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.

My Favorite Preschool Winter Songs

 Music and movement can be used to introduce young children to thematic units; link literacy, art, and movement; and create home to school connections. In a previous post, I shared my favorite preschool songs for following directions. In another post, I shared my favorite picture books for young children about winter clothing.

When I think about all the winter topics we can sing about, they include: snow, snowmen, hot chocolate, penguins, polar bears, hibernation, winter clothing, arctic animals, and more. In this post, I've chosen my favorite preschool winter songs. These songs can be used in individual sessions, during small group lessons, or during whole class instruction. Target articulation,  vocabulary, categorizing skills, following directions, descriptive language, sentence length (Mean Length of Utterance), rhyming, and auditory memory. Pair these songs with gestures,  props, and AAC to target core vocabulary, model gestalt language phrases, and build background knowledge.

How I Use a Mini-Visual Schedule for Push-In Speech Therapy

Push-in speech therapy in the preschool classroom can be a little scary at first. After all, you are walking into someone else's classroom twice a week and teaching a lesson in their classroom.  I admit, working with three and four year old students can be exhausting and rewarding at the same time. These little ones make me smile and laugh everyday. They really do feed my soul. As speech-language pathologists, we know that preschoolers learn through playing, singing, moving, creating, and exploring the world around them. By asking questions, and building relationships with others, they develop the skills necessary to be successful in  school and at home. When I push into the classroom for preschool therapy, I am able to see how they function in their real life. Sometimes, I like to walk in a little early or stay after my lesson just so I can observe my speech students in their natural environment.

3 Ways to Target Core Vocabulary with Dino Fine Motor Toy

Preschoolers love dinosaurs! Whether it's a dinosaur book, game, movie, or plastic egg with a toy dinosaur inside, preschoolers love learning about and playing with dinosaurs. They are fascinating, fun, and can be played with year-round. I found this Dino Fine Motor Toy  on Amazon, and immediately thought this would be a fun toy to target Core Vocabulary throughout the year with my preschool students in speech therapy.  This toy helps preschoolers develop fine motor skills by grasping the small spikes and placing in the dinosaur. They  also learn colors, quantity concepts, and problem-solving skills through play. In this post, I want to share with you 3 ways you can target core vocabulary using the Dino Fine Motor Toy.