Thursday, June 27, 2013
Yes, it's officially my summer break! So, let's celebrate with a freebie!
Today was our LAST day of ESY. Progress reports - check, medicaid - check, time sheet - check! So, what's a girl to do now? I say, let's celebrate my official start to summer break with a "flash freebie!" I'm offering up an add-on language activity to go with the companion packet I posted earlier (If You Take a Mouse to School) for FREE
...for 24 hours! So hurry and download your copy now!
(Included in this packet are activities that target categorization (things we
see at school, things we see at the beach, and things we see on the farm)). Enjoy!
Monday, June 24, 2013
What happens when you take a mouse to school?
Check out this language packet to find out! I LOVE this book series! This packet is a
companion to the book, If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff. Included in this packet are activities that
target sequencing, story retell and comprehension, basic language concepts, following
directions, and more. Click on the link below to check out this activity in my TpT store
Pages 2 – 4 targets story sequencing. The larger pictures (pages 2-3) can be used for a classroom story board, or for individual students. The smaller pictures (page 5) are included on a worksheet. The students can cut them out, sequence the story at the top, re-tell it, and take it home. Parents would love to hear and see the story that you read with their kids during school!
Pages 5 – 8 targets story comprehension (and identifying the types of questions being asked - what, where, who, how). The first set (pages 5-6) asks a variety of questions without picture supports for responses. So students must think of the responses on their own (or look back in the boo). The second set was made with picture supports. Each question has a choice of three responses (1 correct; 2 foil).
Page 9 targets picture identification and negation (is it a food, or NOT a food). This game board takes Mouse down a winding path of things he can eat and things he cannot eat. He needs help finding his lunch box, roll the dice and help him out! If you land on a food item you’re doing good…but if you land on something he can NOT eat, take a step back. My students love this one!
Pages 10 – 12 include a picture “BINGO” game…although you don’t need to call out the BINGO letters for this one! Give each student a card (pages 10-11) and have them listen to the items being called (you can call the item by name, or you can call an item by function e.g., “this is something we can write with”). If they cover 5 pictures they WIN! Page 12 can be used for a variety of things – you can cut out and place each picture card in a bucket (or paper bag), draw out one picture at a time, and have your students place a marker on their boards you call out the pictures. Or you can use the board as a receptive identification board for item and/or function ("show me the...", or "point to the one we write with"), or as an expressive vocabulary board (What is this?))
This is one of my favorite lessons to do at the beginning of a new school year. My kids love it! I hope you do too!
Enjoy!
Mindy
Pages 2 – 4 targets story sequencing. The larger pictures (pages 2-3) can be used for a classroom story board, or for individual students. The smaller pictures (page 5) are included on a worksheet. The students can cut them out, sequence the story at the top, re-tell it, and take it home. Parents would love to hear and see the story that you read with their kids during school!
Pages 5 – 8 targets story comprehension (and identifying the types of questions being asked - what, where, who, how). The first set (pages 5-6) asks a variety of questions without picture supports for responses. So students must think of the responses on their own (or look back in the boo). The second set was made with picture supports. Each question has a choice of three responses (1 correct; 2 foil).
Page 9 targets picture identification and negation (is it a food, or NOT a food). This game board takes Mouse down a winding path of things he can eat and things he cannot eat. He needs help finding his lunch box, roll the dice and help him out! If you land on a food item you’re doing good…but if you land on something he can NOT eat, take a step back. My students love this one!
Pages 10 – 12 include a picture “BINGO” game…although you don’t need to call out the BINGO letters for this one! Give each student a card (pages 10-11) and have them listen to the items being called (you can call the item by name, or you can call an item by function e.g., “this is something we can write with”). If they cover 5 pictures they WIN! Page 12 can be used for a variety of things – you can cut out and place each picture card in a bucket (or paper bag), draw out one picture at a time, and have your students place a marker on their boards you call out the pictures. Or you can use the board as a receptive identification board for item and/or function ("show me the...", or "point to the one we write with"), or as an expressive vocabulary board (What is this?))
This is one of my favorite lessons to do at the beginning of a new school year. My kids love it! I hope you do too!
Enjoy!
Mindy
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Who said pushing buttons was a bad thing?
Yep, here's another articulation pack, but this one is geared towards our older students (my 5th grade boys would KILL me if I had them working articulation with strawberry shortcake!) This is 11 pages of button pushing articulation activities. I use these sets with my older students (grades 3-5), so I’ve left the target sound cards blank (you pick the target sounds and either you or your student fill them in).
Pages 2 – 5 targets sounds at the syllable level in all positions of a syllable set (initial (CV), medial (VCV), and final (VC)). I would recommend printing these pages on heavy cardstock and laminating…you’ll want to use them with all of your students! The student places their sound card (page 5) over the large button (hashed out) on the syllable practice sheet. Then the student can use a marker (different colors for multiple productions) and/or their finger to slide to the vowel (or vice versa if targeting VC, or VCV). Again, the student can write in their target sound, or you can have them filled in before your students even step foot in the door.
Pages 6 – 9 targets sounds at the single word level. Again, you can print these out, laminate them, and use dry-erase and/or over-head projector pens (I think these wipe off better) to color in the round buttons and write in the words for each production. Again, these are blank, so you pick the target sound, and find words with your student! These are also great homework sheets…”see how many NEW words you can find with your target sound.”
Page 10 targets sounds in phrases and sentences. Again, you can print these out, laminate them, keep a classroom set, and/or print and give each student their own sheets. I’ve given you a phrase and sentence starter, and a blank spot to see how many sentences you can make up using your single words (from the previous pages) in sentences.
Page 11 is a sentence and/or introduction into conversational carry-over activity. The student draws a picture (including their target words and/or sounds) and/or writes a story (or gives you a sentence) to talk about in the speech rooms! Click on the link below to check it out!
Enjoy!
Mindy
Pages 2 – 5 targets sounds at the syllable level in all positions of a syllable set (initial (CV), medial (VCV), and final (VC)). I would recommend printing these pages on heavy cardstock and laminating…you’ll want to use them with all of your students! The student places their sound card (page 5) over the large button (hashed out) on the syllable practice sheet. Then the student can use a marker (different colors for multiple productions) and/or their finger to slide to the vowel (or vice versa if targeting VC, or VCV). Again, the student can write in their target sound, or you can have them filled in before your students even step foot in the door.
Pages 6 – 9 targets sounds at the single word level. Again, you can print these out, laminate them, and use dry-erase and/or over-head projector pens (I think these wipe off better) to color in the round buttons and write in the words for each production. Again, these are blank, so you pick the target sound, and find words with your student! These are also great homework sheets…”see how many NEW words you can find with your target sound.”
Page 10 targets sounds in phrases and sentences. Again, you can print these out, laminate them, keep a classroom set, and/or print and give each student their own sheets. I’ve given you a phrase and sentence starter, and a blank spot to see how many sentences you can make up using your single words (from the previous pages) in sentences.
Page 11 is a sentence and/or introduction into conversational carry-over activity. The student draws a picture (including their target words and/or sounds) and/or writes a story (or gives you a sentence) to talk about in the speech rooms! Click on the link below to check it out!
Enjoy!
Mindy
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Dropbox, best decision EVER!
I've been traveling between multiple buildings (all but one of my years as a school based SLP), and while traveling between buildings has both pros and cons, the biggest con I've ran into over the years is storing data on my multiple computers! I had a different computer for each building, plus a company laptop, and then they added the iPad! I had data all over the place! And the MOST frustrating thing about having data all over the place was getting home after a long day, sitting down to relax and suddenly realizing I needed to finish typing a report and it was on MY OTHER COMPUTER! So at the end of this school year I decided to transfer all of my electronic data to Dropbox. I was a little leery at first...I TRUST no one with my files, but I needed to do something different. I gave it a try...and I LOVE it. All of my files in one place and I can access them from ANY device I'm on. It's awesome!
So if you're not using it, and are looking for a better way to store your info, click on the link and check it out! Dropbox
Mindy
Friday, June 21, 2013
Articulation Practice in the Strawberry Patch?
This is one sweet summer articulation pack! Its 42 pages of great articulation activities that I created for students who’ve just started working on a sound, to students working on sentence carryover. The sounds targeted in this packet are: initial, medial, and final /k/, /g/, /l/, /s/, /z/, ‘th’, and initial /f/, /v/, and prevocalic /r/. Click on the link below to visit my product site!
Pages 2 – 7 targets sounds at the syllable level in all positions of a syllable set (initial (CV),
medial (VCV), and final (VC)). I would
recommend printing these pages on heavy cardstock and laminating…you’ll want to
use them with all of your students! The student places their sound card (pages
5-7) over the large strawberry (hashed out) on the syllable practice sheet.
Then the student can use a marker (different colors for multiple productions)
and/or their finger to slide to the vowel (or vice versa if targeting VC, or
VCV). I’ve also included a blank template incase you are targeting a sound not
included in this packet.
Pages 8 – 29
targets sounds at the single word level. Again, you can print these out,
laminate them, and use dry-erase and/or over- head projector pens (I think
these wipe off better) to color in the strawberries for each production, or you
can print and give each student their own sheet. I’ve also included a blank
template incase you’d like to create your own words – or you are targeting a
sound not included in this packet. Page 30 is a
board game you can use with your syllable sets, single words, phrases or
sentences.
Page 42 is a fun sentence and/or introduction into conversational carry-over activity. The student draws a picture (including their target words and/or sounds) then tells a story (or gives you a sentence) about working in a strawberry patch!
A HUGE thank you goes out to Betsy Bumgarner, M.A., CCC-SLP, and Staci Flanagan, M.A., CFY-SLP for reviewing!
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Freebie Friday is coming up! So, let's start celebrating the weekend early!
I've been working on a sweet summer articulation pack! Here's a peek! Download it, and keep your eyes open for the full version coming soon!
This one is a quick pre-vocalic /r/ articulation sheet and board game. Make the board game your own - write numbers on it (and when they land on a certain number they have to make that many productions), attach small target pictures, or write target words on each of the strawberries and have your students make up sentences... you get it! Endless activities!
Enjoy!
Mindy
Okay, so I'm a little obsessed with creating new materials!
I have not gone on a mad materials creation binge since grad school (and boy have I missed it). Today I remembered why I spent HOURS slaving away on my "pretty" projects. I absolutely LOVE it! (For all of you who went to grad school with me, I'm sure you remember how HORRIBLE I was at just "throwing" something together. Oh no, it had to be pretty!) I have TONS of great speech and language activities I've used with my students over the years that I'd love to share. But like you, the pictures I use come from various sites (e.g., google images), and while I don't PURPOSEFULLY infringe on copyright laws...I don't want to throw all my stuff out on the Internet just to get hauled off to the poky. So, I've got some LEGAL speech and language lessons coming soon! Keep an eye out!
Mindy
Monday, June 17, 2013
Yep, I'm getting resources ready for the new school year (early, I know!)
I am a data junkie! And again, I'm always looking for quick and easy ways to manage my therapy data. I've tried apps, but for now, I'm still a paper pencil girl (and it's always a work in progress). During the school year, I work between two different schools. My caseload consistently stays around 40-45 students (20 in one school, and 25 or so in the other). At each school, I keep a therapy data binder, and in that binder I place a pocket tabbed divider for each of my students (I personally love the Avery® Slash Pocket Insertable Tab Dividers, 8-Tab). Behind each tab I keep an attendance log, and multiple data log pages for each student (I've attached copies of those below). I've tried other systems before (e.g., individual folders for each student) but this has been the system that has worked the best for me so far. I'd LOVE to hear and/or see how you all organize your data. Again, nicely organized data sheets make me one happy SLP!
Therapy Attendance Log (August 2013 - May 2014)
SLP Therapy Data Log
Mindy
Sunday, June 16, 2013
One of my favorites!
Just wrote a brief review on one of my favorite written language tools. Check it out!
Happy Reading!
Mindy
Let's talk a little about ESY data!
Okay friends! This is blog number one and as you can tell from the lack of content on this site, I'm new to this so please be easy on me. ESY is in full swing this time of year (at least for us here), and I'm constantly searching for new and better ways to track the ESY data for our students. I've attached a link to the data sheet I tend to use. It's quick, simple, and has all of the info I need to get my ESY files completed (e.g., ESY Progress Reports, and Medicaid). Our ESY period is four weeks (typically just the month of June). I usually select one (or two) goals for each of my students and begin tracking data the first week of ESY. I usually gather data twice a week for each students I'm seeing. So, by the end of the ESY period I will have eight data points to analyze. I then pull this form out again during the first 9-weeks back (typically before mid September) to document if any regression has occurred. Would love to hear how you all track your ESY data.
Mindy
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/ESY-Data-Sheet-730984
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