Do You Use Mini-Schedules?

Use core words on your mini-schedule to increase the use of functional language. My student
is going to "talk" about the calendar, "see" a YouTube clip, "find" matching pictures, "read"
 books and "play" games on the iPad. 

Do you have a mini-schedule within each therapy session? And, are your students privy to that schedule?  

Think about those professional learning activities that you attend. Isn't it nice to have a schedule provided so that you will know when each speaker will be ending presenting, how long you will have to complete that team building exercise, and when you will be able to stretch or take a bathroom break?

Your students will appreciate the schedule and it may just make your sessions run a little smoother. 

Introduce the session's activities with a picture schedule. 

• Make a PowerPoint and present the schedule on your whiteboard or print it as a handout to create small visual schedule pictures. 

• For those with transition issues, a pull-off schedule would benefit. See how Kristin at Simply Speech tamed some behaviors with her visual schedule. 

• Make a FREE picture schedule at ConnectABILITY.ca. Use the provided photos and Boardmaker pictures or upload your own. 

• I like the FREE Daily Schedule Cards by Miss B SLP at Teachers Pay Teachers. 

• The Lesson Pix site has nice examples of visual schedules and a free sample of tasks in a Flap Schedule - the perfect size for most speech therapy sessions. 
• This for That: Visual Schedules,  
• by Center for Autism and Related Disorders, 
a FREE app to create schedules in just minutes using the camera on your iPad. 

For your readers and older students, try a written agenda  or schedule. 

• Use a dry erase board or something like the To Do List at Can Do Kinders. 

• Look at the free Plan of the Day Posters for Speech-Language Pathologists at Teacher Pay Teachers. 

• Who wouldn't like schedules made with comic strips? There are several FREE websites and apps. I made the one on the right at Bitstrips.  Or, try the kid friendly, ReadWriteThink Comic Creator.  

Don't have visual support software? Check out my post No Software Needed - Free Visual Supports. 

Find more about mini-schedules at PrAACtical AAC, The Autism Helper, and Autism Classroom Resources.  

Diana

© 2016

35+ Simple (and FREE) Ideas for Beginning Core Word Users

This post began as a search for new core word activities. As I searched, I was amazed at some of the fabulous resources found.  Core words wasn't such a great search term.  I found many ideas by searching for core vocabulary,  core word books, sight word activities, and life skills activities. 

The PrAACtical AAC is my #1 source for core word strategies and activities. If you work with AAC users, consider subscribing to the blog. Two recent posts PrAACtically January: Resources for A Year of Core Vocabulary Words and PrAACtically February: Resources for A Year of Core Vocabulary Words have suggested children's literature selections along with the core words to teach with each book. AND, if you are just beginning to teach core words in your therapy sessions, Carole Zangari's post, Thoughts on Teaching Core Vocabulary is a must read! 

Susan Berkowitz has some very good ideas for incorporating AAC into your learners' day on her YouTube video, AAC Basics Video #9: Integrating Core Words into Interactions. 

Visit Gail Van Tatenhove's site to find Script Cards containing ideas for teaching 10 core words and many other resources. 

Core Word Books

Use core word books to model and teach core word vocabulary. Make them with PowerPoint or with your favorite story making app. OR use these resources to download FREE core word books. 

• For core word lessons and over 70 ready to download core word books, register for a free account at My TobiiDynavox Community.

• The core word starter lesson plans at PRC's Language Lab uses their 20 core starter words in FREE core word books and lesson plans. 

• Word of the Week books come with ideas for use and more. Word of the Week 1: Want and Word of the Week 41: Come, by Sister SLPs at TpT are FREE. 

• Tar Heel Reader has over 40,000 FREE books that can be read online or downloaded as a PDF or PowerPoint.  These books were made by readers of all ages. Download them as PowerPoints to change text, add core words, etc. I searched for core and found both core word books and books containing the word core. A search for AAC yielded two core word books. Search by topic, by core word, or phrase.

• Pat Mervine at Speaking of Speech just posted two core word books and added them her new category Core Language Materials. She created them in PowerPoint so that they could be modified as needed. I will be using Hungry Dog while teaching not next week! 

FREE Story Making Apps for your core word books. 

• Super Duper StoryMaker FREE 
• Story Creator - Easy Story Book Maker for Kids 
• Little Story Maker
• StoryKit 

This simple core word book was made to introduce the phrase "want different" prior to playing with a variety of windup toys. Click on the picture to enlarge. 

Use Apps and Toys to Elicit Core Words

Put it away - help, go in, put in, where go

Toca Kitchen Monsters - like, don't like, turn on, my turn, eat, make, put on 

 Toca Tea Party - eat, drink, want more drink, want more eat, you help  

My Playhome Lite - turn on, get, want, can, sit, go, in 

  

View Master - I see, my turn, what you see, I see it

The Parking Lot Game (download my free template as a PowerPoint to make your own) - go, where, what, on, fast, slow, turn


Put interesting objects in boxes. Students can request open it and use other words to talk about the items in the box. 

Use matching games to teach not that, same, or different.

Puzzles or toys with parts elicit want or want more. 

Simple board games will lead to utterances such as my turn, I go, you go, help me, and much more.  Check out Teaching core Words with Games at Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs. Scroll down to the bottom to find Adapting Commercial Games AND check out her other great ideas.  

More

These five-minute activities help students become more familiar with words on their device or board.

•  Write core words (or attach the word and symbol) on Legos and give the student the Lego each time that he finds the words. 

• Write words on ping pong balls and let students throw them in baskets as they find the words. 

• French Fry Articulation, at Speech Room News, could easily be adapted for a core word lesson - choose a fry and locate the core word on your device.  

• Let students choose words to add to Word Clouds or Wordle.

Try one of these short videos to give students a little breather during the session and give you another chance to model the core word or phrase. 

• Do you like Broccoli Ice Cream? and Do You Like Spaghetti Yogurt? from Super Simple Songs are great ways to teach like and don't like, or like and not like. 

• Students will like Pelican Talk's Doug the Dog Teaches You How to Use the Preposition "On" and Doug the Dog Teaches About the Preposition "In."

• Introduce the concept more with Baby Bean, also by Pelican Talk. 

• You may want to use some of Have Fun Teaching's 29 sight word songs. Songs include Go Song, I Song, In Song, For Song, Ask Song, and It Song. 

• Mr. Clown's Word of the Day: Sight Word "Not"

• Sesame Street: The Word is No

Make your own movie using iMovie (FREE if you have a device activated after September 2013) or a similar video editor for Android users. 

Want more? Join the Core Words Forum at Speaking of Speech to add your ideas, questions, and materials. Thanks to Pat for doing this!

Enjoy!

Diana

© 2016

The Best Story Props for Winter's Literature Activities

I am an Amazon Affiliate. 

Last week, as I was cleaning up the links on some of my older posts, I noticed that Kizclub.com's newest Story Patterns are for The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. This is my favorite winter literature selection for speech/language groups and the story patterns by Kizclub illustrate some of the more unfamiliar vocabulary words found in the book.  Use beautifully drawn pictures as story props to retell the story, define vocabulary, or create a PowerPoint book or game.  And, check out my earlier post The Snowy Day for Speech and Language Therapy.

Here are more story patterns suitable for winter's literature activities. 

Under My Hood I Have a Hat 

The Jacket I Wear in the Snow

Three Little Kittens 

Froggy Gets Dressed

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?

The Mitten 

The Hat

Diana

© 2016

Snow, Mittens, Penguins, Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day, and More - Updated and Free

Three years of winter themed posts have been updated. Visit these posts for FREE downloads and links to FREE activities featuring snow, penguins, mittens, Groundhog's Day, Valentine's Day and more.

  30+ Free Wintry Resources for Speech and Language Therapy

The Snowy Day for Speech and Language Therapy

35 + Mitten Links and Activities for Speech and Language

Snow Day! - Apps and More 

Increase Utterance Length with Winter Bingo for Early Childhood 

At Least Three Weeks of Penguins for Speech and Language 

Free App February: Apps for this Winter Season

10+ Speech and Language Resources for Groundhog Day  

Hearts, Hearts, Hearts! Speech and Language Activities for Valentine's Day

Diana

© 2016