The Importance of Movement in Speech and Language Therapy

Movement is important in speech and language therapy.  Yes, I said it.  We need to try and get kids up and moving during our speech and language therapy sessions.

Here's why:
There is research showing that movement could help facilitate spontaneous language in developmentally delayed children.

When I was working in the schools, the most amount of movement we did was the occasional dance party or acting out dares while playing I Dare You Articulation from Erik X. Raj. The movement was never intentional, if I'm being honest.

It wasn't until I moved to an outpatient clinic where I started learning about movement more.  I work in a clinic of primarily occupational therapists.  They pride themselves in being sensory specialists. Our clinic is two large gyms with lots of equipment (and then some rooms off to the side).  They have taught me everything I know about sensory because, if you're like me, my six years of college and graduate education taught me NOTHING about it.  One of the OTs put an article about this on my desk, and I could not believe that it dated back to 1981. 1981--that's 35 years ago. 

Magrun, Ottenbacher, McCue, and Keefe (1981) wrote "Effects of Vestibular Stimulation on Spontaneous Use of Verbal Language in Developmentally Delayed Children."  Just a quick summary of the article for you. In this study, vestibular stimulation or movement was incorporated by having them ride a scooter down a ramp, spin in a net hammock, or swing on a platform swing. Treatment was for 10 minutes a day for 5 days straight. Language was recorded in a 5 minute free-play session. The results indicated that vestibular stimulation might be an effective way to stimulate language.

Ok so if we know this, why aren't we using it?   I don't know the answer to that question, but let's start incorporating it in our speech sessions. Get those kids up and moving.

Here are some ideas for you:

• Play freeze dance. When the music pauses, they have to say their target words, answer a question, follow a direction, etc. 
• Make a life-size game board that stretches across your room or down the hall. 
• Play Simon Says to target following directions and incorporate large movements in.
• Have kids jump on a trampoline during some of the session.
• If you're lucky enough to have a swing, have the child sit on a swing during the session. 
• Do some jumping jacks prior to starting the session. 
• Incorporate yoga into your session. 
• If possible, do therapy outside on the playground.

Those are just some ideas to get you started.  Consult an occupational therapist for more.  Take a baseline, try this with your students, and then do a post-test.  I'd be curious to see how they do.

I'd love to hear about how you incorporate movement into your sessions.  Leave a comment below and let us know how you do it!

New Games to Play: Fast Flip and Dr. Eureka

I play games all of the time in my therapy sessions.   In the clinic, our goal is to make therapy fun, and a lot of the times, the kids think we are just playing.  They don't always realize it's therapeutic.  I recently received two new games from Blue Orange Games, and my clients have been LOVING them. I couldn't wait to share them with you!

The first is Fast Flip!  If you and your students/clients love Spot It, then this is a game for you!

Here's the description from Blue Orange Games:
"Get ready to scramble for the match in this crazy fruit salad! Match your fruits to a number, or numbers to a fruit; you don’t know what match you’ll have to find next! Whether you play with the tokens or with the cards alone, all players of any age will be fast flipping for this brain teasing match up. The game comes complete in a tin for your cards and tokens, making it an easy travel item. The magic distribution of fruits on the cards guaranties that there is always one correct answer. You just need to be the fastest to find it!"

Watch this video to learn how to play:



They state that it is a perfect game for visual perception, processing speed, and focus/attention.  I agree with all of those. I also think it's a good game for describing and using specific language.  One of my clients kept saying "4 of those" and I kept cueing for her to tell me 4 of what exactly?  Describe by color, number, function, origin, parts, etc. You name it, we talk about it!

I also use this game for pragmatic skills.  Students sometimes get frustrated when they don't find the match or have difficulty in multiple rounds.  I use that opportunity to discuss what we could say during games and how to be a good sport.

The next game is Dr. Eureka!  My clients love this one too.

Here's a description from Blue Orange Games:
"The brilliant Dr. Eureka has important experiments for you to complete! Pick a challenge card, 3 test tubes and 6 colorful balls to solve his scientific formula. Carefully move your materials from tube to tube without dropping them, and position them as illustrated on the challenge card. This brainteasing party game can be played solitary or competitively. The high quality components and the creative concept make it a challenging game for the whole family."

Watch this video to learn how to play:


The description states that it is a perfect game for fine motor skills, visual perception, processing speed, and attention/focus.  While it is a good game for all of that, what about SLPs?  Well I think this is the perfect game for describing/following directions.  I modified the game a little bit when playing with my clients.  Instead of it being a race to see who could complete the card the fastest, I described the card to my client to see if they could follow all of my directions. Then, I had them describe it to me using specific language! Of course, this is a fun one for pragmatics as well.

Overall, my clients and I love these two games.  In fact, I had one client in particular ask me every session if I had more new games like these because she loved them so much.  These games are engaging and are a fun way to target some of their goals.   They can be therapeutic while still playing.  They have quickly become favorites in my speech room.

What do you think? Do you think your students/clients would like these games?  


Note: Blue Orange Games provided me a copy of both games for my review.  No other compensation was received. All opinions expressed are mind.

Making Sense of Idioms

One of the most common goals I worked on this semester was idioms.  My fourth graders were expected to know them in the regular classroom, so I figured I would target them as well.  What came out of that experience was this packet!  This packet will walk them through the history behind each idiom included as well as activities to help them practice the definitions. One thing I learned was that they will learn the idioms better once they have an understanding of where the idiom came from.  

Here are the activities/pages included:

-Idiom List- This is a list of all idioms included in the packet.

-Idiom Definition poster--Poster with the definition of an idiom to hang on the board in the classroom.

-Pretest/Posttest--Three options for pretests/posttests, one with multiple choice, one with true/false, and one where the students will write their own definitions.

-Idiom Memory-Played like the normal game of Memory.  Students choose a picture card (picture of the idiom) and a definition card. 

-History of Idiom Worksheets (Black and White)-These posters include the picture of the idiom in black and white, a brief history of the idiom, and a follow-up question.  These can be used as posters in the classroom, as worksheets, or as a workbook when stapled together.

 

-History of Idiom Worksheets (Color). These are the same thing as above, just in color.

-Idiom Worksheets- These worksheets have the students write the meaning, list situations in which the idiom could be used, and retell the history of the idiom. There is one page per idiom. 

-Writing Prompts- Use these sheets for students to create a story using the pictured idiom.  There is one page per idiom.

-Idiom Meaning Chart-This chart has four columns: one for the idiom, one for information the student already knows about the idiom, one for the student's definition of the idiom, and then the actual meaning

-Idiom of the Week Bookmarks-Two identical bookmarks which have spots for the idiom, the meaning, and a drawing of the idiom to be used for homework or for the last 5 minutes of therapy when there is some extra time.

-Drawing Sheet-A worksheets where students will draw the literal meaning and the figurative meaning of the idioms.

-I Have...Who Has Game-Play like a normal I Have..Who Has game where one student will start by reading the card they have.  Each card includes an idiom and its picture as well as a question with the definition of the next idiom.  The student who has the idiom that goes along with the definition answers and play continues.

-Idiom Bingo-Five different bingo cards, a tracking sheet, and calling cards.

-Idiom Tic-Tac-Toe--A Tic-Tac-Toe Board with various tasks for the students to complete.  If they complete the task, they may place an X or an O in their spot.

I truly hope this packet helps your students learn idioms and help you with easy planning!   You can find this in my TpT store!  It's currently on sale for 20% the regular price, so get it now while it's discounted! (Note- limited time only). 

iName It {app review and giveaway}

As I'm sitting here writing this, there is a HUGE storm passing through.  We are getting tons of rain and hail.  Hope all of you are staying safe in the crazy weather we are having this spring!!

Today, I wanted to take some time to write about an app from one of my favorite app companies, Smarty Ears!  It's called iName It.  This is one of the very first apps I purchased when I got my iPad.  I knew I needed something that I could use with both adults and children who had language goals.  The best part--it's evidence-based!

Here's a little bit about the app to get started.  Smarty Ears has this description on their website about the app:

"iName It is specifically designed to help individuals with difficulty recalling the names of common items found in the home. Developed by speech-language pathologists, iName It provides users with a systematic way to recall functional words needed for activities of daily living. iName It consists of fifty nouns that are displayed within the context of the rooms where they are typically located, such as bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, etc… Each target word can be elicited by using one of more of the five different types of cues available: phonemic, phase completion, whole word or semantic."

Pretty complete, right?

Start by adding your student and then selecting one of the following scenes: Bathroom, Bedroom, Garage, Kitchen, or Living Room.

Once you select a room, the app will take you to a picture of that room.  There will be items listed at the bottom for the student or client to name.  Each scene has ten different vocabulary words.  The picture below is the living room.

Select an object at the bottom, and it will make the whole scene go black and white except for the target object.

If the student names the object right away, click the green checkmark.  If he or she does not, hit the blue button.  A series of five cues then pops up.  These cues vary from enlarging the picture, giving the first few letters of the word, sentence completion, or a complete visual cue.  The SLP can mark that the student or client either got it with that cue or missed it.

One thing I love about all Smarty Ears apps is that they take great data for you. Then, they compile a report that can either be printed, emailed, or imported to Therapy Report Center.  It's great for progress monitoring!

Another awesome element of this app is that it is available in THREE different languages: English, Spanish, and Portuguese!  As our world is becoming more and more bilingual, this is an awesome feature that I will always be looking for in apps.

Overall, this is a great app that can be used with almost any caseload.  Both adults and children with language or word finding goals will benefit from it!  The app is offered in three languages and collects data for the SLP, which makes for easy progress monitoring.  It is simple easy to set-up and use, too!  Finally, there is solid research behind the app and the cues that are built into it.  It is so important to me to know that my interventions are evidence-based!

This app is currently listed at $14.99 on iTunes, and you can find it here!

Smarty Ears has generously donated one code for a lucky Home Sweet Speech Room reader!  Enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note:  I was contacted about writing a review for the app. I previously owned this app.   No other compensation was received.  All opinions expressed are mine. 

Language Empires {app review}

First, let me apologize for being absent recently. It's midterm time again. But GUESS WHAT? These are the very LAST midterms I will ever have to take! WOOHOO!!! I could not be more excited!

Anyway, on to the topic of the day: Language Empires.  This is an awesome app from Smarty Ears that your language kiddos will have SO much fun with!  It was released in January, but they just did an update that includes some awesome features (homework and certificates among other things)!

As always, you have several menu options including a video tutorial, contact info, and liking Smarty Ears on Facebook, and more of their apps.  I would always recommend going through the tutorial. Barbara does a great job of explaining the app! Of course, if you have questions about it, you can contact her!

When you first start, add a student (or multiple ones).  Adjust the settings accordingly, and then hit "Next."

Once you select the students, you can select which empire you would like to visit. That is, which area you would like to target.  Drag the student's picture from the bottom of the screen to the given empire.

Once you drag the picture to the empire, click "Next," and you will begin the activity.  The empires are as follows:

Figurative Language:

How:

Predicting:

Sequencing:

Why:

Which:

Inferencing:

Vocabulary:

So when you're done playing, hit the "Done" button, click on the student's picture, and then choose either report or treasures.

Guess what else???? There's a homework and certificate option now!

What I like about this app:
-It targets SO many aspects of language!
-It's a great theme. Everyone likes an adventure, and it throws in a little history with the different empires.
-It uses real pictures to supplement the questions.
-Up to five kids can play at once.
-The scenarios are relevant and are ones that students can relate to.
-It is compatible with Therapy Report Center.
-You can print a certificate for completion of all or some activities.
-There are levels for some of the activities. Some have 2, others have 3.
-There are homework sheets!

Bottom Line:
This is a great app that targets so many areas of language.  I would recommend this app to any SLP to have in their "bag of tricks" or "toolbox."  Your students will have fun with this one!!

Want this app?? You can find it on iTunes for $24.99 at the time of this review!

Disclaimer: A code for the app was provided to me for my review. No other compensation was received. All opinions expressed are mine. 

Dollar Store Dash {Linky Party}

Teach Speech 365 came up with a GREAT idea of going to the dollar store, spending $5, and coming up with therapy activities with them.  You can find the first post and everyone who linked up here.

These are the items I picked up:

1. Soap Dish
2. Pumpkin Face Stickers
3. Reading Comprehension
4. Who Will Haunt My House on Halloween? book

Here are my plans for these items:

1. Put items in the soap dish and have the students shake, smell, or whatever they need to do to guess what is in it.  When it's their turn, they open it and either use the word in a sentence, repeat their words, etc. Have fun with it and they will too!

2. Pumpkin Face Sticker- I am still debating what I should do with these. One option is to put them on the pumpkins and talk about facial expressions.  Another option is to actually put them on popsicle sticks!

3. Read the book, ask questions, possibly do an activity from TpT or a craft with it!

4. Use the reading comprehension book with my adult clients.  I'll read them a short paragraph and ask them follow up questions!

What are your favorite dollar store finds for therapy??