1 – Story Champs Intervention

I utilize Story Champs with so many of my students.  I wrote a review of it last year as well that you can view here.  Story Champs is flexible and I’ve seen really good growth from utilizing it.  In my mixed language/articulation groups, I’m able to target story grammar, vocabulary, articulation, and more with this tool.  There is also a Spanish Bilingual version available now.

Cost: $298.00

2 – iPad/Apps

I’ll just get this out of the way here.  I do utilize my iPad and apps frequently as therapy tools.  My iPad is much easier to take around to my quick artic sessions, screenings, etc. than a pile of artic cards or paper screeners.  I utilize it in various ways as well, using apps that aren’t solely for therapy as well.  I will say that we don’t ALWAYS use the iPad and I never let my students just “play” on it (unless they’ve earned free time after an assessment).  I typically sit next to them when we use it and I always hold it and have control in the session.  There are many great apps out there that can unleash your creativity as a clinician and apply speech/language skills in a different way.  I would recommend attending the upcoming XceptionalED Special Apps Update conference if you are interested in learning more.

Cost: iPad $329-1149  Apps: Vary $0-90

3 – Books

We use books constantly in therapy.  They are wonderful for mixed groups, themes, etc.  I typically find my books at thrift stores because they are so affordable there.  Occasionally I splurge on new literature.  There are so many great books that I won’t be naming them.  However – here are a few great lists by some of my favorite bloggers: Crazy Speech World; Speechy Musings Book Lists by Speech Sound and Books for Teaching Story Grammar in Speech Therapy; The Speech Space; etc.

Cost: $0.50-$20

4 – Super Duper

Honestly, for the most part I have moved away from the games and card decks from companies like Super Duper.  However, there are a few products that are flexible enough to be used for many goals and groups.  These are the products I pull on occasion to target 4-5 different goals in a session: “WH” Chipper Chat; Pirate Talk, What Do You Say…What Do You Do… At School?; The Question Challenge Card Game; Turtle Talk Fluency and Language Game

Cost: $55-70

5 – Board Games

We don’t play a lot of games but when we do, they address goals!  Now, I preface this by saying that most of these will need some adaptations made to make it work in therapy.  But that’s why we do the therapy and the material doesn’t do it.  Some of my favorites include Hedbanz, Blurt, 5 Second Rule Jr, Riddle Moo This, and others.  Again, I hunt thrift stores for these as I would much rather spend $3 on a gently used game than $15 on a new one.

Cost: $12-20

6 – Teachers Pay Teachers

I would be lying if I didn’t say that I utilize many wonderful materials from TpT.  Not everything on TpT is created equal and I highly suggest reading information and reviews carefully.  Also look for any information about the use of the product from the seller or others.  Some of my go-to resources include Editable SLP Assessment Templates; Cycles for Phonology Toolkit; Grab N’ Go “WH” Questions; Nyms-O; Nonfiction Texts Targeting Articulation and Language

Cost: $3-30

7 – Your School Campus

There is no reason to keep yourself inside the therapy room at all times.  Get out of there!  Within your school and on your campus are great opportunities for language and articulation.  We have done attribute searches (find something red, find something square), sound walks (find your articulation sound), and more.  Some of our favorite places to visit are bulletin boards, the playground, and my administrators (we like to ask them questions or tell them stories using our good articulation for example).  A big part of our job is moving the skills we work on from isolation into the general education environment.  These structured therapy times outside of the speech room can do just this.

Cost: Free

8 – Maps

A lot of my students have not been outside of the city they are growing up in.  They may travel to a nearby state or to Mexico to visit family occasionally.  We like to use maps – the bigger, the better – in my speech room.  We can use these to plan a road trip and read about/discuss attractions along the way.  We can hunt for cities that have their speech sound in the name.  We can talk about what we see around a place on the map (river, highway, city, park, etc.).  Maps are very interesting to kids in my experience.  They also love to use google maps to explore place they haven’t been or are just interested in.  We’ve used google maps to look at the house I grew up in – they LOVED that!  You can often get maps for free from local tourism shops, services like AAA, or from relatives who don’t want that atlas any longer.

Cost: Free

9 – Sensory Materials

I love integrating sensory bins and materials with my “everyday” speech materials.  We love using kinetic sand, fake snow, water beads, etc. to create a sensory component of our sessions.  I will often hide thematic/sound-based dinky doodads and other tiny items in sand and excavate them.  We may close our eyes and describe what we feel using our description details.  We might just put some laminated TpT cards or other stimuli in the sensory item and work on those.  Regardless of the activity, my students love working with sensory materials.

Cost: Free – $10

10 – Box of Highly-Preferred toys/items

If you work with students using PECS or other AAC devices/systems, having many highly-preferred items at your fingertips can be the key to unlocking their language skills.  I often keep several varieties of wind-up toys, light-up toys, poppers, sensory items, etc. nearby.  This allows me to quickly have students requesting with attributes and working on describing their items.  This can also help in motivating younger students to complete tasks and earn a preferred item.  I recommend looking in the dollar sections, holiday clearance, thrift stores, and even fast food meal toys.  Pro tip: keep these out of reach/sight if you aren’t using them or you may have a distracted and upset child on your hands.

Cost: Free – $4 each

Therapy is not all about the material you use.  It’s important to remember that the material is not the therapy, YOU provide the therapy and may utilize a material/tool in doing so.  What are some of your go-to therapy materials… share below!

The holidays are over and we’re still in the early days of winter – sigh.  I’m sure that many of you are shivering as you read this post.  So… what are some books to use in therapy that are NOT holiday books?  What can we pull out of our Mary Poppins bag and use with our clients until the Earth tilts back towards the sun and we can start planning spring therapy?

Here are 7 of my favorites:

Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

This is easily one of my top books to use.  We typically use it in conjunction with snow-themed sensory bins, creating instant fake snow, or other activities. Snowy Day can be used for inferencing (e.g. What did he find sticking out of the snow to make a third track?  What will happen when he hits the snow with his stick? Where did the snowball go?), narrative retell, vocabulary (slowly, firm, heaping, deep, drag), and more.  It’s a classic and easily adaptable for most elementary client ages.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow by Lucille Colandro

Of course I have to mention a “There Was an Old Lady” (when will she ever learn and does she have pica?!?) in this list.  Aside from some of the snow-based activities listed above, we use this book to work on vocabulary, answering “why” and other wh- questions, and pairs well with various TpT activities like this one from Jenn Alcorn of Crazy Speech World.

The Story of Snow by Mark Cassino with Jon Nelson, Ph.D.

If you have upper elementary clients or clients in middle/high school, take a look at this book.  It is more nonfiction with a little flair with great vocabulary and is a good way to work on comprehension of science texts in the therapy setting.  I like to use it as a transition from more “young” fiction texts to the textbooks that my students are learning from.  It’s  a nice bridge between the two.  This book can be read in chunks and activities planned for each area of the book.  Also, there is a “How To Catch Your Own Snow Crystals” experiment which wouldn’t work well for me in Phoenix but if you’re allowed to go outside with your clients in colder climates, could be great for you as a follow-through activity.

Hibernation Station by Michelle Meadows

Hibernation is a big winter-related topic for many of our clients in their classrooms.  Here is a nice and slightly different book that looks more into the topic of hibernation.  I love that the animals are wearing pajamas and the cute illustrations.  There are problems to solve within the book and a lot of good “sound” words and animal vocabulary.

A Loud Winter’s Nap by Katy Hudson

I will confess… my mom gifted this book to our speech/language room this year, it wasn’t my find.  The illustrations alone are hilarious and useful for therapy.  I love the “sound” and vocabulary words included, the emotions discussed, figuring out just why “tortoises don’t like winter”, and the overall message of this fun little book.  A quick read and easy to pair with animal, snow, or winter activities.

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr/Eric Carle

Of course I have to mention this gem.  If you work with younger clients, including pre-K and even EI, this book is truly wonderful.  It is even better if you’ve used Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See? with the client before.  There are oodles and oodles of TpT and other materials to pair with this book – no need to re-invent the wheel.

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

The wonderful SLP that I have the privilege of sharing a caseload with this year introduced me to Bear Snores On. This book pairs wonderful illustrations with descriptive vocabulary and rhyming words that make this book a sing-song read.  I love to pair this book with a book companion from Shannon Werbeckes of Speechy Musings and mix and match the skills depending on my groups.

There are, of course, many other wonderful winter books to use in therapy, please share your favorites below!  I can’t say how much the use of literature has improved my therapy provision and I highly recommend the use of books in therapy.  Happy winter and have a wonderful 2018!

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!

I’m an SLP and I enjoy long walks… down the hallway?

Most SLPs have a packed schedule.  Trying to organize therapy minutes for 60+ students across multiple grade levels and goals into about 30-35 hours per week is extremely difficult.  I’m not sure about you, but I end up with sessions back-to-back nearly all day.

Each year I’m surprised with how long it takes me to walk to and from my students’ classrooms.  This year I’m on a very spacious campus.  For example, if I have 1st grade students scheduled at 9:00, I am leaving my office with my previous group at 8:58.  It takes a few minutes for me to gather all of them from their classrooms and organize them.  It’s 9:02 when we leave their pod area.  We begin walking, as briskly as their 1st grade legs will move, and arrive at my room at 9:05.  By the time they are sitting and calm and I begin our activity or lesson, it can be nearly 9:10.  At 9:28 we must depart to return to their rooms.  We don’t walk silently, I’m trying to engage them in conversations that further target their therapy goals but it is difficult to do without bringing along materials.  I feel like I’m missing out on so many minutes of potential therapy each day.

I know that part of the solution is students moving about campus and arriving to my room independently.  While my older students should be able to come to me on their own, there are those beginning weeks of learning schedules as well as those students who demonstrate “difficulty” with getting from their classroom to me.  And eventually I’d like to be able to send my Kindergarteners and 1st graders back on their own but we’ll likely be starting our sessions together for a majority of the year.

To take advantage of these minutes of transition, I’ve developed these Walk ‘n Talk cards to keep on hand.  I have included a majority of the targets my students work on in 16 prompt cards (printed 2-sided) that I can use as we walk across campus.  I can have students practice articulation for 3 more minutes, warm up with some reminders and questions, practice fluency carry-over or conversation skills, etc.  These cards are available here!

I have really enjoyed having prompts on-hand during our transitions and it has also been something that I can utilize for quick articulation and language RtI and screenings, provide to teachers for RtI and carryover in the classroom, and send home for parents.

I would love to hear from you on this topic.  Are transition times something you struggle with as well?  How do you take advantage of those minutes?

Have a great week!

Summer is full of sun and fun… and language opportunities.  Whether you are looking for language-rich activities to recommend to the parents of children that you work with or for your own children, the following list will help you seek out the perfect activity for those sunny (or rainy) summer days.

Farmers Market:

Farmers Markets can be found across the world.  Local markets typically occur on weekend mornings but in some areas they may be on weekdays.  Farmers markets are incredible opportunities for vocabulary growth including nouns, attributes, categories (fruits, flowers, meat), etc.  This is also a great opportunity for children to work on requesting items from a vendor to target speech sounds, social skills, question formation, voice volume, and other skills.  Search for nearby farmers markets here.

Sporting Events:

Summer is a great time to take in a professional or minor league sporting event.  You may not realize but there are 160 Minor League teams playing in 42 US States and 1 Canadian province from April to September.  You can also catch pre-season baseball and football camps and have greater access to players.  These events also allow for increased opportunities to learn and use language in a way that children don’t each day.  From the car ride to the event, the snacks at the event, and the goings-ons during the event, children can learn and use many new words and practice other skills in a new and fun environment.  Local MiLB baseball teams can be found here, United Soccer League teams here, or search online for local teams in your area.

Zoo/Petting Zoo:

Local zoos and festivals offer a great opportunity for children to see various animals up close.  They can see their behaviors, attributes, food, living environment, etc.  This gives great context to children as they continue to develop their vocabulary and understanding of books that they read/hear, information learned in school, and more.  If you have the opportunity to visit a zoo, stop in at guest services to check to see if there are any kid-specific programming that day (shows of animals with zookeepers, feedings, etc.) that you can attend.  The majority of activities within zoos are free after initial admission which is typically minimal or free for children.

Theater:

Summer is full of outdoor theater activities.  Children typically enjoy music and the interaction that live theater provides.  Local theater companies produce many shows in the summer to large audiences at parks, outdoor theaters, etc.  There are also camps for children available in many cities.  Theater productions introduce children to different worlds, stories, music, vocabulary, etc.

Garden/Conservatories/Nature Centers:

Summer is a great time to visit a local outdoor garden/nature center or indoor conservatory.  These environments provide a great opportunity for discussing plants, flowers, bugs, weather, etc.  Again, many of these gardens provide activities for children in the summer including talks, crafts, walks, camps, and more.  Public gardens are typically free or donation-only areas and provide a great opportunity for children of all ages.

Water:

If you are lucky enough to live near an ocean, lake, or river, summer is a great time to explore these areas.  These are places where you can discuss animals that live in these environments, discover new plant life and animals/insects, and learn about a different environment.  Hunting for shells and rocks in these locations provides an opportunity to discuss attributes of these objects (smooth, black, small, etc.) and discuss how that item got to where you found it (animal that lived in it, etc.).

Parks/National Parks:

There are 58 National Parks, 6,624 State Parks, and countless local parks in the US.  Many local, state, and National Parks offer free programs for children in the summer and other months.  You can find local state parks here, national parks here, or search for all park types near you/a zip code using this site.  At parks, you can of course discuss the landscape, habitats, animals, plant life, weather, and more.  These parks offer endless opportunities for language expansion opportunities.

Art Festival:

Summer brings street festivals.  Many of these include music and vendors.  However, one of the best festival types for language is an art festival.  Many small and large cities offer opportunities for local artists to show and sell their work.  You will see every type of art from painting to photography to sculpture and more.  Children love art and are drawn to these pieces.  While these festivals require a great amount of supervision for children (so they do not touch/break pieces) they can provide incredible opportunities for children to view varying types of art.  There will be interesting mediums used, colors, scenes, etc that lend themselves to discussion, interpretation, inferencing, and more.  I love using art to discuss opinions and subject matters.  Art Festivals are a particularly good location to take older children who can more deeply understand and discuss the work.  It also provides an opportunity for them to interact with the artists (formulating questions, social skills) as well as participate in crafts for children (following directions, creating).

Museums:

For those rainy days, local museums are a must.  Even the smallest local history museum can provide several hours of language opportunities for children.  Children’s museums, aquariums, art museums, and others can be great opportunities for discussing various topics.  The best way to increase language at all museums is to follow a child’s lead to what they are interested in, ask follow up questions, discuss opinions, model language, and discuss content-specific vocabulary with children.  Particularly with items and experiences that are new and unknown to children, take time to imbed definitions of new vocabulary when discussing various items in the museum.  Again, many museums will offer day camps and activities as well as special talks for children and families throughout the summer.  US Museums can be searched for here and Children’s Museums can be searched for here.

Other Summer Toys & Activities:

Summer is a great time for these outdoor activities in back yards and local locations across the world.  Some of the best language-stimulating activities and toys for summer include:

Bubbles  –  Pools  –  Walks  –  Camping  –  Picnics  –  Water Fight  –  Sensory/Water Tables  –  Gardening  –  Crafts  –  Sidewalk Chalk  –  Sports  –  & More!

Finding activities and toys to keep kids engaged, developing, and entertained during the summer is important.  For children with language, speech, social skills, and other developmental difficulties/delays, imbedding these skills into the summer activities is crucial.  The more that you practice working on language during these activities, the more natural it will become and the easier it will be to do so with nearly any activity that you do with your child.

In addition to those listed above, Care.Com provides a great list of ideas to keep kids busy and engaged in the summer months.  There are also many books and websites that list great local ideas for your specific city.  Simply search online to find these resources.  Enjoy your summer!

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!

(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/2014/11/klba-kindergarten-language-benchmark-assessment-review.html http://sublimespeech.com/2014/11/klba-kindergarten-language-benchmark-assessment-review.html#respond Thu, 13 Nov 2014 19:22:31 +0000 http://sublimespeech.com/?p=2016 In my previous state, Missouri, Speech-Language Pathologists could utilize Response to Intervention to address voice, articulation, and fluency.  We were not able to utilize the approach for language skills.  However, in many states, including my new state of Illinois, you are allowed, and sometimes required, to provide RtI services for students with language concerns.  However, one of the most difficult portions of initiating RtI is deciding who would benefit and how to track their progress effectively and does not take a lot of time to administer.

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.

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:

Fall is my favorite season of the year!  However, I’ve never been a huge fan of Halloween… but my clients definitely have been!  This year, I decided to find some great books to integrate into therapy with my EI/Pre-K clients.  These books elicit great vocabulary, concepts, and overall language.  They will allow you to target multiple goals in a session while enjoying the season.  I wanted to get this information to you now so that you can plan for next month!  The majority of these books are widely available through vendors like Amazon, Target, and Barnes & Noble.  I have also provided easy links to Amazon with each book.  Enjoy!

Is That You, Monster? by Steve Cox is a really fun book for Speech and Language Therapy sessions.  In this book, the characters are at a campout in their backyard.  However, Sam, the main character, thinks that there is a monster in the backyard.  On each page there is a touch-and-feel pocket that you can place your hand inside – only if you are VERY brave!  There are various textures and descriptions that are targeted in this book (sticky, furry, etc.) and are incredible for language.  Spoiler alert – a large, somewhat scary 3D monster pops out at the reader on the last page.  (You may want to prepare clients.  They may be scared the first time but will LOVE it every time after!)  Bonus feature – there is a little dangling spider on each page to search for.  This is available as a hard cover book!

Another great book in the If You Give… series!  In this book, mouse is decorating seven pumpkins with different facial expression.  This is great for introducing social skills to children.  You can expand by discussing what each expression is and when you might feel that way.  Vocabulary Included: mouse, dog, numbers 1-7, colors (red, blue, orange, green, purple), decorate, happy, sad, silly, surprised, scary, friendly, pumpkin, paint, missing.  This is available as a board book!

This is a fun book for young clients.  It is a lift-flap book featuring a baby in a kitten costume looking for her pumpkin.  She looks all around for the pumpkin before finding it. Vocabulary Included: Halloween, pumpkin, leaves, cat, curtain, ghost, closet, bat, bowl, candy apple, bed, witch’s hat, door, trick-or-treat, yes, no, under, behind, in, outside, fuzzy, black, friendly, happy, pointy.  This is available as a board book!

  This fun book can be sung to the tune of “I’m a little teapot” for added fun!  I love the illustrations here as well.  It’s about a little vampire that loves candy on Halloween.  Vocabulary Included: Vampire, little, short, stout, candy, pout, steamed, shout, treats, special, true, example, frighten, monster.  You can also expand this book to introduction of social skills including manners, expected behaviors on Halloween, etc.  This is available as a board book!

Have you seen the ADORABLE BabyLit books?  I love them and if you are a classic book lover you will as well.  This Dracula version focuses on counting.  You will love the illustrations and ability to expand off of this book.  Basic skills of counting, colors, and more can be targeted here.  Vocabulary Included: Numbers 1-10, various colors, castle, friend, wolf, ship, hero, tombstone, diary, letter, rat, box, garlic, flower. This is available as a board book!

These 5 books are a great start for your October planning for Pre-K and Early Intervention clients and/or for your own children.  The board books provide durability while the stories introduce great vocabulary and concepts for young children.  Target numbers, colors, fall vocabulary, basic concepts, social skills, and more with these great finds!  To purchase through Amazon, simply click any of the links to be taken directly to the products.  Enjoy!