Sparklle SLP
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A speech language pathology blog entitled speaking about remarkable kids learning language everyday!
Sparklle SLP
2y ago
I can see signs of spring and the sunshine inspires optimism. My books for the month of April share a similar theme!
Here’s the ever growing list of books I have in my April bin.
This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links.
Barnyard Fun by Maureen Wright
Stuck by Oliver Jeffers
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
Bruce's Big Storm by Ryan Higgins
Farfallina and Marcel by Holly Keller
The Umbrella by Jan Brett
Otis and the Puppy by Loren Long
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
Here’s what I target with just about EVERY book:
→Sequencing, retelling ..read more
Sparklle SLP
2y ago
I have learned NOT to enter my first week in speech without my trusted behavior support visuals. I have a whole filing cabinet drawer of visuals, one that you would get lost within, yet I have developed a few tried and true favorite visuals that make my first week and beyond a bit more successful! I'm sharing my top 4 categories of behavior support visuals. You can find the entire packet here (linked in each section below, as well).
SCHEDULES
Did you know that visual schedules help to alleviate stress and anxiety students feel about expected routines? They greatly help with comprehens ..read more
Sparklle SLP
2y ago
I gathered my back to speech routines, organized them into 5 categories, and linked some products to provide you with tips for starting the school year off right!
With over 20 years as a school-based speech language pathologist, I would like to think that after all these years I would have back to school mastered; however, there is always so much to do it’s easy to forget steps.
1. CREATE
BULLETIN BOARDS: If you are lucky enough to have a bulletin board in your speech room, fill it up with evergreen decor, perfect for the entire school year. Add some modern rustic ..read more
Sparklle SLP
3y ago
Dating way back to my undergraduate clinical experience, I learned that one way to plan therapy was to pair any skill with a favorite quick play game. I still play games in speech therapy to this day, 20 plus years later.
If you play games in speech therapy, have you ever tried using game companions? They make your planning a breeze and are perfect for mixed groups. More on that below plus a freebie.
Here is why I play games in speech therapy?
Games offer reinforcement for effort or success.
They help build rapport with peers and therapists.
Games increase participation, eng ..read more
Sparklle SLP
3y ago
Do you have a routine for starting your speech sound sessions? While I find myself mixing it up to prevent the sometimes monotonous pattern of articulation drill therapy, I do tend to be a routine therapist, at least to start.
When I first meet my kindergarten speech sound students, I need to know their stimulability for sounds. I also want to start my explicit instruction on placement techniques and pair print (letters) with sounds. I started using a speech sound warm-up board at the beginning of my sessions and I haven't stopped that routine for these youngest students on my caseload ..read more
Sparklle SLP
3y ago
This was originally posted in 2014 and updated in 2021. It includes links to FREE spring speech therapy resources! Whether spring has decided to enter your region or not, these free activities will fill your lesson plans! Thanks to all these wonderful creators for offering freebies.
Boom Cards(TM)
Picnic Interactive Book
Find & Cover Spring Mats
Bug Hunt-LAMP
Spring Garden-LAMP
Spring Categories
Spring Correct the Sentence
Find the Bird Syntax
I Spy Spring
Spring Scavenger Hunt
Spring Sensory Bin
Listening Comprehension
WH Question Spring Bingo
Articulation
Earth Day Jok ..read more
Sparklle SLP
4y ago
Have you thought about how you will use your materials for both in-person speech therapy and remote learning? Before you abandon all those loved resources, check out some ways to use what you have for varied service delivery platforms.
• Organize Your Resources
This is by far the first step in being able to use what you have whether you are face-to-face with your students or virtual. Check out this post for organizing your hands-on materials. For organizing your digital materials (both static PDFs and interactive resources), I suggest using Google Drive. Sort your resources in ..read more
Sparklle SLP
4y ago
This back to school season may have school-based SLPs looking to our medical counterparts for inspiration on navigating PPE (personal protective equipment). For many of us surrounded by ample acronyms, this one was not commonplace in our repertoire.
*Please know this post is written by an SLP practicing in the school setting with no evidenced-based research on the effectiveness of the items I suggest. This is simply a collection of my searches for items that may prove helpful and can serve as a draft list for your research, as we plan for in-person therapy in this historical time of ..read more
Sparklle SLP
4y ago
I'm not claiming to be a teletherapy expert. Like many SLPs, I just happened to be thrust into this service delivery model with no prior warning. What I learned is that virtual speech therapy is very similar to in-person therapy. Many of the same tricks will work to keep your students engaged. So, before you throw away all your habits, take a look at these 6 ways to make your sessions pleasing to your audience while still targeting communication skills!
→Use a Virtual Background
Depending on what video conferencing platform you are using, you may be able to insert a virtual background (ex ..read more
Sparklle SLP
4y ago
If you are like me, when workload tasks begin to overwhelm, I turn right to making attempts to organize (or reorganize) my spaces in order to clear the clutter from my view and hopefully my brain. Again, it is usually at these less than desirable times when deadlines are due and the clock is ticking, but nonetheless I find myself deep in the organizational trenches. So, whether you have a system for your speech therapy materials that might need a tweaking, desire a system for more efficiency, or are like me and tend to use this task to clear and propel other areas, I have a product that might ..read more