLPs have 50+ students on their caseloads and progress monitoring needs to be quick and efficient. That's why I tend to use data from regular therapy activities to collect my progress monitoring data. Since I am writing all those lines and circles every session anyway, I just look back at my data from a certain time frame and average it all out when it comes time to write progress reports. You can download the data sheet I use for FREE here.

Bonus quick tip: collect data in groups of 10 or 20 in order to make mental calculation of percentages quick and easy.

I frequently use my Ready, Set, Communicate booklets for quick data check-ins. Each page contains 10 trials making data collection quick and effortless.

What about those students who have goals with multiple objectives? I'm talking multiple speech sound errors, including various story grammar elements in a story retell task, or using language functionally in different ways such as asking/answering questions and using greetings appropriately.

Tracking data on so many different aspects of communication can get messy. None of us have the time to constantly round up several data sheets or log notes for every student every time we update their progress. In those cases, I prefer to use rubrics to track their progress.

Rubrics are an efficient way to track and score goals which contain many components, and also measure student progress over time.

Create your own rubrics in three easy steps:

1)   Determine the elements of your goal that need to be measured. This might be something like the steps to mastering a speech sound in conversation, or your short-term objectives.

2)   Set performance levels and assign points to each level. I like to set 3-5 criterion levels. Generally speaking, they range from "not yet demonstrating" to "proficient".

3)   Include descriptions/examples in your rubric cells of what would qualify for that score rating. Keep it simple! Your criterion must be clear and easy for others to interpret. If your student moves away and a new SLP inherits his goal/rubric, you want them to be able to continue using it with the same reliability.

If you'd like to start using rubrics to make progress monitoring easier, I've already done the work for you! Here is a collection of over 40 rubrics all bundled together. The download includes instructions, scoring examples, and editable rubric options!

How do you keep data collection a smooth process? Leave your tips in the comments! Be sure to read through all the posts below for a ton of tips from The Frenzied SLPs!

An InLinkz Link-up

Frenzied SLPs: Things I Will Try in 2016

kick off 2016 with The Frenzied SLPs' take on resolutions

Happy New Year! The Frenzied SLPs are back and we are sharing all the things we'd like to work on improving in 2016. It seems I tend to make the same resolutions each year: be more punctual, finish projects, stop procrastinating, etc. We often make resolutions so strict and extreme that they are easily abandoned within a few weeks of starting. The Frenzied SLPs are accepting that fact, so we are kicking off 2016 with some things we'd like to try in 2016.

1. Blog more regularly
In 2015 I averaged 3.5 blog posts per month. I just wasn't always motivated to write, and I know if I write just to publish something, it won't be the quality I strive for. But I miss creating content for this blog and sharing activities that have been successful in the therapy room. There are 145 unfinished posts in draft form on this blog. 145! So I'm going to create a calendar to try to schedule blog posts in advance and increase the content seen here. In 2016 I will try to post at least four blog posts per month that are not related to Teachers Pay Teachers.

2. Prep at night to have a smooth morning
I am NOT a morning person. At all. Every night I set my alarm and swear to myself I will not hit snooze. Every morning I curse myself for hitting snooze and having to rush around like a crazy person to get out the door on time. One thing I'd like to improve is prepping lunches and coffee, and selecting an outfit each evening to help me have a smoother morning. If I can just grab my lunch out of the fridge instead of having to take 10 minutes to put it together, that will save me valuable time. If I can just fill the travel mugs with delicious coffee without needing to wash them first, that will make me a happier person. If I can just get dressed without staring at my closet for 15 minutes, I'll leave the house with a smile on. In 2016 I will try to prep lunches, coffee, and choose an outfit for the next day before I go to bed.

I'd love to hear what you are going to try in 2016! Thanks for hosting this week's linky All Y'all Need!

An InLinkz Link-up

Sticky Note Command Center {free download}

use this free download to help keep your to-do lists organized

Hello friends! By now I'm sure you are all getting into the swing of the new school year, but if you're anything like me you have a million things on your list of things to get done, and random sticky notes posted everywhere! I had so many notes and reminders jotted down that I was actually forgetting things, so I decided to do something about it.

I created a sticky note command center for my desk! Now all my notes are in one spot for each building I work in and hopefully I won't be forgetting any more important things.

You can download your own sticky note command center here. The pages are editable so you can label the boxes to suit your own needs. There are two colorful versions, a grayscale version, and a blank version so you can add your own background to match your room decor. Enjoy!

(Please leave feedback if you download - it helps me know what to keep or change about the materials I create. Thanks!)

Using Google Forms to Get Started with Scheduling Therapy

use google forms to get started with the scheduling process

When trying to attack the daunting task of scheduling therapy in the past, I have handed out scheduling forms for teachers to attach their schedule or to write down the times that will absolutely NOT work for me to meet with students from their classroom. This has worked fine, but still resulted in me shuffling through a dozen different teacher responses to figure out how to fit my students into the times available. And you know there are never enough times available.

This year I decided to approach this in a different way at one of my buildings. I created a Google Form for teachers to fill out in which they can select all the times that WILL and WILL NOT work for me to meet with their students. Here's how:

Step 1: Sign into your Google account and go to Google Drive.

Step 2: On the left-hand side of the screen, click "new", then "more", then "Google Forms".

Step 3: Make sure to name your Form at the top, and then you can start adding questions. The "Question Title" is where you type what you want your question to say. This is what will show up on the response spreadsheet (more on that later). I made my first question "Name" so that I would be able to see who each response belonged to.

Step 4: Select the Question Type. Google Forms has a lot of different question types, but for this scheduling form's purpose I chose "Checkboxes" because I wanted teachers to be able to select more than one answer. You can also choose whether or not you want your questions to be required. I used the "Help Text" to provide further instructions ("Please select all times that would work for students to go to therapy.")

Step 5: To add another question, click "Add item". You will go through the same steps as you did to create previous questions. In this case, I created another question that allows teachers to select all times that do NOT work on a specific day of the week.

Step 6: This is optional, but at the bottom of my form I added an additional question using the "Paragraph text" option. This is a space where teachers can type in any other information that might be helpful for me to know.

Step 7: When you've added all the questions you need, you can change the look of the form by clicking "Change theme".

Step 8: When you are ready to send your beautiful form out to all your teachers, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click "Send form". A pop-up box will allow you to copy a link to the form or type in email addresses to send invitations to.

Once people respond to your survey, their answers are automatically compiled into a handy spreadsheet for you to see their responses all in the same place! Now you will be able to have just one form to refer to when attempting to schedule students. (cue heavenly music)

Unfortunately, you're still on your own to put it all into an actual therapy schedule...but at least this is a great starting point! I liked that I wasn't shuffling through a stack of notes and teacher schedules to figure out where to put students on my schedule. So will you try this out? Let me know how it works for you!

If you'd like to watch a more detailed video tutorial, this is a great one on YouTube.

P.S. I also see this being a great tool for creating progress monitoring "quizzes" for students working on vocabulary skills!

It's Back to School Time!

get ready for the new school year with mega-savings

As hard as I might try to deny it, the back to school season is here. I'll pause while you scream into a nearby pillow...

Some of you are going back to work very soon (or are already there!), and some aren't starting again until September. Personally, I report back August 24th. No matter what your timeline is, there's always time for some shopping! Mark your calendars because there's a site-wide Teachers Pay Teachers sale happening August 3-4 :)

These site-wide sales only happen a few times each year, so now is the best time to stock up on everything you'll need to get the school year started off right. Everything in my Schoolhouse Talk shop will be 20% off, plus you can treat yo'self to an extra 10% off on top of that with promo code:

I'm going to share some of the things I can't wait to pick up during the sale, but first let me highlight some must-haves of my own:

Triangles of Meaning includes activities which target word relationships through visual sets of antonyms and synonyms to help students make connection between vocabulary words. Buyer feedback: "SO wonderful for my older elementary aged students who struggle with vocab and seeing the relationships between words. Engaging and user-friendly."

Articulation Puzzles: Your students will have fun putting these puzzles together as they practice their speech sounds. Bonus: six new puzzles were recently added targeting early developing phonemes (P, B, T, D, N, M)! Buyer feedback: "So cute! I love that it is different, interactive, and provides visuals for support."

Phonological Awareness Wizards: This packet has everything you need to work on phonological awareness skills while playing a fun and colorful board game. Buyer feedback: "I'll be using this with my English Language Learners as a fun alternative to our phonological awareness routines. SO CUTE!!"

Also, don't forget about Speech Therapy Rubrics for all your data keeping and progress monitoring needs! You'll also need {FREE} Speech Therapy Session Notes to help you keep parents updated about the activities in your therapy room. There are many other helpful (and free!) documents available in my store as well to get your school year started right.

The entire Schoolhouse Talk shop will be 20% off during the sale.

==============================

I'm *for sure* taking advantage of big savings by snatching up these items on my wish list:

1. Build-a-Monster: Following Directions - by The Speech Bubble SLP

I am moving back down to preschool and elementary ages this year, so I know interactive and creative activities like this will come in really handy. Besides, I haven't met an activity yet from The Speech Bubble that has not been 150% amazing.

2. Hink Pink Word Riddles - by Speech2U

These word riddles are so creative, and they will be a fun way to practice vocabulary, synonyms, and rhyming. I love that there are differentiated levels of support.

3. Common Core Speaking & Listening Rating Scales {K-5} by Jenn Alcorn

I used and loved the 6th-8th grade edition of these scales last year, so I know the version for younger grades will be just as useful.

4. Multisyllabic Words Fingerprint Prompts - by Cat Says Meow

Eye-catching? Check! Great practice for multiple goals? Check! Hands-on practice? Check! This packet looks great and will be so useful!

==============================

If you need additional assistance in figuring out what to stock up on, be sure to check out the 2015 Back to School SLP ebook. It's jam-packed with free downloads and must-have items from over 80 SLPs!

Also, be sure to click through the link-up over at Speech Room News to see what others are eager to buy. Happy shopping!

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 ;)

==========

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

==========

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

2014 Goals

What are your professional and personal goals for 2014?

I debated setting New Year's Resolutions this year because, like most people (I think), I'm not very good about keeping them through the year. (Case in point: I've had the same quilt I've been working on for, um, 8 years now?) The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized there were definite ways I'd like to improve various aspects of my personal and professional life in 2014. After some time reflecting on these goals this week, here's what I've come up with:

 graphics credits: Graphics From the Pond

Personal Goal: Procrastinate Less
I'm a huuuuuuge procrastinator and always have been! In college and grad school, I found that I would strive when deadlines were looming and I could maintain the most focus when time was short and I didn't have any other option! However, now as a working professional I'm sick of it and I'm going to do my best to change!

SLP Goal: More Timely Paperwork
This goes along with my personal goal. No more finishing progress reports in between parent/teacher conferences or printing out student graphs as I walk into an IEP meeting. No more waiting until the end of each month and entering in all my data into student graphs at once! No more waiting until the night before a meeting to write an evaluation report!

Blog/Teachers Pay Teachers Goal: Average 2 Posts Per Week
My goal is to average 2 posts per week. Some weeks may be more, and some weeks may be less. I don't want this blog to take over my life. I want it to be a creative outlet for me. And with less procrastinating from now on (see Goal #1), I hope to start scheduling more posts in advance if I know work or personal commitments are going to amp up during a certain month and take away from my blogging time.

Organization Goal: Create an App Spreadsheet
The agency I work for generously provided me with a 16GB iPad, but this is nowhere near enough memory!! I am constantly downloading free apps, and deleting apps to clear more room, and then the apps I delete get lost "in the cloud" and it's difficult for me to find them again. Or, if I go back and look at apps, I can't remember what they're for! So, my big goal for the year is to create a spreadsheet with the names of the apps I download, and categorize them into goal areas. That way I'll have a quick reference to help me reload apps, and to find the apps I need when lesson planning. It seems pretty daunting right now to think about starting this process, but I know it will be super helpful for me!

Just For Fun Goal: Read 25 Books
This summer I got myself a library card and went to town reading just for fun. I don't think I've read recreationally since before college! I'm using Goodreads to keep track of the books I've read, and the books I want to read, and have set a goal to read at least 25 books in 2014. I've already read two so far this week! (If you haven't read "The Paris Wife", I highly recommend it!) What is the best book you've read lately?

Beginning of the Year Speech Time Capsule

a time capsule activity for students to reflect upon their learning goals

Has the school year started for you yet?? The first couple weeks of school is a great time to get to know any new students, and to reconnect with students you haven't seen all summer. How about using a Speech Time Capsule to ease back into therapy mode with your students this fall?!

This form is perfect for reviewing speech goals with your students. At the beginning of the school year, you can talk about why they are coming to speech, what their goals are, and then have students reflect on what they'd like to be able to do by the end of the school year. What a fun way for students to be creative, think about their own learning goals, and get in the right mindset for the coming months.

I made a time capsule box to store the sheets from my students. Oatmeal canister to the rescue! At the end of the school year in May, we'll open the seal and talk about the last box on the worksheet. Students will be able to think about all the fun things they did this year, and see if they accomplished their goals!

I hope this is a fun way for you to kick off the school year! You can download your {FREE} speech time capsule forms here. Leave a comment if you grab it!

Back to School Week: SLP Introduction Letter for Parents

tips for introducing yourself to new teachers and parents

I don't know about you, but I am just terrible at remembering names! It's embarrassing to admit, but I usually need to write names down for later reference, or I find myself asking people 2-3 times what their name is. Or I ask other people what someone's name was! I know...

This is a common problem for many people. So as I started working in a new district this year, with all new teachers, and all new parents, I decided to write a letter introducing myself. It's a nice way for people to learn a little bit about me. Also, parents of our students are often working with multiple professionals, so I completely understand when it can be overwhelming to remember names and roles of each individual.

Border: Ashley Hughes

Font: Noteworthy

Here's what I made sure to include in my letter:

* My name and title (obv...)

* Some background info: where I completed my schooling, where I grew up, settings I've worked in

* A little bit of personal info: things I like to do to relax, tidbits about my family

* Some general info about my speech services: what I expect from my students, homework and importance of family practice

* Contact info: email, phone number, website, etc.

I created a QR code with all my contact info so parents can quickly scan it and save everything without needing to type it all into their phone. In the past I have included my business card too, but I don't have new ones made with my new district contact information yet, so I'm hoping the QR code will be an acceptable substitute :)

************************************

What do you think?! Do you send a letter to new parents and teachers?

Back to School Week: 7+ Ways to Motivate Your Students

ideas for reinforcement systems and ways to motivate students

I hope you've been enjoying Back to School Week so far! Today let's talk about different ways to motivate and reward your students to work hard towards meeting their therapy goals, while having some fun at the same time. There are a ton of super great ideas out there, so hopefully you can find something that will work for you :)

1) Stickers or Token Board:

When working with preschoolers, I often give them an index card or paper and allow them to add a sticker to the row frequently if working and remaining on task. They need to fill it up before the end of our work time in order to enjoy some free play. The number of stickers required depends on the student. Sometimes I use token boards the opposite way - students start with a full board, and pieces are then removed if off task. This website has quite a few {FREE} token boards in themes that are popular with the young'ns. For school age students, they earn a few stickers each time they come to speech, and get to pick a prize once their sheet is filled.

2) Prize Box:

This is the method I tend to use. Students earn stickers each session if they complete their work, are good listeners, and try their best. Once the sticker sheet is filled up they get to pick out of the prize box.

3) Positive Reinforcement Jar:

I used this in my room last year, and the students really enjoyed it. I usually picked a name out at the end of every month, and that student got to choose a prize.

4) Board Games:

Classic board games are awesome for using in therapy. The ones I seem to use all the time are Connect 4, Jenga, Chutes and Ladders, and Candy Land. It's so easy to accommodate games for various communication goals, or just simply use as a free play reward at the end of a great session.

5) iPad: In general, all my students LOVE earning iPad time. Often, they will not want to work, but when we do the exact same activity on the iPad...whole 'nother story!

6) Timers:

Sometimes kids just need to know how much longer they need to work. I usually set the timer on my phone or use a timer on the iPad. Visual timers or an hourglass can also be really great for those kiddos that need to actually see how much time is left. (P.S. iPads with the most updated operating system installed have a visual timer available in the "clock" that comes standard.)

7) Craftivities:

Kids learn best by being active, playing, and doing. If you have the time, space, and patience, craft activities are a fun way to get kids rarin' to go! Crazy Speech World always posts great ones, and this Pinterest board has tons of fun ideas.

****************************************

And now, for a roundup of amazingly awesome reinforcement ideas from around the web!

Wack-a-Word: from the Peachie Speechie

Vocab Twister: This could easily be adapted for any communication goal!

Custom Chipper Chat Boards - from Liz's Speech Therapy Ideas. I see lots of kids having fun with these!

Random Rewards: This post was all about random jobs for kids, but I think it would be fun to have a random rewards jar in my room!

Get your students really involved in activities with these fun and personalized game tokens!

What fun would it be to work on flash cards with sticky hands?!

Kristin over at Simply Speech (I adore her blog!) posted about Class Dojo and how she is incorporating it into her speech room.

Kristin also posted her new behavior chart. This is similar to what you see in many elementary classrooms, but now it's been revamped for the speech room!

Splatter the Speech Teacher: This is what a coworker of mine did with her upper elementary students last year to motivate them to complete their speech homework. If students turned in 15 or more assignments before the last week of school, they earned ice cream toppings of their choice to slime on the speech pathologist! What a blast!

Finally, as a last resort, there's always this option:

(totally joking!) 

****************************************

Leave a comment: What's your go-to way to motivate and reward students?