Dig a Sentence

On Pinterest I saw this great idea for "digging deeper sentences." Here's the original post: Mrs. Meacham. 

Where I found it: http://mrsmeachamclassroom.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/167/ 

I used this idea on my whiteboard with 3rd grade and 6th grade language groups, and they all loved it! This idea works for: 
*grammar
*asking/answering questions
*story retell
*summarizing
*writing sentences
*organizing ideas

Since I got a good response from my students, I made it into a paper-pencil format and made a homework practice page. Download this freebie from my TpT store HERE. 4-page packet includes 1 version with visuals and 1 version without...homework for each. 

Dig a Sentence handout without visuals

Dig a Sentence Homework page with visuals

Leave a comment: what do you think? Who will you use this with? 

Student Referral Process: Speech-Language Concerns

I wanted to share these forms with others because they have been quite useful to me! I use these  when teachers have a speech-language concern area with a student. 

I typically have a brief conversation with the teacher and give them the form to fill out. They return it and we move forward. 

Articulation Referral

Language Referral: includes social skills, receptive language, expressive language

Stuttering/Fluency referral

instructions--can give to teachers with the referral form or with a brief note introducing the referral process after they get to know the students in their classroom (e.g., I send it out near October).

Free Download HERE at TpT.

Student Referral Process: Step 1

Here is a document we use as part of the initial teacher referral when a student needs more support or problem solving in the classroom.

At our district, the teacher provides THIS documentation to the Student Assistance Team (SAT) Committee (made up of the school psych, a sped teacher, me (SLP), a general education teacher, and the title teacher) as well as the Additional Teacher Input Form (given to any additional teachers whose instruction is impacted by the area of concern--e.g., specials teachers, co-grade teachers). They also send home a Parent Information form, which most parents bring to the first meeting of the SAT team.

Our SAT committee meets (with the parent), and discusses the concerns, brainstorms interventions/supports to put into place, and decide what data will be collected and by whom. We set the next meeting date.....and see what works (and what doesn't!). This may eventually lead to testing the student for special education verifications. 
(Free download at my TpT store HERE) 

...just saw the typo in 'blogspot'(my fingers type that SO often, but I usually catch it!)

Some students in this process end up having language difficulties that the teacher couldn't 'put her finger on.' Others end up having artic concerns in addition to classroom concerns. We continue the process, and I usually jump into speech-language Response to Intervention (parent permission free download HERE). 




If there is just an articulation concern, we "skip" the SAT committee and run right to me (!). That includes a separate form...coming soon in a follow up blog post!
Look forward to: 
*Artic referral
*Stuttering referral
*Language referral (listening, speaking, social skills)

I hope this helps those of you SLPs out there who wear as many "Hats" as I do at school! What are your other (non-therapy) responsibilities?

Mini Book artic homework

A fun artic homework activity. Students make their own "mini book" all about their speech sound.
Find this free download at my TpT store HERE.

Mini Book title page

Getting started: adding our speech sound inside.

Using a post-it note to brainstorm words that could be used in the "longest sentence in the world." 

 

Good way to practice the speech sounds as part of the giving of the homework.

creativity!

done :)

I have a goal to make a packet of mini speech books, but currently only have one to share. Enjoy at my TpT store HERE. Look for more at a later time!

Leave a comment--what do you think?  Would it be helpful to have more?

Write a Sentence Artic Homework

Simple? Yes. Effective? Yes. Quick? Yes. Helps generalize? Yes. 
Speech homework doesn't have to be difficult or time consuming to be effective.

This is a (very) simple homework assignment. I typically start it with my student then send it home with them to finish. 

 Free download at my TpT store HERE.

I can use it as part of my speech session by having them choose the words they want to practice (and saying that word 3x or in a brief sentence as I write it in), and by completing the first few sentences with them. 
For some, I find me writing and them talking most effective, but I also like to encourage their independence and practice of the assignment (some parents will write and complete the assignment with their student, other students will be wholly responsible for their homework-no matter how young!). 

writing her first sentence

 

WH "Question Wheel" Homework

I saw a circle-style graphic organizer and thought it was a great way to organize practicing WH-questions.   

Download includes a blank question wheel

I tried it as homework for both my 3rd grade and Kindergarten language groups...

 

...and they loved it! They were each very proud of their work. (It also gave me a good sample of their question writing skills!) 

So, I've made several more to pull out as homework as I work with WH-questions.

Bonus: Progress Monitoring!  I look forward to comparing student work over time and seeing if there is a change in question content as well as question grammar/conventions. 

...and I've decided to share :) 

Examples from my Free Download (found at my TpT store HERE)

(Word clipart) 


 Enjoy! Let me know how your student like it!

 

Speedy Speech (5 minutes) prize ring!

I created a "travel version" of my prize ring with activities/prizes appropriate for my speedy speech students. I clipped this right onto my basket with a binder clip so it travels with me!

Just laminate and put onto a binder ring!

Freebie looks like this!

Ready to "travel!"

Just print, cut out, laminate, punch a hole, add a binder ring, clip on, then travel!
Free Download HERE. 

My students receive a stamp for returning homework. Their stamp charts are in their homework folder (which stays in their backpack except for speech times and when working on it at home). Occasionally, I will reward an extra stamp if I hear great speech sounds during a classroom walk-through, just for fun! 

Push In Notes and Data

I often find myself taking data within the classroom setting for social skills, classroom skills, and executive functioning skills such as: 

--on-task/attending 

--interrupting/blurting

--asking for help

--following teacher directions accurately

--following multiple-step directions

--effectively organizing 

--prioritizing 

--getting right to work after a direction has been given

--volunteering answers

--initiating conversations and interactions appropriately

-- conversational turns 

I also collect classroom data for stuttering and articulation for those students who have very high skills and are needing to generalize to other settings (e.g., classroom, lunchroom, recess, center time, specials classes).  

I have the opportunity to co-teach a small life-skills focused English class at the high school level. I do several 15-minute 'walk throughs' in second and third grade. I co-teach small group 3rd grade writing/reading with the resource teacher. For each of these settings I have found Push In notes pages helpful and effective. 

I find it most effective to have a clipboard with 1 page per student with a classroom behavior. This way, data collection is as simple as grabbing my clipboard and walking into a classroom. 

You can download these pages free at my TpT store HERE

Homework: Practicing School Rules

Time to see some artistic abilities! Since starting clinicals as a speech-language pathology student, I have found many many ways to use and create stick figures...and many many ways that they come in handy! I'd guess that 90% of my caseload has seen my stick figures at one time or another!

This is an opportunity for your students to use their artistic skills...stick figures or not(!). 

I created this as homework for a kindergarten social skills/behavior intervention group. I find it useful for older students, too; they just need to be encouraged to think about the 'rules' at a deeper level.  With older students, I use the Character Counts inspired 'rule' pages I created that go with the pillar we are practicing that month. I also use them for students to think about skills such as eye contact, initiating a conversation, asking to join, and other social skills.

Here are some creative examples from my kindergarten group: 

This packet--including 8 pages of general and Character Counts-based rule pages--is a free download at my TpT store HERE. Enjoy!

Homework: Dollar Challenge Day

I created a homework page for articulation students on our monthly $ Dollar Challenge days. (Original Dollar Challenge Post here.) I recommend this page primarily for students grades 1-4. 

One parent even wrote me a note: "great practice activity!" I like it, too because it corresponds directly with the activity, corresponds with coin/money units in the classroom, and provides practice opportunities at home (the ultimate goal!). 

Students write a word with their speech sound on the line, then say that word 1 time for each cent in the pictured coin. 

Enjoy this free download at my TPT store: HERE 

Coming Soon: homework!

I will soon be posting many homework activities that I have created and used with my students thus far this school year. Series coming soon!

Progress Notes

Generally speaking, my progress notes are completed on electronic forms that are used state wide. However, there are some students (especially those in a Response to Intervention program) or some circumstances (summer programs, for example) when a progress note template is handy! I have used several different formats, and this is the one I have ended up liking the most!

(Free download HERE) 

Sentence Starters

Got a request to share some sentence starters...HERE you go! 

*Great for speedy speech sessions (sentence practice if you follow with an artic card! Conversation data!) 

*can use for quick-write prompts

*practice answering questions in complete sentences

*formulate questions to get the desired response 

*etc!

Team Meeting Agenda-free download

With a handful of students who require additional support and who have many team members who need to be on the same page for progress and success, I have found this team meeting agenda to be a great tool! (Free download HERE)

A quick "How To" ...

• Gather information from team members about possible agenda items and areas needing problem solving
• Fill in the agenda items
• Provide copies of the agenda to team members (night before or earlier is most helpful!) 
• I try to put a copy in each team member's mailbox and I scan/email the agenda to out-of-the-building team members
• Assign roles, if not done before 
• Team members can take notes on the form, on their own paper, or a note-taker can be assigned and others can receive copies after the meeting  

Teams have included all or some of these team members: 

• classroom teacher
• special education teacher
• speech-language pathologist
• physical therapist
• occupational therapist
• autism specialist
• para-educators 
• student parents 
• audiologist
• deaf educator

 

A Week of Speedy Speech Activities: Friday!

 

Activity #6: Basketball 

Materials: *Hoop and ball from dollar store *Dollar Store container  *basketball cut outs 

To Play: Students say their speech sound word for the specified number of times (I have 50 paper basketballs, so I have student say words 2 times, then put a basketball in...this way in 5 minutes we will near the 100 mark!). Just before time is up, we take the paper basketballs out and the students "shoot" the actual ball 3 times.

Activity#7: Adapted Puzzle 

Another "inherited" speech room cabinet find: an Essential Sounds puzzle. (This one is great because the puzzle contains many R words when finished.) The student says the word on the back of the puzzle piece, says it again (or in a sentence if at the sentence level) and puts the puzzle piece in (the word on the back of the piece will match the word written on the puzzle back). This is an easy adaptation for any artic sound, especially if you can find a picture that has several words with that articulation sound. 

 

 

Activity #8: Sentence Strips

Having an envelope of sentences starters available is great! Just have the student read the sentence (oral reading practice), then finish the sentence with the card on the top of the pile. These can become pretty silly! 

A Week of Speedy Speech Activities: Thursday!

Activity #5: "Plix" 

Plix is an activity that can be ordered for specific speech sounds. I "inherited" these from previous SLPs (it was a speech office cabinet find!). I liked the activity so much (it's a very flexible and adaptable activity!) that I made my own for the articulation sounds I was 'missing' in my set using BoardMaker. 

To Play: Student draws a card, and says the 2 words written. The student then places the card touching the end of another card (dominoes style). If the student is at the sentence level, he says the 2 touching words in a sentence together. When it is time to pick up, it's easy to have the student say more words (more practice!) by saying both words on the card before putting it back in the tube.

Alternatives:

*Students like "racing" to see who can make the longest line of cards in a given amount of time

Students like making familiar shapes...a house is the most frequent!

A Week of Speedy Speech Activities: Wednesday!

Activity #4: Jack Pot! 

This is the  most student-requested speedy speech activity! 

To Play: Student rolls a dice, then says the words for that number (e.g., that number of different words with their sound, that number of speech-sound word into a sentence, one word that number of times, etc). The student then marks the board (e.g., chipper chat, their first initial or an X with a whiteboard marker, etc). 

Goal: to cover every number! (Then call "Jackpot!")

Alternatives: Students love playing "Mega Jackpot" by playing on the big whiteboard in the speech room.

Just use a small, individual-sized whiteboard to draw this board!