S-peachy Feedback!

Today, I'm linking up with Nicole over at Speech Peeps to showcase a reader who has taken the time to leave fabulous feedback in my TPT store!

Click on the above pic to check out the linky party and see if you're a winner.

So many of you have given such great feedback, that it's really hard to decide!  I loved what tammiegrismer had to say about my RtI Assessments for 3-5.

Thanks so much for leaving such detailed and thoughtful feedback!  I love how you shared how it will make things easier for you and how you will implement this product.  If your TPT username is tammiegrismer, you can choose anything you'd like from my TPT store for FREE!!  Just send an email to busybeespeech@gmail.com and let me know what you'd like.  :)  

Hope everyone got some awesome goodies at the sale this weekend!  I know I did!  :D

Summer Product Recap

If you haven't heard, the TPT wide Back to School sale starts tomorrow!  You can get up to 28% off your purchase by entering the code BTS13 at checkout.  My TPT store is participating as well!  YAY!  Who doesn't love a good sale?

In case you are needing a few new materials...here's a recap of my most recent additions:

Candy Math Word Problems for Language Disorders

Carry Over Activity Pack for Articulation

Parent Letters for Speech Therapy in English & Spanish

Blog Planner and TPT Store Tracker

Speech Therapy Organizing Planner

Plus --> Customized Planner Covers

Hope you can use some of these items!  I know they've made my life a lot easier.  Happy back to school!!

Planners Galore!

It's August, everyone is gearing up for back to school and trying to get organized.  I've got a few new TPT products to help you get that paperwork together!

I know a lot of sellers have cute planners out there right now, and I've even bought a few!  Since I was needing a few extra pages, I decided to go ahead and make my own and share it with you!

In my TPT store I've got a Speech Therapy Organizing Planner with a Personalization Option and a Blog Planner.  :)

**I'm giving away a free copy of the Speech Planner so scroll down to the bottom to enter!

The Speech Planner is super cute and comes with lots of relevant pages.  There are 2 different cover designs: dots and chevron.  All pages come in both black-and-white and color (blue).  See?

The inside pages include: a blank monthly calendar and schedule sheet...

Referral, screening log, RtI sheets, and eval list

There's also helpful paperwork sheets: due dates, progress report checklist, medicaid checklist, weekly planning and to-do lists, reminders and full-sheet notes pages.

All of these pages come in both black-and-white and blue designs, so you can mix and match how you want.  The packet also comes with section dividers, so that you can divide your planner into calendar, screening & evals, and planning & paperwork.  

Also, if you'd like the cover personalized I'm happy to do that too!  Just purchase the personalized planner covers from my TPT store and choose from several different designs and colors. :)

My blog planner is similar in format to my speech planner, except that it is all chevron and different colors.  Included inside are: 

-Blog planner covers front and back - in blue chevron and gray chevron

-Blank calendar pages
-Weekly do to sheet
-Blog post ideas
-Blog stat tracker
-Product ideas
-Product reviews sheet
-TPT earnings tracker
-Product listings
-Brainstorming pages
-Blank notes pages

I'm also giving away a free PERSONALIZED copy of my Speech Organizing Planner!  Enter in the rafflecopter below!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

FAQ Friday: Articulation

Happy Friday everyone!  I've had a crazy busy first week of school.  I'm sure you know how that goes.     Gotta love figuring out schedules, finding transfer students, and attending meetings galore.  Ha.

It's FAQ time!  Today's question is one I get asked often.  It's probably my most common question I get asked by friends and parents.

Sometimes, I admit, it's cute when kids mispronounce words.  I had one little one that would always ask me to "peel" her muscles.  Lol.  However, it probably would not be so cute if a nine year old was asking me the same thing.

Parents often want to know if their child's articulation skills are "normal" or developmentally appropriate.  You see, as SLPs it's part of our job to know what sounds are typically mastered at what ages.  There have been extensive studies done to determine this.  Most of the studies show a range in which the sounds are developed.

This chart is from NONA Child Development center.  The beginning of the bars represent when children begin to say the sound, and the end of the bars represent when most children should have mastered the sound.

This one is by Mommy Speech Therapy and is broken down into initial, medial, and final positions and based on the Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation - 2.  

Visit the Mommy Speech Therapy site to download a free copy of your own.

And THIS one includes a break down of boys vs girls sound development.

After researching quite a bit, it looks like several mastery charts show something different.  There seem to be several discrepancies in the studies that I've looked at, especially on the sounds /s, r, v, j, sh, ch/.  This goes to show that every child is so different, so these charts should be looked at more as guidelines than absolutes.

Anyway, I made my own cutesie chart to help give a general guideline to what sounds are mastered at what ages.  I hang this in my speech room for my own reference.

If you or others are having trouble understanding your child, it'd probably be a good idea to schedule a screening by your local SLP, especially if it isn't clear which sounds he can produce and which he can't.  They would most likely be able to tell you if your child's speech is developing appropriately.  :)

Dear Teacher...Love, Your SLP

Dear Teacher,

I need to tell you something.  Thank you.  Thank you for your diligence and hard work to prepare our children for the future.  Thank you for giving them the chance to succeed, for pushing them harder, and for showing them how to correct their mistakes.  

Thank you for your patience and love and support of our kids who have special needs and the ones who just have needs.  Thank you for the countless hours you spend prepping and planning.  Teachers like you amaze me every day.

But, teacher, I need to tell you something else.  I can help.  You aren't in this alone.  I am here to support you and my students.  Please let me.  I'm more than just someone to watch your class while you run to the restroom.  More than someone to bring you a drink or make a copy.  I am an SLP...your SLP.  Use me and ask me questions.  I really do have special training in all things speech and language.

I can probably tell you why your student doesn't seem to understand your directions, why he can't explain an answer, or why she's not comprehending what she's reading.  I can give the student strategies to help him compensate and show him things from a language-based perspective.  I can even give you, teacher, tips on how to make his environment more conducive to learning, tips on how to communicate with him more effectively, or even tips to keep him motivated.

I come in to your classroom to give support and services.  Please don't pretend I'm not there when I come in.  Please don't forget about me when you are planning your day.  Don't forget to include me in your collaborating.  I am thrilled to be asked my professional opinion.  I would love to help you strategize and come up with ways to solve problems.

Here's the thing, teacher.  I have a little problem.  Sometimes I'm afraid to speak up and tell you when a different way of teaching might be more effective for my student.  I'm afraid to ask you to not give so many directions to her all at once.  You see, I respect you.  I don't want to step on your toes and I don't want you to misunderstand my intentions.  So, can you just help me by asking my opinion once in a while?  Can we keep the lines of communication open between us?  Can we have the kind of professional relationship where we are open to changes and we work together to help our kids?  After all, we are both on the same team!  :)

So as we begin a new school year, I just want to say...you are awesome!  We've got this in the bag!  Here's to another fabulous year!

Love,
Your SLP :)

Childhood Fluency: Guest Post at PlayingWithWords365

Today I have the privilege of guest posting over at Playing With Words 365!  We are talking about childhood stuttering, including information, warning signs, and things you can do at home to help!  There may even be a freebie involved!

So head on over to Katie's blog and check it out!  :)  Happy Monday (first day back to school for me)!!

August SLP Link Up :)

Laura from All Y'all Need asked us SLPs how we are getting ready for school this August.  Here's a quick post on how I've been spending my last week of freedom!  ;)

Buying:  A new car!  Yes, indeed I bought me a brand new car!  It's a fun new Rav4, and I am loving it.  I figure if I have to commute 30 minutes to work everyday, I may as well enjoy the ride!  Check me out lol!

Trying: To make freezer meals.  I got a new crock-pot recently.  One thing good about friends getting married - sometimes they get 2 of something and give you the extra.  ;) Anyway, it's really cool and has a timer and everything.   See?  

Disclaimer - This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

I'm trying to get some recipes together from pinterest (like THIS) and recipe e-books (like THIS) and make lots of freezer meals before school starts.  This way I can just put it in the crock pot in the morning, set the timer, and come home to deliciousness.  Plus, it makes meal planning super easy!  

Speeching: Decorating and organizing.   I went up to school the other day and all of my shelves, drawers, and boxes were stacked on top of my cubbies (I couldn't even reach them!).  My materials and desk items were all in total disarray and shoved on top my counters.  Gotta love summer floor waxing!  Anyway, it's been an adventure trying to rearrange and get everything down.  Hope I can get it all finished before the kids come Wednesday.  :/

How are you getting ready for back to school?  You can also head on over to All Y'all Need for more fun August links!  :)