Summer Articulation Activities for Carryover

Hello!  Another school year is almost under wraps.  I'm not counting the days yet, but I can see the end in sight.

During the last 2-3 weeks of school, my focus with my articulation students is finding a way to help them maintain and/or carry over skills during the summer.  Yes, I'm the Speech Therapist who sends home summer homework!


I bet you're wondering, "Why go through all of the extra work when most of your students won't practice their articulation skills over the summer?"   Well, it isn't extra work for me.   Say What??  Not extra work??  How?

1) I send speech homework during the school year.  Whether it's done or not, when it's returned to me, I keep it.   I file it by grade level in my homework hanging file bin.   Before school lets out for the summer, I sort the returned speech homework by student and send it home as "summer review" in their speech folder.   Easy peasy.

2) During the last few sessions, my articulation students make "Artic-On-The-Go" Lapbooks.   Lapbooks are an inexpensive way to display material that targets a central topic.  They're easy to make and my students love the coloring and cutting and gluing needed to make them - and we practice our target sounds while we are creating them.  What I love about them is that they are very portable.  This allows my students a way to practice their speech sound(s) while "on-the-go" -- traveling to the beach, traveling to soccer practice, driving to the grocery store, going to grandma's.

Interested in making Artic-On-The-Go Lapbooks with your students?  You can find all of the printable materials for the insides of the lapbooks for a wide range of speech sound targets in my TPT store.

Check out what other suggestions for Summer Carryover Activities from my SLP friends.  Click a link below!

An InLinkz Link-up

Creating a card game - how hard can it be?

Card games... my family can't get enough of them.  Playing them, finding unique and different ones to buy, making them.... 

SAY WHAT?!?!

Yes, we like to make our own card games.

Have you ever tried to make a card game?  It's not as easy as you think.   When my son, M, was 12, he dared me to make a card game about potatoes.   Well, about "poe-tah-toes" as that's his term for "potatoes".  He's a funny kid.  

I accepted his dare but it became a family event.  My family sat around the table brainstorming:  What would be the object of the game?  What rules would there be?  How would the players interact?  Would all cards be shown or some kept hidden?  What type graphics did we want?  Action cards:  how would they restrict players from reaching their goal or help players reach the goal?  

Ideas and suggestions poured out and I scrambled to get them all on paper.  We let the ideas sit for a day then reviewed them, scrapping some, tweaking others.  Now, it was time for a rough draft.   Via powerpoint, I created a card template and began adding graphics and text.  My family wandered in and out, giving advice on graphics and text wording.   Project saved and rough draft printed.

Finally, it was time to play the game and it stunk.  SAY WHAT?!?!  All that time invested and it stunk?  What was the problem?  Inertia.   The game in its neutral state never ended.  That's not a good thing.  When you play a game, you want it to end.  Please don't confuse that last sentence with "You don't want to play the game."    That is not what I meant.  When we play a game, we want to reach the goal of the game.  That's the purpose of the game, right?  Think of a good game of UNO:  when the game is quick and ends "too soon", most of the time the players will say, "Hey... let's play another round!"   There was fun, the fun ended, they want to re-capture the fun.   Now, think of a bad game of UNO:  drags on and on and on and on.  When it does end, the emotion around the table is "Thank goodness that was over... I thought it was never going again... please don't deal another round."

One key element to a good game is that even in the game's neutral state, players are still making gains toward the goal (or end) of the game.  Our poor homemade game wasn't doing that.  Hubby and I figured out we had too many "Lose everything" cards.  Basically, those cards kept sending players back to square one of the game.  No one was winning.  The game was not ending.  Everyone was thinking, "Please... let this madness stop!"

We didn't scrap the entire game.  It had some really fun elements.  We did enjoy the actual game play until we realized the game wouldn't end.  Our first idea to fix that issue was a simple one:  reduce the number of "Lose everything" cards.    Luckily, that was the perfect solution.  We cut the number of "Lose everything" cards in half and the game flowed beautifully.  We enjoy playing it.  My son's friends and my nephews enjoy playing it.  For such a pale, white topic (potatoes); it's truly an entertaining game.


Since creating our "Poe-tah-toe Game"  (yes, that's what we named it), I've created a few other card games to entertain my students during speech therapy.  All of them are "open-ended", meaning anyone can use the games.  They aren't tailored specifically for "students in speech therapy".  I created them to entertain and all of them have done exactly that.

Thinking about creating your own game?  First read this blog post written by Mark Rosewater (the Head Designer for Magic, The Gathering) for the top 10 things every game needs.   It's full of excellent information.

If you do create a game (whether to use in your classroom or therapy room or with your own family), I'd love to hear about it.  My family and I truly enjoy checking out new games.

Keep on having fun....

Let's Talk About Speech & Language Screening Tools

As a Speech Language Pathologist, often parents and teachers asked me the difference between "screenings" and "evaluations".  Speech and language screenings are used to determine if a child needs further testing to determine if s/he has a speech and/or language delay or disability.  They are usually quick and short.  Speech and language evaluations are used to determine the existence of a delay or disability.  They are more thorough and lengthier.  Basically, screening tools are a quick way to determine who might need further speech and language testing and who doesn't; while evaluation tools determine the actual existence of a delay or disability.

Today, I'm linking up with my amazing and talented friend and fellow bloggers, the Frenzied SLPs, to talk about different screening tools.

What I have realized during my many years working in elementary schools is sometimes teachers need a little help determining whether they should refer a student for a speech and language screening.  During my first few years as a Speech Therapist (20+ years ago), it was no big deal to tell the parents that the school Speech Therapist was going to have a "small chat with Johnny" to determine if a referral was the appropriate course of action.  Nowadays, no way.  SAY WHAT?!?!  It's true.  Parent permission is needed for a Speech Therapist to actually have a "small chat with Johnny".  

In order to help teachers determine if a speech and language screening referral is an appropriate course of action, I created two "teacher friendly" screening tools.  These tools can be used by Speech Therapists as informal screening tools OR used by classroom teachers to determine if a referral to the Speech Therapist is appropriate.

Speech and Language Skills Assessment (SALSA for short) is available in a preschool/kindergarten version and a 1st/2nd grade version.

SALSA for preschool & kindergarten screens the child's ability to label common objects as well as verbally state the function of those objects.  The objects were specifically chosen in order to hear how the child pronounces certain sounds.  For example, "computer" was chosen in order to hear Becky say a 3 syllable word as well as the initial /k/ sound in that word.  If Becky says, "tompu", then that is valuable information for the Speech Therapist to know in determining whether Becky needs that speech and language referral.  (By the way, she does!)  This screening tool also looks at the child's ability to answer a variety of simple questions.  Does the child know to answer a WHO question with a person and a WHERE question with a place?

 

SALSA for 1st and 2nd graders also screens the child's ability to label common objects as well as listening to how the child pronounces certain sounds while labeling those objects.  This screening tool also screens the child's ability to compare and contrast common objects, provide 2 descriptive words, make predictions/inferences, follow directions, explain how to do a common activity as well as answer simple and more complex questions.

Both SALSA screening tools come with an additional file that allows you to view the necessary pictures on your computer or iDevice.  (No need to print the pictures so this will save your color ink cartridge.)  Detailed instructions on how to prepare the screening tool as well as how to administer it are also provided.  It's very user friendly -- a fact that my co-workers have told me repeatedly.

Another screening tool that I use frequently is the informal Articulation Screener (No Prep!) created by The SLT Scrapbook.  I love how this tool screens all positions of single sounds as well as the initial position of two-letter blends.  The chosen pictures are mostly common items that my students should be able to identify, so if they can't that also gives me some insight regarding their vocabulary skills.  I also love the fact that I don't have to print any cards/pictures - I display them on my computer screen or my iPad (when I remember to bring my iPad to school).  The scoring form is 3 pages long and my "bifocal-needing eyes" enjoy the font size that The SLT Scrapbook chose to use.  If you don't have 40+ year old eyes (or aren't waiting for your optometrist to get your refraction correct so new glasses can be ordered), you can opt to print the 3 recording pages on 1 page.  Not unreasonably small, but my "bifocal-needing eyes" just say NO to that option.

Now that you've read my suggestions, please remember this:  The screening tools you create or the screening tools you purchase from TPT are informal tools.  They are not standardized.   They don't (or shouldn't) provide pass/fail guidelines as they haven't been standardized to accurately provide that information to you.  They are informal tools.  They can provide you with knowledge about a student's speech and language skills which you must interpret using your professional expertise.  Informal screening tools should not be used to determine whether a child has a delay or disability.   These informal tools should be used to add to the information you have about this child (through observations, teacher report, and/or standardized screening tools) in order to make a professional decision regarding the need for an actual speech and language evaluation.

What do you use to screen speech and language skills?  Share what you use in a comment below -- I love learning what you are doing.  If you are classroom teacher reading this post, I'd love to know your thoughts on using one of my screening tools to determine if you should refer that student to your school's Speech Therapist.

If you want more fabulous ideas on speech and language screening tools, click on the links below to visit my amazing friends and fellow bloggers.

An InLinkz Link-up

Arg! Me Favorite Holiday!

Ahoy me mateys!  September 19th is around ye corner!  SAY WHAT?!?!  Ye not be knowin' t' importance of September 19th??   Why it be "International Talk Like A Pirate" day!  Honest or I be walkin' t' plank!

Me students don't know what to be makin' of me speech durin' this day.  I've been known to enter a classroom and announce, "Ahoy!! I be needin' some scallywags to walk t' plank to speech!  Where be me matey John, that lass Anne, and that landlubber Pete?"  Me students be amused but be also confused by me speech, not knowin' some of t' vocabulary.  

Are ye looking for fun, lively activities to do on this great, grand day?  Avast ye' searchin'!  I'va motherload of pirate booty for ye!  Some be costin' doubloons; some be not.

1) Find ye pirate name!  There be two places I recommend to find ye pirate name.  T' quick, fast Pirate Name Generator and t' long, Pirate Namin' Quiz.   No doubloons needed for ye landlubbers to find your salty sea dog name.  Here be me cheeky, swashbucklin' pirate name (from t' first link):

2) Free Krispy Kreme grub when ye dress like a scurvy pirate!  Need help with findin' pirate dress?  Go to Krispy Kreme's website for printables to help ye.  To quote ol' Krispy Kreme:  "To the landlubber who dares to wear full pirate attire goes a bounty of one FREE dozen Original Glazed doughnuts." No doubloons needed!  Don't want to dress like a scurvy pirate?  Ye can plunder one free donut if ye talk like a pirate to the lass or lad behind t' counter.

3) Learn how to talk like a pirate!  Go here or here to learn t' lingo.  No doubloons needed.

4) More free grub from that scurvy, swashbucklin' pirate Long John Silver.  To quote that scoundrel, "To celebrate the day and the “Pirate Spirit” in all of us – and reward our loyal ship mates – Long John Silver’s will offer a FREE piece of Fish or Chicken to anyone who “Talks Like a Pirate” when ordering. If you dress AND talk like a Pirate we will reward you with a FREE 2-Pc. Fish or Chicken Basket"  No doubloons needed! 

5) Need to entertain (and/or educate) small, scurvy pirate children? Shiver me timbers! Me TPT store has lively, swashbucklin' pirate booty to entertain and educate.  Perfect for parents, teachers, and pirates to celebrate.  Target vocabulary with Sailing the Vocabulary Seas (including a sheet of pirate terms to learn!) or listening & describing skills with Pirate Bingo.  Need more general, open-ended games?  That Pirate Game or Let's Be Pirates be what ye want.


6) Me mate Tracy at GoldCountrySLP be hosting a linky party where other scurvy SLPs and blimey bloggers have shared their pirate fun and booty.  Sail over thar by clicking on t' pirate picture at t' top of me page.









Me hopes ye found some amazing, grand pirate themed booty to entertain ye and yer lads and lass on September 19th.


Yo, ho, ho!