Easy speech/language decoration activities:

My students LOVE to decorate my room for the seasons.  I have found a very easy way to make this a speech/language activity.  I simply find a line-art image(s) to print out large enough (1/2-full sheet) to be written on and decorated.  For my language groups we encorporate a book or activity into the decorating.  We may write vocab words, answers, etc. onto the graphics.  For articulation we write season-themed words onto the decorations and practice them before decorating.  The decorating is only 3-5 minutes of the session because we use paint daubers to decorate.

When completed, I cut them out an put them up on my cabinet.  They love this activity and will come in to find their decoration in future sessions – I may review the items on the decoration, have them say their words again, etc.  Easy!

Finger Lights:

We all know that card decks get stale very quickly.  We spice them up with these cheap finger lights from the party favor section of Target.  (You can find them elsewhere too)  I give each student one light and they use them to point to things on the card/book, point to their answer, etc.

I have really seen an increase in participation from students during their turn as well as during other students’ turns.  They don’t need another motivator during the session when these beauts are involved.

Spinners and Tallies:

Never underestimate the simplicity of tally points.  I simply printed off this chart for my groups of students and place it into a dry erase sleeve.  After their turn, they get to spin (eliminates the pesky dice roll which takes too long) and add the points to their total.  We often have a 2-minute drill at the end where we have the first person to accurately answer getting a point and go until the session is over.  Who knew that it just takes tallies?

Friendly Competition:

In my therapy room we use several apps and articulation activities in small groups or quick individual sessions.  I selected a few of those to display record-holders on our board.  We utilize Listen Close & Missing Letter apps from Erik X. Raj, Cup Stack Challenge (how many cups they can stack from our Articulation Towers), and a 5-minute challenge.  During the 5-minute challenge a student says their words independently and we count how many correct productions are made in 5 minutes.  They are very motivated to get their names onto the board and keep them there.  And by doing this, they are motivated to say as many accurate productions of their words in short sessions!  Win-Win!

Dauber Sheets:

There are a TON of these sheets available on TpT.  General reinforcers, 100 challenge pages, etc. are great for keeping students focused and motivated.  On articulation sheets I either have them say their words as they dot them or I have them keep track of accuracy with two colors of daubers for correct and incorrect responses.  They love seeing how many they can finish in a session and when they are finished I let them hang them up for a week.

(Pictured activity from Busy Bee Speech found here)

Erasers:

Have you seen those cheap $1 packs of erasers at Target?  Grab a few packs for therapy.  We use them in many ways but one that we use a lot is as a general reinforcer.  Simply have students spin/roll after a turn and collect that many erasers as “points”.  I suggest a small bowl or container to put them in or they will likely be played with by students.  Other uses include coverings for 100 challenges if you don’t want to paint dot them, bingo chips, etc.  These can also be found on sites like Oriental Trading and Amazon.  EASY!

Motivating doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive.  It is not necessary to play games as a reinforcer.  Something simple like the motivators above will be easy to implement and will increase the motivation of your students.

HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE YOUR STUDENTS?

    One of our favorite social skill curriculums has recently gone mobile with their app: Social Detective from Social Thinking and Social Skills Builder.

When you begin, a single user may create and select their avatar. This is saved and can be used on the next time through the app.  Each area includes narration and instruction and practice items before progressing to a test with video scenes and questions.

The first section is unexpected vs. expected behaviors.  The second section is about good vs. uncomfortable thoughts.  The third section is about making smart guesses using tool box items.

I liked that this app includes video examples of familiar situations.  In the third section, you get to see what happens after the student makes a smart guess about what will happen.  It has good questions that reinforce the Social Thinking curriculum and books so it is a great companion to that for those who use it.  It would still be good discussion for those who do not use that curriculum but is most beneficial for those that do.  I like that some questions have more than one component to them to expand upon.  The videos don’t automatically progress after correct answers so that you can discuss further before the next scenario.  The narrator reads the answer choices which can be helpful (but answers are not highlighted when they are read so students may have a hard time retaining which one to select).  Finally, data is tracked on the app and there is the ability to e-mail the data!  Awesome!

I wish that this app had better sound quality in the videos.  It can be hard to hear the conversations at times.  Because you can only use one avatar at a time, you may have difficulty with tracking progress of students if they are seen in group.  However, I overcome this by having the students come up with a “team” name and avatar to utilize. When you complete all of the levels, nothing happens.  It would be nice to have a fully dressed detective with badge presented at the end or another reinforcer for the children.

Overall, this is a great app to have if you utilize the Social Thinking curriculum/materials.  I would not recommend it to be used without that material.  It would be best to use in an individual session or a session with a maximum of 2-3 students.

This app retails for $24.99 and is available at iTunes or check out more information and reviews at YappGuru!

I became an Expert App Reviewer at YappGuru almost a year ago and have loved watching more Experts join us!  So what is YappGuru and why should you care?  Well, YappGuru is a site that compiles expert reviews from trusted expert SLPs working with various populations across the world!  These reviews give you a detailed look at the app and if it is worth your hard-earned money.  Plus, you can vote up your personal favorites and in doing so, voice your opinion through the ranking system!  

The site is also great for discovering apps that would be a good addition to your tablet!  You can find apps by using a Keyword Search or by browsing categories that make sense to therapists (unlike the general “Special Ed” list provided by iTunes).  You can explore articulation apps, general reinforcers, and even OT apps for co-treatment!  It’s limitless and awesome!

 Here are the current YappGuru experts… I’m sure that you’ll recognize a few of your favorites in the group of trust-worthy reviewers!

So head over to YappGuru and register for free for the site so that you can vote up your favorite apps and take advantage of the ever-growing library of expert reviews!

So this month, YappGuru is challenging us to add new reviews during a March Madness competition. Competition is my middle name so I’m totally in!  Check out my progress and reviews by clicking the basketball!

Are there any apps that you’re curious about and would like a review for?  Comment below!

(In no particular order of course!

Articulation Test Station – $49.99

I love using this app for RtI screener, speech samples during evaluations, and progress monitoring.  It is incredibly easy to use and is always my go-to for a quick paperless evaluation/screener!  Watch for sales but it’s worth the $50, and I don’t say that easily!

Peekaboo Barn – $1.99

This is one of my favorite apps for preschool clients.  We utilize it to work on following directions, identifying animals, and labeling.  We can also talk about the animal attributes, what’s in the barn, and more.

Avokiddo Emotions – $2.99

I love to use Avokiddo emotions with a wide range of clients.  We use this with social goals to identify emotions, talk about why the character feels that way, etc.  We also use this to work on attributes, actions, describing, requesting, and so much more.  It’s a well-made and versatile app!

ArtikPix Level Plus – #29.99

This is a very versatile and clean app for articulation therapy.  I love the way it is set up and remembers settings and data between sessions.  If you work with a lot of articulation clients and/or RtI for Articulation, this app is a great investment!

aacorn – $189.99

AAC is an ever-changing area.  This app is great for some students and a great way to introduce AAC to younger children.  It learns the student and can be customized completely.  I also love that they offer free version to SLPs for therapy and trials.  Plus, of all AAC options, this is one of the best made and affordable options.  I have used this with nonverbal elementary students as well as nonverbal children under 3.  With some training, it can be utilized by most students easily.

Soundable – FREE

Sometimes you have to kick back and relax with a nerdy little SLP game.  Soundable is a great refresher for IPA and fun SLPs!  Think of it as Scrabble with IPA!  Enjoy!

Toca Kitchen Monsters – FREE

This is a great free app from Toca Boca.  As a general reinforcer, it is goal.  However, if you dig deeper you’ll find that you can do following directions (which food to pick, how to cook it, etc.), talk about attributes, vocabulary, and much more!

I Dare You Articulation – $4.99

This app has been a favorite of mine since it’s arrival in the app store.  My older articulation students love it!  We even were able to go around our school with the app and “dare” some teachers and the principal to do the dares by utilizing good speech sounds.  It was so motivating and the staff loved it!  Erik X. Raj has so many motivating articulation apps!

Real Vocabulary Pro – $29.99

I really enjoy how this app targets vocabulary learning in students K-5.  You can work on antonyms, synonyms, definitions, multiple meanings, and idioms within this app.  It also keeps data for you!  There are reinforcer games as well which is helpful for older clients!

Sentence Ninja – $19.99

Sentence ninja is a great way for students to work on grammar and syntax.  It can also be used for language and articulation carry-over.  It’s a very motivating theme for students and they enjoy working on this app during sessions.  It has built-in data tracking also.

There are so many incredible apps being added to the marketplace each day.  These 10 were my favorites of 2014 and I can’t wait to see what 2015 will bring!  I hope you’ll visit the other blogs in this linky to see which apps they loved this year!

Appy New Year!!!

]]> http://sublimespeech.com/2014/12/appy-new-year-yapp-guru-expert-linky.html/feed 3 http://sublimespeech.com/2014/09/appy-friday-sounds-at-home-by-vsc.html http://sublimespeech.com/2014/09/appy-friday-sounds-at-home-by-vsc.html#respond Fri, 19 Sep 2014 10:00:32 +0000 http://sublimespeech.com/?p=1876  

Today we take a look at Sounds at Home by Virtual Speech Center.  You can learn detailed information about the app by watching the video tutorial below.

From the start page you can easily access settings, reports, and reinforcer game along with tutorials and more.

There are some great ways to customize your sessions in the settings.  Changing the sounds and reinforcer amount are very important to me.

Students and their data are stored in app.  To begin you choose the student(s) you will work with.

This app targets Auditory Awareness, Phonemic Awareness, and Following Directions.  You can choose the areas and levels you would like to target for each client in your group.

In Auditory Awareness, clients identify the source of sounds that are heard.

Phonemic awareness tasks require the client to find rhyming words.  This takes place in the “kitchen” scene.

These screenshots above demonstrate the various levels of Following Directions.  These range from identifying objects to following simple instructions to following 2-step and temporal directions.  I found this to be the most difficult to operate.  It was difficult to get the objects exactly where the app wanted them on the screen.  The simpler levels were easy to use.

After the student completes their number of correct responses they are automatically taken to the puzzle area.  There are 3 levels of puzzles.  These are pretty easy and I wouldn’t expect any children to not be able to complete these though some may require assistance for manipulating the pieces.

Data is kept in-app and accessible at any time after completed sessions.  This is an excellent tool for staying organized and taking very specific data to the area/level.

Overall, this app from VSC is a a great addition, particularly for those working with younger clients (Pre-K through grade 3).  I have not seen many other apps targeting the areas of Auditory Awareness and Phonemic Awareness which is an area that many younger clients struggle with.  The Following Directions section is not my favorite among other apps that offer similar targets.  This app is on sale for just $4.99 in the App Store (regularly $6.99).

Here is the official App-ometer Rating:

Today we take a look at Auditory Memory Ride by Virtual Speech Center.  You can learn detailed information about the app by watching the video tutorial below.

From the start page, you can adjust settings, view reports, go straight to the reinforcer game, and more.

There are quite a few settings that can be changed to best fit your sessions.  I appreciate the ways to customize to meet specific target areas/goals for my clients.  (Never underestimate the power that changing the incorrect sound can have!)

Students and their data are kept within the app which makes it easy to keep track of progress.  You can select several students at a time which is great for groups.

There are 4 areas with 29 levels that can be targeted in this app!  Each student can work on different areas/levels in the same session with others!  You can select several areas/levels at a time as well.

During presentation of the stimulus, this “audio” image is shown.  No visuals are given which is helpful for concentrating on audio only.  Then, after the stimulus is given, the client sees a waiting period illustrated by a timer image.

After the timer image ends, the student is able to input their answer.  This differs with area/level.

As a reward, students can fly this plane through obstacles for a determined amount of time.

Data is kept in-app and accessible at any time after completed sessions.  This is an excellent tool for staying organized and taking very specific data to the area/level.

Overall, this app from VSC is a much-needed area of focus.  I have not seen other apps targeting Auditory Memory which is an area that most of my language students struggled with.  It should be noted that some of the tasks are a bit more difficult and I had the most success using this with grades 2+ but it would be possible to go lower with the right assistance.  This app is available for $19.99 in the App Store.

Here is the official App-ometer Rating:

Today we take a look at Social Norms by Virtual Speech Center.  You can learn detailed information about the app by watching the video tutorial below.

The navigation from the first page is simple and easy to get started.

I like that you can easily adjust these two important settings: Text and Audio.  This helps to customize the activity to your needs and the goals of the client.

One of the best aspects of this app is the ability to add personalized stories.  Having social stories for children that you work with is a great tool.  This app makes it easy to create and store these stories for those clients.  You can add illustrations or real photos.

There is a very extensive list of ready-made stories to use.

You can choose multiple stories to do in a single session which lessens the amount of time between each story for setup.

The stories have decently clear and nice illustrations.  The emotions are conveyed well throughout.

Each story shows that adults can help in social situations which is helpful for younger clients.

Overall, this app from VSC offers a very nice way to present, create, and store Social Stories for children.  The pre-made stories are best for younger students (Probably Pre-K through 2nd grade) but the ability to add customized stories would make this appropriate for nearly every SLP working in schools/EI.  This app is available for $9.99 in the App Store.

Here is the official App-ometer Rating:

I’m a huge advocate of making certain things easier about speech and language therapy.  One thing that has always driven me crazy is toting around oodles of paper copies of articulation screeners.  Luckily Little Bee Speech (and a few other app companies) has delivered the goods with their articulation test/screener.

Choose between Screener and Full Test, adjust settings, view information/tutorials, and see results from the start page.

 Little Bee’s Articulation Test Center offers a wide range of goodies in their comprehensive app.  It’s incredibly complete and easy to use.  If you’d like to learn more about the details of the Screener or Full Test, I suggest you take a few moments to view the video tutorials below.  This will help you to decide if this is the right tool for your iTherapy box!

Screener: Choose appropriate age/phonemes to screen, mark errors in as much detail as you’d like, record notes, etc!

In the elementary school that I last worked in, I utilized the screener portion of this app to screen RtI students.  I loved the mobility and flexibility of this app.  Plus, this screener is more motivating than the screener forms and easy to use with non-readers.  I could simply mark if a child made an error or be very specific with the type of error or substitution that was made.  I also loved the notes section where I could jot down things that happened or were noted during screening.  You all have incredible memories but we can all use a little reminder sometimes!  The notes section is perfect for this and is available throughout testing for use.

Full Test: Much like the screener – choose positions and if a sample is needed. Progress through stimulus cards.

I love how clear the stimulus photos are.  They are also great for vocabulary during testing!  You can even turn the photo to face the child with one easy click.  Perfect for sitting across from students during testing without having to turn the ipad for them and trying to mark the test upside down!

Speech Sample: These colorful scenes record the entire conversation that you have with the client. It is interactive and you can click on objects/animals throughout for prompts.

 The Full Test is also great for gathering even more information.  While this is not yet standardized, it is a great tool for progress monitoring, gathering detailed speech samples, and more.  I have also used this as a more detailed screener for RtI students.  While I could not include the results from the prompts into formal SpEd testing, I often used the speech sample portion of this test as an addition to the GFTA, etc.

Results are comprehensive and easy to utilize in reports to teachers, parents, and for your own files.

 I love the easy to use results section. Ready-made results are easy to tweak for your own reports for parents, teachers, and for student files.  I also love that recommendations for phonemes to address are given.  This makes transitioning over to Articulation Station a breeze. (yes, we used that great app too!)

Overall, this app is a must-have for SLPs using an iPad for therapy.  No, it isn’t standardized yet and some may not be able to utilize it for formal testing purposes.  However, for progress monitoring, screenings, and RtI, this app is extremely valuable!  I look forward to utilizing it with my Pre-K and EI students as well.

 Little Bee is having an incredible sale on this app right now – Take advantage of 50% off!

Only $24.99!

If you’d like to win a copy, enter below!  Enjoy this incredible Back to School Buy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

5. Other bloggers: I have the most amazing group of SLP bloggers as a support system.  I have learned, laughed, and leaned on these individuals over the last 2 1/2 years.  They are amazing and one of the main reasons that I love blogging!

4. My co-workers: Those who know about the blog and have been SO encouraging about it.  Those who have not known and have complimented the blog in my presence without knowing what it meant to me to hear those kind words.  You inspire me to create materials and write blog posts and have been the inspiration behind some of our most popular ecards (puh-tuh-kuh beat-boxing is directly linked to fun times beatboxing with my co-SLP at my last school).

3. Authors, creators, and app developers: Your trust in the reviews published on Sublime Speech has allowed me to spread the news about new materials for therapy and to utilize the materials with my own clients.  I appreciate your investment in bloggers and appreciation of our unique niche within the SLP community.

2. SLPeeps: I have met amazing SLPeeps through twitter, instagram, facebook, and other great avenues.  I now have the pleasure of working with several of them on a new project (YappGuru) and look forward to learning from them in the future.  Social media has connected us in a way that we couldn’t have done 10 years ago and I’m so glad to be an SLP during this time in technology history!

1. My “followers”/”likers”/fellow SLPs and parents!:  You are the MAIN and most IMPORTANT reason why Sublime Speech has had even an inkling of success in the blogging world.  I would never have imagined having 5 people care about this little .com but you have jumped in with me and I love creating and blogging for you and the people we serve.  I love each of you and hope to meet you in person very soon… until then, I’ll see you on facebook/twitter/instagram/etc!

Now… for our giveaway… enter below for a chance to win:

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Happy Better Hearing & Speech Month!

This is the month where SLPs shine in their knowledge of Communication!  I wanted to provide a post which better described some resources available to you during BHSM and tell you about some great products!

First, here is my BHSM Packet for 2014.  It is available at TpT for FREE!  Lots of goodies in here!

ASHA has a great site dedicated to BHSM with a lot of fun things going on this month:

Google+ Hangout – May 6, 2014, 1:30-2:30 p.m. EST

Twitter Party – May 20, 2014, Noon-1:00 p.m. EST

Instagram Contest – May 1-12, 2014

Your SLP bloggers also have some great resources for the month:

Better Hearing and Speech Month Calendar 2014 from Jenna Rayburn

Better Hearing and Speech Month 2014 Bookmarks from Big Apple Speech

Busy Bee Speech’s 2013 BHSM post has tons of goodies!

Looking for cheaper apps during BHSM?  Keep an eye out on Smart Apps for Kids for daily updates!

No matter what you do… spread the word about BHSM this month!  It’s one reason that we do what we do!

Are you on Twitter?  Then head there and check out the #BHSM tagged tweets!