Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Multisyllabic Word Party {app review + giveaway}

Apps continue to be a great way to motivate my students.  I'm always looking for new ways to target multisyllabic words and counting syllables.  Home Speech Home released a new app a month or so ago to do just that!  Check it out with me below.



First, watch this video to see how it works!



There are four games:

Tip-Tap--This game is a simple pacing board where the students tap out the different syllables of the word.  It uses different colors to separate the syllables and teach segmentation.



Outline- This game is geared toward teaching shape recognition.  The students drag the picture to the outline of that object. When put in the right spot, the picture will pop up with the pacing card (as seen in Tip-Tap).



Say and Slice- Students will say the word and slice it where the syllables are. It is a great way to target segmentation!



Remember- This game is based on Memory.  Students will try and match pictures.  When they make a correct match, the pacing card will pop up.



I love that this app was created by speech-language pathologists.  I appreciate the reinforcement--both audio and visual.   This app is easy to use for both the SLP and the students.  It is a perfect tool for individual or group therapy as well as center time.  This app uses real images, which are easy to understand/interpret.  This app can be used with a variety of students too!  Your students will enjoy this app!

If you are interested in purchasing this app, it's available on the App Store for $3.99 at the time of this review.


Home Speech Home is giving away a couple of copies of this app for Home Sweet Speech Room readers!  Enter below:


a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Friday, October 23, 2015

Social Skills Video Packages from Everyday Speech

I have written previously about Social Skills Videos from Everyday Speech.  You can check out this post from April for more information.  They are awesome!!  I use them with my students weekly. These videos use students and real life, relevant scenarios that could happen to any student.  Some of the videos deal with conflict; others deal with body language.  The best part is that these videos are written by a speech-language pathologist.

My students ask to watch them over and over.  They learn a lot from them, and they address their IEP goals perfectly, so it's a win-win!  There are over 80 videos, too!  Easy lesson plans for my social skills groups!

Check out this example:




Everyday Speech offers these videos in a variety of packages, so I will highlight a few for you!  Be sure to check out all of the options here.

 The first is the Complete Bundle! This bundle has all of the videos.  It is a one time purchase and you will have all of the videos.  You can download to your computer or iPad and take them with you wherever you go!

The other bundle options are smaller subsets of those videos.  For example, one is the Elementary and Middle School Bundle.   Other bundles are for Basic Conversation Skills for Younger and Older Kids.  There are videos for making friends too!

Finally, you can subscribe to these videos and pay monthly.  This allows you to try it out for awhile and see if you would like to use these with your students.  If you continue the subscription, you will have access to any future videos that may come.

Like I said, there are a lot of options!

What do you think?  Are these videos something you could use in your speech room? 

Note: This post may contain affiliate links.  A copy of the videos was provided for my review.  No other compensation was received.  All opinions expressed are mine.  

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Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Student-Led Conferences Freebie

When I was a kid, parent-teacher conferences were scary to me.  I was nervous that my teachers were going to say bad things about me to my parents and that I would be in trouble.  Maybe they would see that one bad quiz score (that would later be dropped) and would be upset.  You can imagine my surprise when I found out my school did student-led conferences, then!  WHAT?  The students had to sit there while all of that was happening?

Well, I found out that as part of being a Leader In Me School, the students would do student-led conferences as a way to take ownership of their leading.  Students would pick out what they wanted to show their parents and would provide an explanation for each.  For example, they would say, "This is my narrative essay.  I chose it because it's my favorite memory about ____."  They had to share goals they set and their progress towards each.  These are not always A+ work samples either.  The students share their weaknesses by saying, "This is something I need to continue working on by _____."



The result?  Students take ownership of their learning and become proud of their hard work.  They learn to set goals for themselves and work to achieve them.  They also track their progress on their goals and see where they need to improve.  This motivates them.

So this year, I challenged myself to have the students report on their speech and language goals themselves.  I had them write out simple forms themselves, listing what sounds they were working on, the percentage they were out, and if they were making progress or not.  We then practiced what they were going to say a couple of times.

If you are interested in doing something similar in your speech room, you can use these forms (as pictured above)! Simply click on the picture below to access this FREEBIE!





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Sunday, October 11, 2015

Taking a Second SLP Job: Opening the Door to Possibilities




One thing I haven't written much about this year is taking on a second job.  Last year, I completed my clinical fellowship in the schools.  I had a pretty good experience, had a mentor who was very patient with me and all of my questions, and had a principal who supported special education.  However, I had 70 students on my caseload to start the year that year and was constantly writing IEPs or attending meetings.  I struggled with balance at first, but decided to work as hard as possible not to take work home so that I could have time with my husband and friends.  My district ended up getting me some help, but I still had 55 kids on my caseload.  It was still really busy.  On top of that, they asked me to become building coordinator for the next year.  I was excited to be getting more responsibility at school and gain some leadership experience.  I knew it would be a lot on my plate, but I was excited about it.

So then, I went and got a second job starting this August.  Actually, it kind of fell into my lap.  A clinic emailed me and asked if I would like some evening hours.  I accepted because it was an opportunity I couldn't turn down.  It would put me at a combined 40 hours of work a week with school and clinic hours.  It would allow me one-on-one with kids and the opportunity to co-treat with occupational therapists.  It would possibly open doors for the future for me.  It would allow me to learn more about sensory and integrating movement and sensory activities into my therapy.  It would allow me to learn more about autism.  Ultimately, it was a way to keep my skills fresh in another setting.  So, I said yes.

I know it's not for everyone, but I want to encourage you to think about it.  Maybe it's PRN-ing at a SNF or a hospital.  Maybe it's doing a few hours for your state's early intervention program.

It has turned out to be a great decision for me.  I cannot wait to share more about it with you as I learn more and more!

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Monday, October 5, 2015

The Hanen Centre Preschool Language and Literacy Calendar {giveaway}

If you have ever worked with the preschool population, you've likely heard of The Hanen Centre.  If not, be sure to check them out because they have awesome resources and workshops!   They just came out with an awesome new product that I want to talk to you about today--the Preschool Language and Literacy Calendar.



This year's calendar focuses on critical thinking skills such as problem-solving and predicting.  Each month features real photos, a theme about a language skill, research for building language and literacy, and weekly tips for home and school!

To read a little more about critical thinking, check out these articles:
-Preparing Preschoolers for "School Talk"
-More than ABCs: Building the Critical Thinking Skills Your Child Needs for Literacy Success

Here's what I love about these calendars:
-They are practical--everyone uses a calendar.
-It discusses research and research-based tips.
-It is good for parents and SLPs.
-It's focus is critical thinking skills, which are so important for school and the rest of their lives.

If you would like to check out a sample page, click the picture below:


If you are interested in these calendars, head on over to The Hanen Centre's website for more information about ordering.

The Hanen Centre is generously giving away a few copies of the calendars to interested SLPs!  Enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: I was contacted by The Hanen Centre about the calendar.  No compensation was received.  All opinions expressed are mine. 

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