Jaw-dropping Shark Theme Activities in Speech Therapy

It's Shark Week and I am ready for some fabulous FUN! Whether you work with preschool, school age, or high school students shark mania is the highlight of summer. I've researched some fun shark activities and short videos you can use this week in therapy. I've included Amazon, Pinterest, and YouTube links, as well as links to my fiction and non-fiction products highlighting sharks. So here are my favorite shark week activities.

5 Reasons Why I Use Lift-the-Flap Books in Speech Therapy

There is something about using lift-the-flap books that draws in children and creates opportunities for engaging language and fabulous therapy sessions. Lift-the-flap books are typically promoted as "baby" books. However, I have found that toddlers and preschoolers are intrigued by these sturdy interactive books with flaps on every page.

So why do I love lift-the-flap books? First of all, they are interactive. Early language learners have short attention spans and learn through experiences. They want to touch, feel, and interact with people and objects around them. Lift-the-flap books offer a platform for young language learners to run the show. They are able to shift joint attention from book to adult readers rather quickly.

See You at TSHA 2018

Do you live in Texas? TSHA 2018 is coming to Houston, Texas. I hope to see you there! Several SLPs from the Texas Panhandle are  attending. I'll be driving about 10 hours from Amarillo to Houston and looking forward to meeting the other Texas SLPs.  This is my first state conference to attend and I am thrilled to be presenting on the topic "Supporting Literacy and Language Skills in the PPCD Classroom." 

Why do SLPs Focus on Categorizing Skills?

Have you written a goal like this: "Given the name of a familiar category, student will name at least 3 items in the category (ex: vegetables, fruits, pets, etc.) on 7/10 trials." or "Given 3 related items, student will identify the category (ex: cow, horse, pig) on 7/10 trials." As a speech-language pathologist, I know that students with weak vocabulary skills may exhibit difficulty categorizing pictures, objects, words and concepts. So when a child demonstrates difficulty grouping like items together, further assessment and intervention may be warranted. So why do speech-language pathologists need to focus on categorizing skills? At an early age, young children begin to recognize shapes, colors, and familiar people. The ability to sort, add order and create working systems is key to developing a rich language foundation. In this post, I want to explain 3 reasons why speech-language pathologists and classroom teachers should strategically focus on categorizing skills as part of their instruction and intervention.

How to Create a Fall Sensory Book Bin

Sensory play is an important part of a child's development. Children learn through exploration using their 5 senses. Through taste, touch, smell, sight and sound, children develop social, emotional, cognitive, motor and language skills. Sensory bins provide learning opportunities while having FUN. Since children love to make messes, you might want to think of it as "mess in a box."  For children with sensory impairments, sensory bottles, bags and bins can also be very calming by providing the exact stimulus their sensory systems are seeking.

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year for speech therapy literacy and language activities. Children are always fascinated with pumpkins, acorns, squirrels, apples, scarecrows, and farm activities. This opens up opportunities to experience some amazing books, as well as provide hands-on learning opportunities in sensory filled activities.

In this post, I want to share with you tips on creating fall sensory book bins.

TPT Back-to-School Site Wide Sale!

For many educators, summer vacation is almost over. For others, you may still have a month of rest and relaxation. Regardless of your contract start date, you do not want to miss the Teachers Pay Teachers Site Wide Sale!

August 1st and 2nd are special days for educators and TPT, and I want to share this sale with you! During this 2-day sale, you can save up to 25% off your total purchases using the #BTSReadyWithTpT code at checkout.

I want to highlight some special additions to my store for back-to-school and fall.

How to Adapt Books for Speech Therapy

One thing you should know about me is that I love to shop at thrift stores. I am not careless in buying just anything, but I do like to find some hidden treasures. That is where I find the BEST books to adapt for my therapy sessions.

Next time you drive by your local thrift store or Goodwill, turn around, go back, and check out their children’s book section. Most thrift stores in my area sell children’s books for 25 to 50 cents each. Hardback children’s books are typically 75 cents.

In this blog post, I'll share how I choose books to adapt, as well as the easy DIY steps you can follow to adapt your own books for speech therapy.