The Umbrella: Speech & Language Packet

Here is a new packet to accompany the book The Umbrella by Jan Brett.  It's very fitting right now, considering it's been pouring down rain here in south Louisiana for over a week now!  Ugh!  I'm pretty sure I've forgotten what the sun looks like.  Lol.

I'm so excited to show you this packet!  Check it out!  This one is a 60-page packet that covers speech and language skills for school-aged kids as well as preschoolers.  The combo pack contains all of the slides mentioned.

I've also separated them into school-aged and preschool-aged packets.  Both packets include the following:

• Story props - Use as visuals as you read the story or for story retell.

• Game board - Use with any of the enclosed cards. :)

• Vocabulary cards - Can be used for labeling, defining, or describing.

The packet geared toward older kids also contains:

• Detailed sequencing cards

• Comprehension question cards

• Story element cards

• Making prediction cards

• Context clues for Spanish words
• Synonym matching cards
• Regular and irregular past tense cards

Graphic organizers for:

• Summarizing
• Main idea and details
• Compare and contrast

• Articulation worksheet

• Articulation target cards for /r/ and /s/

Whew!  Now, here are the preschool components!!  :) :)

• Simple sequencing cards with sequencing board

• Function cards

• Categories: Sort the puddles onto the leaf umbrellas.  :)

• Prepositions

• Plurals

• Rhyming

• Early artic - bilabials, alveolars, velars

What do you think?  You can grab the combo pack here!  Click on these links for the preschool and school-aged separate packets.  :)

P.S.  I'll give a free copy of the combo pack to one of my blog followers that comments with their email!  I'll pick a random winner first thing tomorrow morning (Tuesday)!  :)

Tips for Teachers

Many of the teachers I work with often ask for tips or strategies that they can do in the classroom to help their language disordered students.  I always respond with a hearty "Absolutely!"  It makes me happy when teachers respect me and my profession enough to ask for my thoughts about something.

Now, obviously each child is different, and every strategy may not work for all.  However, I do have a "tip sheet" that I give to my teachers as general strategies they can use.  It's mostly to give teachers a starting point and some ideas to try, in case they aren't already doing them.  I'm in the process of developing some more in depth tip sheets broken down by different disorders.  

In the mean time, I'll just stick with this handout.  Here is what it looks like:

Maybe your teachers can use this too.  You can grab it for free HERE.  Please leave a comment if you download!  :) 

Happy Friday, everyone!  

Chain Letter Link Up!

I've been having so much fun getting to know all my bloggy friends through this chain letter link up!  A big thanks to TeachSpeech365, who came up with this brilliant idea a few weeks ago.  I was recently interviewed by Shannon over at Speechy Musings.  She is an awesome blogger, and I've enjoyed checking out her blog!  You can find my interview here.

So, today I have two lovely bloggers for you to get to know.  The first is a fabulous SLP duo that you might be familiar with...the Speech Ladies!  The second you might not be as familiar with because she is a brand-spanking new blogger!  Her name is Mia, and the name of her blog is Putting Words in Your Mouth.  I actually have the pleasure of working alongside her in my district.  Be sure and check out both of these wonderful blogs!  :)

1. Your name, email, and TpT store if you have one. 
Name: Kristina Young and Cindy Presely
E-mail: speechladiesblog@gmail.com
TpT Store: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Speech-Ladies

2. When and why did you start blogging?
Our first post was on June 13, 2011! Before then, Kristina followed a few other speeches bloggers such as, If Only I Had Super Powers, and we wanted to join the community. We had no idea that speech blogs would catch on and grow so fast! We are thrilled there are so many SLPs willing to share their activities and experiences.

3. What is your favorite population to work with?
We both love the little ones (pre-school and elementary).

4. How much time per week do you spend blogging and/or creating materials?
Well, if you follow our blog you know that we can be a little sporadic with posts. For example, last summer we had ZERO posts… guess we took summer ‘break’ very seriously! Ha! (Promise we are trying to do better!) Guess it just depends on the week! Maybe 2 hours a week on blog posts, but it takes much longer to create TpT materials.

5. What's your favorite topic to create materials for?
Hmm… artic and language concepts are what most of our materials are for. I think you can be a little more creative when making an activity for language. All of my TpT products were created out of a need for one of my students. I don’t always love the process of making something, but I always love the end result of having something new for my kiddos!

6. What's the best thing about blogging?
Getting to network with other AWESOME SLPs, Sped teachers, parents and app makers!

7. Do you have any blogging tips?
Someone once told me not to check the stats of how many hits your blog has. Do it because you like it and because you need an outlet for ideas. I think that was good advice (although I do check my stats from time to time, I try not to dwell on it).

8. What is your funniest speech moment?
When I was in undergrad, I was working with a sweet little girl. When the session was over I said “Ok! Time to go!” And she did… all over the chair and the floor. Once we got it cleaned up my supervisor looked at me and said “Well, you said it was time to go, so she did!” Ha, ha! Looking back on that story always gets me tickled. And at the end of my sessions now I say “Time to go back to class”. I have learned my lesson! ;)

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1. Your name, email, and TpT store if you have one. 

   Mia McDaniel, miamcdaniel@gmail.com, 

www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Mia-McDaniel

www.puttingwordsinyourmouthbymia.blogspot.com

2. When and why did you start blogging?

 I just JUST started On Dec. 30!!  It was my New Year Resolution.  I started because I've been practicing speech pathology for 17 years and opening my TPT store and starting a blog has reignited my passion for my profession.  It added something fun to my day to day routine.  I follow the SAME schedule everyday (as most SLPs do) and it was becoming too humdrum for my liking.  I like to have FUN and motivating with my students-  show them that they can do things they didn't think they could do and that learning can be FUN! I always share my ideas with my 2 SLP co-workers (and they share theirs!) as well as the special ed. teachers I work with, but it didn't occur to me until now that I could be sharing the fun with soooo many more people by blogging. 

3. What is your favorite population to work with?

Over the years I've worked with children age 3 to 16. I can honestly say I liked things about them all.  I LOVE working with young kids that have severe articulation disorders or apraxia. I LOVE seeing their speech transform and watching them become communicators.  The day I "graduate" those kids is an amazing day, and the parents of those children become family to me (because we've been together so long!) and they're usually so grateful.  

I love working with the few and far between voice students as well- I find that very intriguing and love applying all I learned from an AMAZING professor and mentor of mine, Dr. Amelia Hudson.  

I've COME to love 4th grade inclusion.  I used to say that I loved 2nd grade above all else, but 4th graders have a weird kind of humor that I love. 

4. How much time per week do you spend blogging and/or creating materials?

Since I just started blogging, I really don't know.  I'm very sLOOOWWWW right now but I hope to get faster.  I'd like to say I only spend a few hours per week creating materials for my TPT store- at least is FEELS like a few hours- but I am sometimes shocked when I look up at the time- time flies when I get on my computer!

5. What's your favorite topic to create materials for?

I probably prefer articulation just because the bulk of my students currently have that need and I think it's fun!  At my school, I'm on the tier 2 PBIS team (for behavior), and my dual role at my school as "lead teacher" has plunged me into the world of behavior modification and social skills training, and I have to say, I'm starting to love it. 

6. What's the best thing about blogging?

I have so many thoughts running around my head (my brain literally never stops- even when I'm sleeping- I keep a notepad in my nightstand to write things down that I think of during the night) that I think the best thing is getting some of these thoughts out of my head and onto the screen (and hopefully I will get feedback from others). My husband says I need to stop thinking so much before I use my brain all up!

7. Do you have any blogging tips?

Not yet!! but I'd love to hear everyone else's! I'm still trying to figure the whole thing out.  Typing things in my template scares the heck outta me!

8. Add a question of your choice. 

Hmmmmm.....since I'm new to blogging I would love to know if there are DOs and DON'Ts in the blogging world.  

Fluency Tools

It's Tool Time!  Ok wow...Home Improvement flashback...sorry.  These tools are for your fluency kids.  I love the concept of thinking about fluency enhancing behaviors and strategies as "tools" to help facilitate smooth speech.

Many of the activities I've created in this packet were inspired from Dr. Peter Ramig's article, "Treating the School-Age Child Who Stutters."  I highly recommend looking over this program.  He includes a 12-component treatment plan and provides detailed rationale and research for each component.  It's very convenient for applying that evidence based practice into your therapy sessions.  Plus, you'll get lots more ideas on how to treat fluency and ways to use this packet!

Anyway, check out these Fluency Tools!

Each student can sort their cards onto their speech "toolboxes."

Treatment areas this packet focuses on include:

• Fluency enhancing behaviors and stuttering modification - Students can learn different strategies that help their speech stay smooth by matching the strategy cards to its definition. 

• Types of stutters - For my older students, I like to teach them the different types of disfluent patterns.  It helps them to be able to more easily identify them in their own speech.  When we practice "easy stuttering" on purpose, it gives them something specific to try.  They match these to the definitions as well.

• Relaxation exercises - My grad school professor always had me begin each fluency session with these exercises.  I use this time to teach students about their breathing.  We practice "belly breathing" and using adequate breath support.

• Pacing strips - One of the components of Dr. Ramig's program is using a slow, controlled speaking rate.  I've found that pacing strips give my students the visual they need to slow their rate.  It's also great for practicing that pausing/chunking strategy.

• Target practice cards and carrier phrases - Another component is to gain fluency by using increasingly long stimuli.  So, start out with a single word, then gradually increase the length and complexity of the utterance.  

Word level - Kids draw a card and just name the picture on the cards. 

Phrase level - I've included carrier phrase cards (i.e. I have a...) that can be used alongside the pictures to lengthen the utterance.  Expand it even longer by adding a descriptive word (i.e. I have a red apple).

Sentence level - The student gives a description of the pictures.  You can even take turns guessing what they're describing.

• Contrast drills - Students should learn to develop self-awareness and self-monitoring, and a good way to do that is through contrast drills.  They are given a word list and practice saying the words twice - first hard and tense, then slow and easy.  Discuss what made the word hard or easy to say.

• Wild cards - Any of the above concepts can be made into a game using these "broken tools" cards.  If they draw one instead of a target card, they have to put all their cards back.

• Worksheets - Students should also develop a positive attitude toward themselves as a communicator.  There are 2 feelings worksheets - one that uses a picture and one words.  This should help give you an idea on how they feel about themselves.  I've also included a worksheet for students to draw their "speech machine." 

What do y'all think?  You can grab this packet at my TPT store HERE.  How do you work on fluency?

President's Day Speech & Language Pack

I'm trying to squeeze out some more products for the big TPT sale going on.  This is one I'm especially excited about!  It targets a variety of speech and language concepts using a fun President's Day theme!  The pictures are so cute thanks to KPMdoodles!

Use this game board to play with any of the target cards included.  It's open-ended, so you could really use it with anything.  You can actually grab it as a FREEBIE!  Just click the "download preview" button on the TPT page.

Language concepts that are included in the packet consist of:

• Main Idea (18 cards) - These are nonfiction passages about the historical people.

• Inferencing (18 cards)

• Making Predictions (18 cards)

• Compare & Contrast - There is a Venn diagram and a passage for students to locate similarities and differences.

• Grammar - he/she pronoun practice (24 cards to sort onto 2 mats)

• Grammar - is/are verb practice (24 cards to sort onto 2 mats)

• Multisyllabic flags - These can be used to practice multisyllabic words OR vocabulary (27 cards)

• Homework sheets - Open-ended coloring pages for any sound or reinforcement.

Grab this packet at my TPT store HERE!

Hurry while it's on sale! :)

What do you think?  I'm planning on doing an entire week of President themed activities with my students during the week of President's Day.  

2012 Favorites & Sale!!

I know I've only been blogging for a few months, so this does not really count as a 2012 sum up.  I just thought I'd share with you a recap of some of my freebie posts in case you missed something!

Here are my top 10 Freebies!  Click on the pictures to go to the posts!

10.  Christmas Freebies:  I Spy

9.  Christmas Freebies: Grinchy Grammar and linky party

8.  Election Day game board

7.  Parent Ed Handouts

6.  Biscuit Freebies - Halloween and Christmas!

5.  Fluency Self-Rating Form

4.  DIY Speech Cave

3.  Drop the Chicken Figurative Language - lesson and game freebies

2.  Hot Cocoa Speech

1.  Angry Birds Teach Main Idea - lesson and game freebies!  This one is by FAR my most popular.  :)

Hope some of these help you and your kiddos!  Don't forget about the TPT sale going on Jan 2-3!  20% off everything! :)