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Top 10 Books that Encourage Language Development for Babies and Toddlers

April 15, 2017

Spring time in Indiana is juuuuust about officially here. Matter of a fact I’m writing this from my patio in a sweatshirt because I just can’t sit inside one second longer. The sun is out but the breeze is still cool,and my yard is to that awkward stage of not totally needing cut but also lookin’ kinda scraggly. (Mowing the lawn is one home ownership chore I don’t hate, but not yet April. Hold your horses.)

Anyway, with the onset of spring comes my niece’s birthday! Well, my first niece’s first birthday. At the start of 2016 I had no nieces (or nephews for that matter) and today I have three.  For each first holiday Eva has been in the family for I’ve given her a seasonal book, so it’s only fitting that I give her a book/s for her first birthday. However as an aunt (and a pediatric SLP) I don’t want to give just okay books, I want to give great books. As far as we know Eva doesn’t have  language delay (I only screen her every time I see her) but that doesn’t mean that reading, books, and time spent with her parents and family isn’t important. I am a firm believer that any of these books are appropriate for children developing language, delayed or not. So if you’re a mom, an aunt, an amazing friend, a pediatric SLP with a stale-feeling library, you’re in the right spot.

Alright, now that I’m done underlining text, here’s a list of my Top 10 favorite books/series (right now) for babies and toddlers in no particular order:

1.Mouse Board Books-Laura Numeroff

You may be familiar with mouse & friends from their longer “big kid” book titles like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie  or If You Give a Pig a Pancake. I love mouse books for lots of reasons but I like the repeated characters in each book, the small amount of text on each page, the pictures that portray lots of action (and therefore lots of opportunity for conversation) and the problem/solution set-up. Mouse board books are ones I can reliable grab off the shelf each time I see a new one and not even have to look inside, I just know it will be what I need.

2.Duck and Goose-Tad Hills

Oh man, Duck and Goose are my homies. These two are always up to something and encouraging a LOT of language along the way. (Bonus? They have really dry senses of humor which I totally love and appreciate.) These books always target early language skills like spatial concepts and yes/no questions to name a few without being a book solely dedicated to those concepts. Like the mouse books above, there’s typically a problem/solution situation which makes for great sequencing, re-tell and predicting opportunities for toddlers.

3. Touch and Feel-DK

These books have been around for quite some time so while they may not be new books for you, I couldn’t make this list without them. Real life pictures, minimal words and texture opportunities out the wazoo help set the stage for vocabulary, answering wh-questions, describing, and stating opinion.

4.TouchThinkLearn

I stumbled upon this books while on spring break this week  for the first time(because of course I was looking at kid’s books) and they became a quick new favorite! Good thing I’m only about 7 year behind things, huh? While on the pricier side ($13-ish on Amazon at the time of this post), these books are clean and full of bright, stimulating colors.

5.Sandra Boynton

Sandra is another one who probably doesn’t need to be listed, but I included just incase you aren’t familiar with her work. Silly stories featuring animal characters are simple (I’m looking at you, Pookie Pig) but the perfect length for a tiny attention span. She’s written several books, so this series is perfect if you’re wanting to build a library.

6.Dear Zoo

This lift-the-flap book features a repeated line (one line of text that repeats over and over again in the book, in this case “I sent him back”.) and is wonderful for animal vocabulary/noises, prediction, and toddler participation in the story.

7. Priddy Baby Books 

These are my go-to books. When I was doing early intervention I recommended them to every.single.family., and the were (almost) the only books I would take into homes. The one shown here is my particular favorite. Books are divided into categories and come in a couple of “first words” editions, too. Bonus? They use real pictures in all their books. * insert praise hands emoji*

8. Eric Carle

My man, Eric. Some of his stories can be long which make them tricky for short attention spans/short speech therapy sessions, but the pictures are engaging and the stories are classics. Enough said.

9.Your Baby’s First Word Will be Dada-Jimmy Fallon

So not only do I (really) love Jimmy Fallon, turns out his book is great for animal names and sounds, big/small, yes/no questions, and a repeated word.

10. Finger Play Book-Songs

I could talk to you all day long about why finger play songs are so dang important but just about any book you can find, and a simple Google search will tell you there are approximately a billion, that incorporates these are great for little learners. Wheels on the Bus, Old McDonald, B-I-N-G-O…you can’t go wrong, friend.

 

Any books you would add to this list? Leave me a comment and let me know!

 

**Note: at the time of this post, all books listed could be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other various book selling websites.

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Supervising a SLP Student Intern–Getting Started

January 9, 2017

So you’ve been given a graduate student intern….now what? If I’ve had this question asked of me once, I’ve had it asked a thousand times! Spring is a popular time for many school SLPs to host graduate student interns, so for the next few weeks I’ll be brining you a blog series of everything you need to know when it comes to hosting, and rocking, a student intern experience…for both of you. 🙂

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Before your student ever comes, there’s a few easy things you can do to make your transition a smooth one. Here’s a few tips–

  • Be friendly–If your future student hasn’t already, reach out to her! Send a short e-mail introducing yourself and give her a little idea of what your caseload is like. Many times graduate programs will encourage their students to take initiative and contact you first, but if that’s not the case, break the ice. You can also find out what her treatment experience has been thus far in her coursework, which will help get you into a “teacher” mindset. Trust me, it will calm her nerves and yours. A week (or so) before your student is to begin their time with you, send a more specific e-mail including your daily arrival and start times, a list of what you’d like her to bring on her first day (if anything), where to park, sign in procedures for your school, and of course a reminder to pack her lunch!
  • Be prepared— Maybe you asked for a student teacher or maybe you were assigned one. Either way, you’ll want to ready yourself, your room and your students.
    • Ready yourself–There are a ton of great  resources on Teachers Pay Teachers for SLPs supervising a graduate intern. Some of my personal favorites are this binder from Maureen, this freebie from Hallie, and this download from Carissa. No matter if you buy or create your own resource, having a “handbook” will be a huge brain-saver for you! I always include basic school information, a calendar with important dates (midterms, school release days, staff meetings), expectations for both my student and myself (more on that later!), all of my computer and copy machine passwords as you feel necessary, a building map and a space for my student to write semester goals for herself.  I also make my graduate students a separate data binder.  I do this for a couple of reasons: first, there’s just something about someone else in my data binder. My data is 90% written in “Rachel-code” and short hand I know and understand, so I don’t like the idea of someone trying to interpret it or messing with my system. (Hi, I’m Rachel and I’m super Type A about my data collection). Second, it’s a good first activity for your student. I give her a binder and data sheets that are the same as I use for congruence, but it’s a great learning activity for her to learn to not only organize a data binder, but also make her set one up logically as she gets to know my students
    • Ready your room–This is a good time for me to toss all the fall and Christmas activities  away that are still laying out ;). Taking 10 minutes to get rid of clutter will help your student learn where your resources are while she’s doing observations. If you have the space, I like to put a student desk in my room for my graduate student. This gives her a place to keep her personal items and to sit while you are at your desk. It’s a welcoming touch and I’ve had students in the past mention how much it meant to see that I had thought of them in that way.
    • Ready your students–Just as hard as it is for you to “turn over” your students for a semester, it’s a transition time for them. Especially for students with extra special needs, a “new SLP” can be a shift. I start talking about my incoming student teacher the week before she arrives. This helps my students feel more comfortable when my intern arrives and begins to do observation. When you’re used to working solo in your classroom for however long you have, you’ll be surprised what a different dynamic another person’s full-time presence can be! I also send out a parent letter 2-3 weeks before my graduate intern arrives. Your speech students are sure to go home and chat about the “new speech teacher”, and that can cause some unwanted alarm for parents. I always make the letter very positive and give them plenty of time with any questions or concerns.
  • Be confident–My first reaction to getting a student teacher was “Uh, me? What do I know?” You know PLENTY! Again, when you’re used to riding solo in your room day in and day out, having someone watch your every move can make your heart race just a bit. You are a PRO at what you do and there’s nothing better for a student to see than you do what you were made to do, flub ups and all. After all, chances are when things go awry, and they will, ( my first student’s FIRST DAY of her internship with me? A bird flew in my classroom and sat itself down on my intern’s little desk next to mine. TRUE STORY, GUYS.) she’ll never know the difference. Unless it’s a bird.  Then she might notice that.

Next week I’ll be back with tips on what to do when your student arrives, setting a plan for her time with you, and lots more goodies for getting this adventure off the ground!

 

 

 

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Grace–One Little Word 2017

December 31, 2016

Are you familiar with One Little Word? You can learn more about the official program here, but the long and short of it is that each year you chose one word to define your upcoming year. You can have it chosen for you, meditate on it, select it at random, but somehow the idea is to chose one word to define your upcoming new year.

Last year my word was “purpose” and after 2016 has come to an official close I’ll (probably) write a post about how that word shaped my year. As I began praying about my one little word for 2017, I felt like just about any word I picked would be appropriate. The last 6-ish months of 2016 were doozies for all of us, and I was no exception. However the one word I kept coming back to for my new year was “grace”, and I feel it fits in 2 ways.

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Receive

The first way that I think “grace” will fit my year in 2017 is my needing to learn to receive grace. Ephesians 2:8 says this: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and it’s not from yourselves, it is a gift from God.” I am the WORST at letting myself receive grace. I run myself ragged to be all, do all, achieve all, win all and am quick to fall pretty deep into frustration when I inevitably miss the mark. My hope is that I’ll continue to learn the power and freedom of receiving grace that I’ve done nothing to earn and to let myself be loved by my Creator for who I am.

Give
I’d be the biggest joker among us if I told you I was a pro at giving grace. Is it just me or is grace hardest to give to those people closest to us? I often find that my family and close friends are the ones I give the least amount of grace. My second prayer for 2017 is that I continue to learn and remember to give grace to others just like I’ve been given grace.

8280001_1_I recently finished Looking for Lovely by Annie F. Downs (if you haven’t read it, go pick it up so we can talk about it!) around the same time I began praying about my OLW for 2017. This was yet another place that I kept running into this word and when I decided that would be my word, I picked up this bracelet from Glory Haus here.  It’s a stunning rose gold and says “persevere” on the other side, another word I desperately need. More on that later. I’m such.a.visual.person.so I’m excited for this to join my arm of bangles to serve as a daily reminder to give, and accept, grace.

Do you do One Little Word, or something similar? I’d love to hear about the word you’ve chosen for the new year!

 

Here’s to a bright, new, shiny, grace-filled year.

 

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7 Tips for Making the Most of ASHA ’16

November 13, 2016

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I can’t believe it’s that time of year again! The leaves have changed here in Indiana, the air is a little cooler, and we’re all dreaming of Thanksgiving and Christmas (break, that is). But before that, the ASHA 2016 conference must be held! If it’s your first trip or your 10th, these are the 7 key tips I use every year to make sure my trip is the best yet.

1. Plan, Plan, Plan

ASHA is a fun time, but sometimes it can feel exhausting trying to see the sights and do all the things. Before you go plan out your sessions using the schedule of presentations you received in the mail, or use the list on ASHA’s website. Sessions can fill up fast, so try to have a “backup” session for each time slot, just incase the one you wanted is at capacity before you get there.

While you’re planning be sure to add some time in the Exhibit Hall! So many great vendors are there with lots of fun freebies and giveaways…including yours truly! 14 of my blogging besties and I will be at booth #514 in the hall with goodies of our own! I do hope you’ll stop by and grab our swag and introduce yourself! Internet friends are only more fun in real life.

We’re also hosting a super fun Meet & Greet on Thursday night where we’ll have more time to chat, including even more giveaways! (Noticing a theme here? We like giving you guys stuff.) Not sure when you can see me? Here’s a quick visual for you.

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2. Dress for Success, er, Comfort

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Comfort is KEY at a multi-day conference like ASHA. The SLP Bloggers and I will be rocking sweet matching t-shirt both days, and I’ve tossed my favorite jeans in my suitcase already. Lots of sitting and walking means it’s okay to be comfy. Don’t worry about being snazzy for other SLPs, we get it. We play on the floor, too 🙂 Tip: Add a light jacket or cardigan to carry with you. Philly is supposed to have cool temps this week, and conference rooms can be inconsistent in temps!

3. Walkin’ and Water

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Speaking of multi-day conferences, walking is INEVITABLE! Leave your heels at home–your feet will thank you on Saturday. Trust me here. I’m packing these comfy shoes, some grey sneakers, and a comfy pair of boots for these 3 days. Also, bring a water bottle. Hydration is important, and there are few things worse than sitting through a short corse thirsty.

4. Let’s Talk Tech

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ASHA is a tech-friendly conference, so make sure you don’t forget some tools! I always back an extra phone/iPad charger (I just saw one at Target today for $5). I also bring my headphones and USB charger cord and keep them all in a small zipper pencil-case to keep them from becoming tangled in the bottom of my bag. My iPad isn’t pictured here, as it was happily charging when I took this picture, but downloading session handouts from ASHA’s website and save them on your iPad in apps like iBooks, DropBox, or OneNote for quick access during presentations.

5. Keepin’ it old school

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While tech is handy, nothing is worse than being in the middle of a session when your iPad (along with all your handouts) dies, or you need to scribble down the details for dinner with your friends. I always be sure to pack a pen and a small notebook for moments just like these!

6. Eating on a budget

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Eating out 3 meals a day for 3 days can be a real downer on your budget. Here’s how I eat healthy (and in a pinch)– I pack granola bars, fruit pouches, and other “easy” snacks and light meals that I can toss into my bag or purse for the day. This way I’m saving a little cash, I have flexible meal times, and can munch when I need it.

7. Entertain Yourself

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Don’t forget travel time! If you’re flying, don’t forget to bring  a book along or download a new movie onto your iPad. This is (part of) my current “need to read” list and I’m excited to crack one open in the car!

 

That’s it! Any other tried & true tips you’ve found helpful? I’d love to read them in the comments! See you in Philly!

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TPT Back to School Sale–What’s in Your Cart? {Linky Party}

August 1, 2016

And just like that, a brand new school year is right around the corner. I love the idea of brand-new, for both me and my students. We both need fresh starts, new beginnings and more chances to work together. Call it an inkling, but I have a feeling this year is going to be the best.year.ever. And so does Teachers Pay Teachers! Monday Aug 1 and Tues Aug 2 they’re giving you the chance to stock up on some really awesome resources for the new year.  I’m teaming up with my girl Jenna to show you what I’m shopping for this week!

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Here’s what you must have from my store to get your year off right:

Editable Newsletters for Speech Therapy

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This packet has had a face lift since last year, and now contains THREE levels of customization! Running low on color print access? No problem–I always fill mine out on the first day of every month and send them via e-mail! Click here to shop.

Articulation Ask Me Target Tags

Slide1Looking to better your home program and carry over? This packet contains a sticker for every sound in every position in both color and b&w! Simply print and stick these easy visual reminders for parents teachers AND students. Click here to shop.

AAC and You–Handouts Bundle

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Introducing AAC for the first time? Have a new student with a communication device? I’ve had an awesome response from both parents and teachers from these easy informational handouts! Click here to shop.

Cut & Go Spatial Concept Books

IMG_7954I’m 90% sure every child on my caseload has a spatial concepts goal. These low-prep books are a hit in my room! Click here to shop. 

 

NOW. Wanna see what’s in MY cart? Check it out!

Articulation Binder Growing Bundles from Busy Bee Speech. I LOVE a good growing binder, and I’m excited to kick off articulation binders in my room this year! Click here to shop

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Let’s Talk Articulation Progress Trackers from A Perfect Blend. I mean the title alone is reason enough to buy them! I’m really excited about the ownership this will give my students of their artic goals. Click here to shop. 

original-2671952-1Wh-Questions with Real Pictures from Speechy Musings. My kiddos with wh-question goals just need real pictures. It’s true. Both they and I will be excited to get away from my standard set of pictures! Click here to shop

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Flip Marks Bundle from Nicole Allison. I am just all about artic carry-over this year! I can’t wait to see how this helps my kids grow! Click here to shop

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Happy Back to School 2016, friends! Whether you buy 1 or all of these things, I know your students willl have the best year ever because they have you!

Want to stay in touch? Click here to sign up for my monthly newsletter and grab some more freebies that will have you ready to roll for your first day of school!

 

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5 Great Baby Gifts to Give as an SLP

July 25, 2016

 

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It happens to all of us at some point in our lives, and I feel like my time has come. My friends are having babies. I’m pretty sure it was yesterday we were sitting around listening to Backstreet Boys and taking quizzes in magazines about what kind of lipgloss was right for us, and now we’re responsible for other human lives. Woah.

With every baby shower invitation or birth announcements I get, I find myself racking my brain for just the perfect gift. I mean, I talk and think about child development all. day. long. I should be able to give a decent baby gift, right? Turns out that can be harder than you’d think! So, I assembled this list of my 6 go-to baby gifts for you to give as an SLP, just incase your brain gets stuck like mins. I even provided Amazon Affiliate links to make your shopping a breeze.

1.Books
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Friends.Books. Just…yes. I’m pretty sure I don’t need to write a long explanation for this one, but I will, because you “get me”, but I wil because I love it. Albert Einstein said “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents”, and he wasn’t kidding. Board books in particular are great for little hands and will last long past their first year of life. I like to write a little personalized message to the child and their parents on the inside for an added touch. This link is to Moo, Baa La, La, La which is one of my favorites, but here are some more of my go-to’s:
-Anything by Sandra Boynton
-Anything by Eric Carle
–DK’s Touch and Feel Farm (or any other Touch and Feel book)
–Pat the Bunny

2.Feeder bags
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Have you seen these little feeder bags?! The new babe will have to wait a few months to use them, but when they do, the new mom will love you! Any kind of fruit (or other liquid-y food) can be placed inside and the baby is exposed to the juice and flavor without running a choking risk. Click here to shop.

3. Peek-a-blocks

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These are my all-time favorite blocks. They are not only durable and easy to stack, but come with a variety of shapes, colors and sounds on the inside that are engaging and eventually build vocabulary. Win-win! Click here to shop.
4.Mirror toys

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Around 2-ish months, a baby’s range of sight begins to grow and are more aware of the world around them. Mirror toys encourage early joint-attention, cooing, babbling and social smiling. Yay, cognitive development! Click here to shop.

5. Dangle toys

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Like mirror toys, dangle toys encourage joint-attention, as well as mouthing/oral exploration and early cause and effect skills. Click here to shop. 

 

What gifts do you give to a new baby? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

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Summer Pre-K Compensatory–week 1: Let’s Go to the Beach!

June 17, 2016

Towards the end of the school year, our district put out an e-mail call for help. The short version of the story is that our district was short SLPs this year (come be my co-worker!!), so we had to offer compensatory services. I applied for the position since it was a) right around the corner from my house, and b) a chance to hang out with preschoolers, which I don’t get to do too often. 

The Setup
The program we’re running runs 3 days a week for 3 weeks.  I have a total of 20 3,4,and 5 year olds assigned to me, along with 3 assistants. (This was a huge adjustment for this chick who is used to running solo!) One group of 10 kiddos runs for 2 hours, and the second does the same. I worked the schedule into (roughly) what’s pictured here:

Each of my awesome assistants ran a small group rotation, and I was able to pull kids one-on-one for more direct skill practice.  I gave them each a half-sheet of paper listing the targets for the activity so  we all were on the same page about structured play. 

I realize this may not be your situation, but these activities are each about 20 minutes long, so easy enough to spread out over a few weeks of theme therapy if you’re running solo. 

Our whole-group activity this week was the same every day, but established a good routine, and gave everyone a chance to get to know each other. I was anxious because in my plan book it was “empty time” but it worked out famously! Each beginning we gathered on the carpet and did a “where are you” activity that involved the kiddos moving their name from the “home” section of the whiteboard to “school” and answering “Where are you today? with “I’m at school”.Targets: Name recognition, turn-taking, wh-question, syntax/MLU, pronouns (I) 


Day 1
Our small group centers:
-Memory (from my “All You Need PreSchool: Let’s Go to the Beach” TPT packet Targets: vocabulary, same/different, articulation, short-term memory, turn-taking


-Ocean Sensory Bags

This is the one activity I didn’t get get a picture of, but I completely copied the idea from Jenna at Speech Room News (her photo). Click here to read her post. This station was a huge hit and, no, it didn’t leak everywhere. 🙂 It didn’t completely fill a 20-minute center, so a few back-up activities were used here. Targets: verbs, spatial concepts, articulation, following directions

-Beach Scenes

 (from my “All You Need PreSchool: Let’s Go to the Beach” TPT packet
For my 4 and 5-year olds, this activity could have lasted all day, but was a little dull for my 3-year olds. I cut out all the shapes and put magnet tape from the craft store on the back, and stuck them to cookie sheets from the dollar store. Perfect! They spent about half the time following directions and the other half making their own scenes. Targets: spatial concepts, following directions, vocabulary, wh-questions, articulation


Day 2

-Sand Castle Matching

I found this pin on Pinterest and couldn’t resist! A quick trip to the hardware store paired with the same cookie sheets and magnets from day 1 was all it took to bring this activity together. I cut out various shapes, placed a piece of magnet strip on the back of each piece. After I assembled it on the cookie tray, I snapped a picture and printed it out.  Then, the kiddos could either create the castle from the picture model, or place the sheet on the cookie sheet and match shapes for extra support. Targets: vocabulary, rough/smooth, same/different, big/small, following directions, spatial concepts, articulation

-Beach Ball Craft

Again, this activity was inspired from this pin I found on Pinterest.  It was a little more prep to tear the tissue paper than I planned, but it was a big hit! Targets: spatial concepts, following directions, MLU/requesting, articulation

-Ocean Cariboo

I can’t leave out my trusty Cariboo! I love this TPT packet from Rock Chalk Speech Talk. I simply put some velcro on my trusty game and voila! Targets: vocabulary, following directions, articulation, spatial concepts


Day 3

-Water Play
I can pretty much sum up this entire station by telling you these two words: bring towels. Even the youngest of our group requested to stay at this center! Targets: verbs, wet/dry, turn-taking, requesting, MLU

-Kinetic Sand

Another low-prep activity that was lots of fun! Also, cookie sheets make another appearance here to help contain mess. My name is Rachel and I love dollar cookie sheets. Targets: verbs, MLU, turn-taking, describing, articulation

-Popsicle Craft

Our third craft for the week involved a popsicle stick, some card stock cutout and foam sticker shapes. Easy! Targets: spatial concepts, following directions, MLU/requesting, articulation

Back-up activities

We used the memory activity from day 1, including the Fisher Price “Go Fish” game pictured here for time fillers, along with a big pile of ocean creature beanie babies.

(picture credit)

Our first week together was an (exhaustingly) good time. Stay tuned for next week when we do all things Zoo!

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Why I Miss School (and it’s not even officially summer)

June 2, 2016

It’s been 7 days. 7 days since I’ve seen my 85 cherubs. Since I’ve walked some of them home along with a couple other teachers a few blocks to make sure they get to the apartment complex safely. And it’s been a beautiful 7 days! 

Beautiful as in, I’ve only set an alarm once and it was for a ridiculously late time. I’ve had coffee out of a normal coffee mug and stayed in my pjs until noon (or later. Shhh). I’ve spent time snuggling my new niece, chatting with friends over long lunch and having very little “plans” to speak of. But friends, it’s happened already. I’ve already sighed the words “I miss *insert kiddo’s name here*” to Mr. Man over dinner. And now, there’s no going back.

I miss school.

NOW. Don’t get me wrong. These past 180 days were some of the most exhaustingly wonderful days, and I was cheering out the door right along with the rest of the staff on our last day. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen the coffee I’ve consumed, the paperwork I’ve swam through, and everything in between. Due to a lack of snow days (read: ZERO. NOT A SINGLE ONE) our district had this year, we’ve been blessed with 11 weeks of release from our school building and wearing a name tag lanyard on the daily. Yep, eleven. 

(mostly this ^^. My Instagram looks a lot like this)

I’ve got a summer chock full of plans. The other day a good friend asked me what I was excited for most this summer and I replied “….all of it!” because I truly am. Venturing out of my comfort zone to lead pre-k summer school speech, teaching piano lessons for the first time, witnessing some of my best friends marrying their best friends, directing vacation bible school, hitting up the TPT conference in Orlando with my blogging BFFs… Bring. it. on.

 But I miss school.

You see, for some/most/all of my kids (and the kids in our school I don’t service) school is the only constant they know. They see our faces so much more than some of their own families’, and have a reliable source for 2 out of the 3 meals they eat each day. In the Title 1 population my elementary school services, that’s a huge whoppin’ deal. There was a 4th (now 5th) grade student on my caseload who walked home next to me on the last day of school with tears racing down his cheeks. Known as a kiddo with a tough outer shell, I asked this kid what was up. “I don’t wanna go home, Ms. Jones. I don’t want summer. I wanna be here. With you guys”. Cue the tears, y’all. School is his place.

This Title 1, low income-servicing SLP misses school…but not the 4 brick walls. I miss what school stands for to these babies.

I had the awesome assignment of morning arrival duty this year where I would eat my breakfast cup of yogurt  standing in the hall and greet kids as they came into the building every morning. By day 180, this was an expected part of their day. I asked how their weekend was and they shared tiny pieces of their lives…every. day.

So now, for 11 weeks, I will miss them. I will worry over them and think of them and pray for them. I hope they have enough to eat (they probably don’t). I pray they’re safe (some of them aren’t). I hope they’re staying cool and hydrated (it’s already so hot here). I obviously hope they do their speech homework and read lots of books (they probably won’t), but first and foremost, I miss them. I miss their stories and their smiles and knowing that, for at least 8 hours a day, they were in a building where they were fed and loved and had what they needed, if only for the time being.

The controller in me needs to “let it go”(HA!) because they’re not my biological children and they’re probably fine. In their sub-culture, they stick together and care for each other like a family, blood relation or no. But the mushy part of me will think of them, each of them, and drive just a little slower when I pass their apartment complex to see if I can catch a glimpse of them on the basketball court. And I’ll carefully and mindfully write their names on new data sheets in August and I WILL soak up every second of these fast 11 weeks. 

And then I’ll get ready to do this…all of this…all over again.

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10 Great Gifts for the new SLP Graduate

May 4, 2016

Think back. Think waaayyyyy back. Remember the month of May, right before graduation? You were both exhausted and excited all at once. Fumbling with that awkward Masters hood (really, who invented that. WHO. Call me–we need to talk) Maybe you had a job lined up, maybe you (still) had no clue what you wanted to do.

Now that we’ve crossed to “the other side” of that season of our lives, you and I get to welcome other awesome graduates into our profession. Whether it’s an friend, student intern, or your own relative graduating  and joining our profession this year, here’s a list of great gifts for a new grad that’s sure to fit any budget. 

Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Certificate

We all remember starting out with NOTHING-no materials, no resources, nada. TPT giftcards range from $5-$500 and let your new grad pick what they want!

Click here to shop


iTunes Giftcard

Like a TPT gift card, an iTunes gift card lets your grad pick her prize. Music, therapy apps, or everything inbetween, this gift is always a hit!

Click here to shop


Alex & Ani Bracelet

Alex & Ani bangle bracelets are a current fashion trend and make a great gift for your classy graduate! These two charms, the apple and the hadn in hand, lean most towards our profession.

Click here and here to shop






Tote Bag

I loved few things more than my tote bag my first year working (and I still do!) You can find these multiple places , but this is the one I used my CF year when I worked in 3 schools and it was great. Note: my bag now is much somewhat smaller .

Peachie Speechie Apparel

Meredith at the Peachie Speechie makes some of the cutest SLP swag around. Anything with the title “SLP” on it is sure to be a hit! (These are two of my personal favs)

Click here to shop





Personalized Clipboard
Again, anything with your lovely grad’s brand new title is sure to be a winning gift. Also, can you tell me one SLP setting that you can’t use a good clipboard? Lots of these are available on websites such as Etsy.

Here’s a link to this particular clipboard


Laminator/Printer

It sounds ridiculous to say, but I’m not sure how I survived before my laminator and printer. They save me so much time and effort! The laminator can be found on Amazon or at your local Wal-mart, office supply store, etc. Same goes for the printer, although it’s a big higher price point. If you get a printer, grab an HP printer with Instant Ink! You’ll be the best gift giver of all time. Promise. 

Shop laminators here and printers here.


Coffee

But really. Anything that has to do with coffee, smells like coffee, has ever been around coffee is a great gift. 


Great Pens

See my notes on coffee, and then change the word to “pen”. Again–they’re perfect for every setting, and there’s nothing worse than needing to take data with a dried out, crummy pen! These are my current favs–check them out here and here


Audiograph Print

I love this gift! It makes perfect work or home office decor, and is just nerdy enough to make any brand-new SLP’s heart pitter-patter. 

Grab it here on Etsy. 

What great gift did you get when you became an SLP, or what have you given that’s been a big hit? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

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How to find assistive technology loans in your state

April 20, 2016

Let’s be honest–finding assistive technology that works with any of our students with more involved needs can be intimidating, let alone pricey! Communication devices can come with astronomical price tags. What’s more nerve-wrecking than hoping that you’ve selected JUST the right technology for a child?! What about a child who needs adaptive switches, or switch-operated toys?! Those things just don’t grow on trees!
I’ve probably said almost every one of those phrases, and so have a lot of my colleagues. Fear not. Each of the 50 states offer assistive technology loan programs, and some even offer trial runs of products that are very much like a “try for awhile before you buy” system. (Can we have that system set up with shoes? Just a thought. Someone make that happen!) Psstt–assistive technology includes communication devices!
Here’s a list of assistive technology loaner/trial programs I’ve found for each of the 50 states. I use this system quite often in my outpatient/early intervention positions, and it’s been an absolute life-saver. I’ve used it to just try a device, grab a piece of tech that I didn’t have access to, or use it as a hands-on demonstration to improve parent buy-in. If you’re school-based only, you can still use these resources. Just remember–state laws can be really finicky about suggesting parents rent/trial assistive technology, so know your state and district’s policy. And if you rent/loan/trial a piece of equipment yourself, you’re financially responsible!
Simply find your state listed below and copy/paste the link into a new browser to start perusing what your state has to offer! [This is list is current as of 4/19/2016]
Alabama –https://al.at4all.com/
Alaska –https://catalog.aktradingpost.org/welcome.aspx
Arizona —http://aztap.org/
Arkansas –https://equipment.ar-ican.org/
California –https://exchange.abilitytools.org/
Colorado –http://www.swaaac.com/LoanBank.html
Connecticut –http://www.eastconn.org/index.php/assistive-technology-lending-library
Delaware–http://www.dati.org/loan/search_inventory_new.php
Florida –https://www.faast.org/programs/device-loans/search
Georgia–http://www.gatfl.gatech.edu/
Hawaii–http://www.atrc.org/Try-AT/Device-Lending
Idaho–https://www.idaho.at4all.com/welcome.aspx
Illinois– http://www.iltech.org/deviceloan/SearchInventory.aspx
Indiana –https://www.indata.at4all.com/
Iowa–http://search.iowacompass.org/
Kansas–http://atk-kee.org/loan/search_inventory.php
Kentucky –https://katsnet.at4all.com/
Louisiana –https://www.disability.gov/resource/louisiana-assistive-technology-access-network-latan/
Maine –http://mainecite.org/devices-for-loan/
Maryland –http://mdod.maryland.gov/mdtap/Documents/Loan%20Closet%20Directory%202015.pdf
Massachusetts –http://www.easterseals.com/ma/our-programs/assistive-technology/loan-programs.html
Michigan –http://mits.cenmi.org/LendingLibrary.aspx
Minnesota –http://server.admin.state.mn.us/star/device.html
Mississippi –https://www.myatprogram.org/?State=28
Missouri –http://at.mo.gov/device-loan/etc-catalog.html
Montana–http://montech.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/mtdb/index.asp
Nebraska –https://www.at4all.com/
Nevada –https://natrc15.wordpress.com/assistive-technology-loan-library/
New Hampshire –http://www.iod.unh.edu/priorityareas/assistivetechnology/Services/DemonstrationsandLoans.aspx
New Jersey –http://www.assistivetechnologycenter.org/technology-lending-center
New Mexico–http://www.tap.gcd.state.nm.us/assistive-bank-of-loan-equipment-device-loan-program-able/
New York–https://www.justicecenter.ny.gov/services-supports/assistive-technology-traid/traid-in-eep
North Carolina–http://www.ncexchangepost.org/items_available.php
North Dakota –http://ndipat.org/
Ohio–https://atohio.engineering.osu.edu/device-lending-library
Oklahoma–http://www.theoatc.org/
Oregon–http://www.douglasesd.k12.or.us/otap
Pennsylvania    http://www.ioddev.org/search_inventory.php
Rhode Island http://www.atap.ri.gov/
South Carolina http://scatp.med.sc.edu/
South Dakota https://www.sd.at4all.com/
Tennessee http://tacnashville.org/services/
Texas http://tatp.edb.utexas.edu/
Utah http://www.uatpat.org/atlab/
Vermont http://www.atp.vt.gov/
Virginia http://www.vats.org/Default.htm
Washington http://washingtonaccessfund.org/
West Virginia http://wvats.cedwvu.org/
Wisconsin https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/disabilities/wistech/index.htm
Wyoming  http://www.uwyo.edu/wind/nimas/index.html
Have a resource or website you love in your state that I didn’t list? Leave it in the comments or e-mail me and I’ll add it to the list right away!

If you’re looking for helpful handouts to use with teachers/parents to help reinforce AAC-related information, be sure to check out these resource handouts in my Teachers Pay Teachers store! (click the picture/text to download)
AAC & You-Single Handout for Parents (FREE!)
AAC & You–Handouts for Parents & Caregivers
AAC & You-Handouts for Teachers
Happy tech-ing!

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Let's Talk Speech Therapy shared Gerry Brooks's video.

4 months ago

Let's Talk Speech Therapy

All day every day, am I right? 😂

Gerry Brooks
A window into our world - Sound boxes....

Please on YouTube at least one time here: youtu.be/qjr4_kH7sMs

Instagram: gerrybrooksprin
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Let's Talk Speech Therapy shared Little Bee Speech's post.

6 months ago

Let's Talk Speech Therapy

I love using Articulation Station (Little Bee Speech) with my Pre-K thru 5th grade students! I'll be snagging Little Stories during the sale.Our Back to School App Sale starts Tuesday, Aug. 21st! The following apps from Little Bee Speech will be 40% OFF:

- Articulation Station Pro
- Articulation Station Pro Español
- Articulation Test Center Pro
- Little Stories Pro
- All "Upgrade to Pro" options in the free apps will be on sale too!

These apps are only available on the Apple App Store. This is a 3-DAY SALE (Aug. 21 - Aug. 23) so mark your calendars and here's to a wonderful back to school season! 🐝
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Let's Talk Speech Therapy

6 months ago

Let's Talk Speech Therapy

I’m so exctied to be presenting at the SLP Summit tomorrow! 🎉
..
My course had a small title change...just know we’re going to talk all things huge caseloads (mine usually hangs out in the mid-high 90s 😳) and how to not lose your mind. I’m gonna give away stuff and my dogs will more than likely make an uninvited cameo 🐶... it’s gonna be so.fun.
..
The link to register FO FREE is in the comments , or to catch the replay for CEUs until Aug 23: Will I see you there?! #slpsummit2018
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Let's Talk Speech Therapy shared In The Know Parents's video.

6 months ago

Let's Talk Speech Therapy

In The Know Parents
Children with disabilities now have a clothing line at Target fully dedicated to them 👖
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Let's Talk Speech Therapy shared Hold My Words's post.

8 months ago

Let's Talk Speech Therapy

“It’s goal is connection”. 🙌🏼
Such an important AAC skill to remember (and even sweeter story💕)!The dental hygienist opened a drawer and commented that she had bubble gum or strawberry flavored toothpaste. Many kids would have shouted out their preference. Nathaniel experiences a lot of stress in medical situations like this; he was barely hanging on to his bravery. He was focused on tolerating the eye protection and paper bib. He wasn't reaching for his device to respond. She turned to me and said, "Which do you think he would want?"

Nope.

Not my choice.

Picking the toothpaste flavor at a dental appointment offers a small opportunity to control your own medical care. It offers an opportunity to be heard. Having control and feeling heard increases cooperation.

But fear was visually bubbling to the surface. Moving on quickly was likely the best way to ease Nathaniel's tension. It was the wrong time to hand him his talker with a trite "use your words" command. Remembering the flavors she had offered, the motor plans to find each word, and actually make a choice was likely too much.

I responded, simultaneously instructing the hygienist, simplifying the communication challenge, and prompting Nathaniel. "Hold up one in each hand and tell him the flavors. He can point."

Nathaniel had his best ever dental check up yesterday. We've been working hard on healing his medical fears and the trauma medical experiences have produced in the past. Our tool is communication before, during, and after the experiences. We cannot complicate healing by making that communication a test in device use. Augmented Alternative Communication is not only device use. It is simply communication. In all forms. Its goal is connection.

Strawberry.

He picked strawberry. She said, "That's my favorite too," and they both smiled.
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