My 5 Favorite Super Simple Songs to Teach Core Vocabulary

 

I am a big proponent of using visuals during my speech therapy sessions. For my caseload, visuals may be as simple as a sticky note. It can also include a mini-schedule, choice board, core boards, or high tech AAC, such as TD Snap or LAMP. I am currently assigned to a large elementary campus with students from PK-4th Grade, and includes an early childhood special education classroom and a life skills classroom.  Most of my students in the early childhood classroom are minimally verbal or non-speaking.  I provide push-in therapy to my 3s and 4s this year, and serve them in a small group. My sessions are small and short, but we have a lot of fun and engage in meaningful language opportunities.

3 Ways I Use My Movement Dice in Speech Therapy

I LOVE a good Dollar Tree haul. I found these foam dry erase dice and immediately thought of the endless possibilities for my preschool and elementary students. I needed an activity that would engage all my students, and could be adapted to target several different goals. I also wanted a go-to activity that could be adapted and repeated throughout the year. In this post I am going to share with you 3 different ways I use my movement dice in speech therapy.

What I came up with, was the idea of creating movement dice. The first thing I needed to do was create the 6 exercises to attach to each side of the die. My favorite resource for picture symbols with a vast library of content is Smarty Symbols. Under the category of "exercises" and "actions" I found "squat, clap, marching (I renamed knee lifts), hop, jumping jacks," and "arm circles." Each dry erase spot measured 2-1/2 inches in diameter. I printed the circles on cardstock, laminated them and glued them to the die. 

6 Picture Books About Winter Clothes for Speech Therapy

Winter is here! that means cold days, comfy slippers, and warm blankets. Snuggle up with a good book and share your love of reading with your students. Read alouds and repeat readings with students are the perfect way to build background knowledge, share common experiences, target multiple objectives during speech therapy sessions, and spark a passion for reading. In this blog post, I want to share with you my top 6 favorite picture books about winter clothes. (Amazon affiliate links are included)

5 "Easy Does It" Practices at Work

The new year is the perfect time for me to reflect on what was successful in the workplace and set goals for the new year.  It's also a great time to evaluate my mindset and approach to teaching. 

As speech-language pathologists, we love to teach idioms to our students. Teaching figurative language such as: "It's raining cats and dogs," "hot off the press," and "feeling under the weather" are just a few of the common idioms we teach students. This year, I want to approach the new year with an "easy does it" attitude. What does "easy does it" mean? This idiom simply means, slow down, relax, and take it easy.

In this post, I want to suggest 5 "easy does it" practices you can apply in the workplace.

4 Reasons You Should Follow Me on Bloglovin'

Do you follow several educational and lifestyle blogs? Is your inbox full of weekly blog posts you wish you had time to catch up on? Do you have posts bookmarked for later to read in your "free time?" As the internet explodes with bloggers, I have found the most efficient platform for managing blogs is Bloglovin' This site allows readers a single platform to view thousands of blogs on any subject.

As a blogger and entrepreneur, I enjoy sharing my experiences, ideas, and resources with my customers, readers and followers. I have become part of a greater community of professionals. Bloglovin' offers easy access and organization of blogs and posts by subject or feeds.