In this post, I’ll talk about one of my most-utilized SLP tools, Story Champs.  Narrative structures and the ability for students to comprehend and retell stories is very important to their education.  This tool can be very helpful for this skill.  Read on!

What is Story Champs?

Story Champs is a multi-tiered language curriculum that is easy to implement, fast-paced, and powerful. The curriculum targets story structure and complex language features necessary for understanding and producing oral and written language that children need for academic success. Story Champs aligns with the Common Core State Standards and provides schools with the tools necessary to strategically and systematically focus on language.  To find out all of the intervention tool’s specifics, check out their website or these videos that Language Dynamics put together to demonstrate the product in use… take a look:

While they offer a bilingual edition, I will be discussing my use of the English Story Champs 2.0 in this review.

What Story Champs offers – Quick & Dirty:

• RESEARCH-BASED!  Over 20 feasibility and experimental studies have been completed. Here is a Research Synopsis
• Use as young as Pre-K.
• Skills Developed Through Story Champs
  • Listening comprehension/Reading comprehension
  • Answering questions about stories and information
  • Vocabulary & Learning vocabulary from context
  • Complex syntax
  • Oral narrative retelling, personal generation, fictional generation
  • Written narrative retelling, personal generation, fictional generation
  • Information oral retelling & writing
  • Domain knowledge
  • Problem solving
  • Social and emotional aptitude
  • Memory
• Ability to use in large groups, small groups, and individual intervention
• Lesson length of 15-45 minutes
• Designed for use within RtI/MTSS frameworks
• Ideally, a classroom teacher uses the large group lessons while a special educator (e.g., SLP, SpEd teacher)/literacy specialist/paraeducator delivers small group or individual lessons
• In many studies, the dose of Story Champs intervention was small (e.g., only 2X/week for 10 weeks), suggesting that this is a powerful intervention capable of producing robust effects in a short amount time.

Included in the kit (Spoiler alert… it’s EVERYTHING in the picture:

• 12 Classic Stories
  • LEVEL A: basic story structure & LEVEL B: enhanced story structure
• 12 Blitz Stories
  • LEVEL A & B: vocabulary words; vocabulary words from context
  • LEVEL C: causal connections (because, so that)
  • LEVEL D: temporal connections (after, when)
  • LEVEL E: modifiers (adverbs, adjectives)
  • LEVEL F: causal and temporal connections
  • LEVEL G: causal connections and modifiers
  • LEVEL H: temporal connections and modifiers
  • LEVEL I: causal connections, temporal connections and modifiers
  • LEVEL J: advanced story structure
• Illustration Cards (Blackline with some color)
• Icons (color)
• Champ Checks (use with dry-erase markers)
• Story Starter Cards
• Story Games for Small Groups
• Flash Drive
  • Manual and Master Lesson Plans
  • Digital Presentation
  • Printable Files
    • Take Home Activities
    • Classroom Center Activities
    • Story Writing Organizers
    • Info Writing Organizers
    • Pattern Blocks
    • Information Notes
    • Word Journals
    • Spot the Sparkle Posters

How I use it:

I currently work with a population of students coming from lower SES homes, and many are ELL students.  I have found that my students lack narrative skills and struggle with reading/listening comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, etc.  These skills make it difficult for them to fully access the curriculum.  I have been utilizing Story Champs with my students, K-5, for the end of last school year and the beginning of this year within therapy sessions, typically 1X/week.  We cover 1-2 stories during our time, depending on the skills we are targeting and the student performance.  I utilize the curriculum to target vocabulary, comprehension, retell, and other skills.

What works for us:

This curriculum has been great for my students.  The illustrations are simple and not too busy for them to “digest”.  They are able to see the characters and elements of the story.  The symbols used for each story element is carried throughout the materials and make it easy for students to comprehend the elements and what each means.  We also love the varying activities and printables that can be used with the curriculum. I love how easy the curriculum is to follow.  It’s not complicated and I can pull the intervention box out and use it with zero prep!  My students have not become bored yet with the curriculum because we are able to spice up each lesson with a different game or activity that keeps it fresh.  We have also been able to use many of the manipulatives with other stories we read (books, textbooks, etc.) or videos we watch (e.g. brainpop, flocabulary, etc.).

Suggestions for Improvement:

I love the popsicle sticks manipulative and we use them so much that the icons (stickers) have begun to fade.  I would love extra sheets of stickers and/or more durable material for this part of the product.  Some clearer labeling on the various manipulatives/supplies would help me pick them out faster.  Sometimes I forget what the name of each manipulative is and struggle to find the right one(s) for a lesson.  Of course we would love the ability to buy more stories if we happen to really get through all levels of the current ones.

Is it worth it?

Definitely!  Although it may be difficult to swallow the initial price point of $298, I believe that it is a great investment.  Why is it worth it?  First of all, most materials/tools that SLPs invest in are not proven to be research-based as this tool is.  I can also say that I have not purchased another tool that I have been able to use in individual and group therapy each week, while seeing great results, without my students getting bored.  As SLPs are becoming more involved in RtI, this curriculum is a great resource as it allows for group work as well as individual (my other tools do not allow for this).

Story Champs is a great Tool for SLPs, all school staff involved in RtI, and Speech/Language Therapy sessions targeting multiple goals. I hope this little knowledge party (aka review) was helpful to you.  If you have other questions/comments, add them below!

To kick us off, I’ll talk about one of my all-time favorite SLP tools, SLP Toolkit (aptly named, eh?).  When I first met “Tool” and “Kit” (Sarah and Lisa being their given names) I loved their energy and after seeing their product was even more impressed.  I was not sure how much I would use the Toolkit but after over a semester of using it, I’m sure I’d would never like to go back!  Read on!

What is SLP Toolkit?

To find out all of the sweet specifics, check out their website or this video that SLP Toolkit put together which covers so much about the product… they do it much better than I could, so take a look:

SLP Toolkit Intro Video from SLP Toolkit on Vimeo.

What SLP Toolkit offers – Quick & Dirty:

• Present Level Assessments: Quick, thorough screening tools to assess a student’s strengths and needs.
• Progress Monitoring Tools: Criterion Referenced Tests and rubrics for a variety of speech and language skills.
• Goals: Measurable and customizable goals for targeted skills, levels of cueing, criteria for mastery, assessment methods, and assessment frequency.
• Caseload Management: Sortable record of your students’ demographics, IEP/Evaluation dates, service times, and treatment areas.
• Strategies: Tips to enhance speech and language skills. Used as accommodations in a student’s IEP.
• Daily Data option.
• Scheduling Tool.
• Ability to send student files to other SLPs using SLP Toolkit.
• Storage of all paperless information on a HIPAA-compliant server.

How I WANTED to use it:

You know SLPs, I wanted to use it with 100% of my caseload on minute number one of walking back into my therapy room after signing up.  I wanted to get present level assessments on EVERY student immediately.  I wanted to add their goals and accommodations into their profiles and have the information in there to utilize seamlessly and right away.  I wanted an A+ in SLP Toolkit… but in reality I probably got a C in my first semester…

How I ACTUALLY used it:

I began using SLP Toolkit in December of last year.  I definitely can’t wait to start using it at the beginning of a year instead of mid-year as it will give me some time to update levels, integrate new students into the caseload, etc.  Some of the main features I used SLP Toolkit for in my first semester using it were:

• the goals
• progress monitoring
• present level assessments.  (I sort of have a crush on the present level assessments.)

I used the present level assessments for a few things including annual IEPs and initial evaluations.  I loved these for those tricky little nuggets who have scores and skills all over the place.  When there is no cut and dry goal, SLP Toolkit helps me to identify skill areas that students are most lacking and what may be most impacting their access to the curriculum.  While I do not use Toolkit to qualify students, it is often what I use for RtI or as additional informal information that can be included in the evaluation and/or IEP.  I was able to utilize the strengths/ weaknesses from these in IEPs and then in writing goals.  I was also able to write very specific and clear goals based on present level assessments and progress monitoring.  I felt very comfortable and prepared in my IEP meetings.  Recently, after they added some great updates, a coworker was able to send me the “file” of a student who is moving from her school to mine!  In a district with as many transient students, this is an incredible resource!

How I WILL use it this year:

Like I said above, I am so excited to use this from day one this year.  I will have all students in my caseload and can add new students.  I will be utilizing the scheduling tool to make those first 46 drafts of my therapy schedule a bit easier to navigate.  I can also utilize the sharing feature to send the files to SLPs in my district to start their year off well!  I’m excited to use more progress monitoring for my students from last year and to share more beneficial strategies and tips with classroom teachers and parents as well this year!

Is it worth it?

Yes, yep, duh, of course, why not, oh yeah!  Why is it worth it?  It makes me more confident, organized, and diligent.  It makes it EASY to be good at progress monitoring and writing great IEPs and Evals!  If I was a new SLP I would spend almost everyday hugging my computer if I had SLP Toolkit (Great graduation present for new grads!).  But… you should probably just check it out for yourself.  You are able to sign up for a free trial where you have access for 5 clients so you can dig in and see if it is right for you.

You can also use this sweet code, SUBLIME17, to get 1 FREE MONTH OF FULL ACCESS or $19 off of an annual subscription!  So go on with your bad SLP self and sign up!

You can also catch Sarah and Lisa of SLP Toolkit when they present their FREE course “5 Mistakes to Avoid in Data Collection” at the upcoming SLP Summit!

SLP Toolkit is a great Tool for SLPs and Speech/Language Therapy… I hope this little lovefest (aka review) was helpful to you.  If you have other questions/comments, add them below and/or contact SLP Toolkit!

To start off the month, I would like to give you a sneak peak into The Hanen Centre‘s great booklet series called Make Play R.O.C.K and give you a chance to win a set (see below)!  These booklets are designed to for parents (and therapists) to assist young children with autism who have difficulty learning to play.  This great series of booklets (50-80 pages each) give parents and clinicians practical, research-based strategies for helping children expand their play skills through everyday activities!

Because play skills have been linked to the development of skills such as language, vocabulary, social skills, and problem-solving, it is an incredibly important part of a child’s life.  As a therapist, particularly when I was providing early intervention and Pre-K services, it was important to empower parents to be their child’s therapist in many ways.  They spend the most amount of time with their children.  However, I always found that teaching parents how to play with their children in a beneficial way was always a surprisingly difficult task.  These booklets could be very helpful for this purpose.

Booklet 1: Plan for People Play

This booklet discusses ideas for building a child’s interaction and communication skills by playing games that focus on interaction over toys.  I love the language that this, and the other booklets are written in – so parent-friendly!  This booklet has a nice “People Play Interaction Checklist” which help parents to identify what their children can already do and what next steps will be.  The booklet also discusses Hanen’s “O.W.L.” technique (Observe Wait Listen) to help parents interact in the most beneficial ways.  It also introduces the Repeat, Offer opportunities, Cue, and Keep techniques which make up the R.O.C.K. method.  It gives great examples of what this method would look like.  Additionally, the book references the sensory needs of young children with autism.  Finally, it begins to walk parents through some games at each stage of play.  The booklet also includes a “People Game Plan” for parents to develop a plan for their children.

Booklet 2: Take Out the Toys

In the second booklet, toy play skills are discussed.  This booklet discusses typical toy stages for children and how children with ASD may differ in their development.  Again, this booklet includes a “What’s My Play Style” quiz to assist parents in parents in finding their style of play and adjusting as needed to help their child.  The booklet then gives incredibly parent-friendly tips on facilitating play.  I always found myself giving these tips to parents during sessions and modeling it.  I think this would have been a very nice supplement to my sessions for parents to continue the work during the week.  Another section of the booklet discusses next steps for play.  Parents determine how their children currently play and what next steps for them are.  There are also great suggestions for types of toys to help facilitate the acquisition of certain toy skills.  Finally, the booklet discusses ways to R.O.C.K. the child’s play and examples of that before concluding with a “Toy Play Plan” for parents to complete.

Booklet 3: Put Pretending into Your Child’s Play

This booklet builds upon the previous booklets, or stands alone, as a resource to help parents expand their child’s pretend play skills during everyday activities.  This booklet begins by discussing pretend play and the importance of those skills, sequence of pretend play development, and how pretend play may differ in children on the autism spectrum.  The booklet then discusses next steps, including a mini checklist of for parents to determine how their child plays and what steps would be next for their play style/skills.  There is also a checklist for parents to determine what their play style with their children is and ways to adjust those styles to benefit their children.  Like the other booklets, this discusses R.O.C.K. and examples of implementing that technique.  The booklet wraps up with a “Pretend Play Plan” for parents to complete.

Overall, these booklets are an incredible resource for parents and for clinicians.  I found the parent-friendly language and progression to be very easy to follow.  I could see these being used by parents of children with autism as well as children with general developmental delays.  The complete set sells for $42 (before taxes and shipping).  I feel that this price is fair for the amount of information received in these booklets.  It would make a practical addition to the libraries of clinicians working in Early Intervention and Pre-K as well.

Now, to our giveaway from Hanen… Enter below!  But don’t worry, everybody is a winner with their Autism Awareness Month coupon codes – Save on More Than Words, TalkAbility and the Make Play ROCK booklets with “AAM2017” on their Teaching Tuning In, Coaching Parents in How to Play or Starting Early e-Seminars with “AAMSEM17”.

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About The Hanen Centre:  Founded more than 35 years ago, The Hanen Centre is a Canadian charitable organization with a global reach. Their mission is to provide parents, caregivers, early childhood educators and speech-language pathologists with the knowledge and training they need to help young children develop the best possible language, social and literacy skills. This includes children with or at risk of language delays and those with developmental challenges such as Autism Spectrum Disorder.  They fulfill their mission by:

    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!

Everyday Speech, a company which has previously released the iPad apps “Let’s Be Social”, “Let’s Use Language”, and “Let’s Learn Emotions”, has now released 36 Social Skills videos written by Brittany Lehane, CCC-SLP, an ASHA-certified SLP.  These videos include:

I have had the privilege of previewing several of these videos so that I may discuss them with you!  First, I love that the videos are labeled by topic!  I also like that they explain the problem and go over the definition of terms that may be unfamiliar before beginning the video.  They then show a video of the situation going poorly.  Then, you get a peek into the characters’ minds to see what they’re thinking!  Feelings are discussed as  well.  Then a few discussion questions are listed and you can easily pause the video for student feedback before continuing.  Finally, a situation going well is shown which is a great use of peer/video modeling.

Explaining

Feelings

Learning

Thoughts

Young Group

Older Group

Overall, the videos that I previewed were great.  I see these videos being beneficial for a variety of students and a wide range of ages.  Even middle and high school aged students would benefit from watching older group videos.  These videos would be a great companion to many of the other Social Skills products and curriculums that are available.  While the terminology is not exactly the same, the concepts are similar enough that they would be extremely useful.  Plus, these videos can be viewed on your computer, iPad/iPhone, Android, etc.!  The uniquely SLP approach to the creation of these videos will be appreciated by therapists and their clients.

If you would like to purchase the rights to the 36 published videos at 50% off, consider the bundle which is a complete collection.  You can click here and use the promo code “sublimespeech” to receive this bundle for only $35!  Enjoy!

Recently, I had the opportunity to look over a new assessment: Kindergarten Language Benchmark Assessment (KLBA) which can easily be administered in 3 to 4 minutes during universal screenings of Kindergarteners.  It can also be used for monitoring growth over the school year.

Materials included in KLBA.

The KLBA assesses four areas correlated to future reading success and academic skills:

Auditory Comprehension: Student’s ability to ask and answer questions.

Following Directions: Ability to listen and follow directions.

Categories: Vocabulary (expressive and receptive) through category questions.

Narrative Language: Comprehension and Language abilities through narrative prompts.

Record form: Same to be used for 3 quarters in Kindergarten.

Overall, I found that this was very easy to administer.  I was able to quickly move through the stimulus items and score during testing.  After administering, students are compared to peers in their school, not national norms.  This makes it a great tool for school-based RtI guidance.  It allows you to see which Kindergarteners need additional assistance to catch up with their peers in these skill areas.

For example, if Student A scores within the top 75% of the Kindergarten class, they continue with Tier 1 intervention.  If Student B and C score in the bottom 25% they are moved to Tier 2.  At the next screening Student B is demonstrating growth so they will stay at Tier 2.  However, Student C is not demonstrating growth so they will be moved to Tier 3.  For more Check out this great handout.

Another look at included materials.

Scoring practice is GREAT for prepping and to answer questions during scoring.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this to SLPs using the RtI model for Language and who are interested in school-wide and/or district-wide Kindergarten screenings that can be used for progress monitoring as well.

For more information, check out the KLBA site including their blog.

For another great review of this, check out Crazy Speech World‘s thoughts on her blog!

Thank you to Naomi R. Konikoff, M.S., CCC-SLP and Jennifer Preschern, M.A., CCC-SLP for the invitation to review this new assessment.