Free speech therapy worksheets and activities (articulation, receptive/expressive language) for speech-language pathologists, teachers, parents.
Social Language is often so difficult to assess. That's why I created the Social Language Version of my Curriculum-Based Assessments for middle school and high school students. The term “curriculum-based assessment” (CBA) simply means measurement that uses "direct observation and recording of a student's performance in the local curriculum as a basis for gathering information to make instructional decisions"(Deno, 1987, p. 41). I would like to specify upfront that no, these do not include cut-off scores or values. Neither are these assessments norm-referenced tests. Because social language is so complex, these tests rely heavily on your clinical judgment as a trained therapist. Instead, Curriculum-Based Assessments provide a picture of what the child’s strengths and weaknesses based on what they are expected to do in their grade-level. I used the Common Core Standards as a guide for what students are expected to do in each grade level as it relates to social interaction. (for more information, see www.corestandards.org). The main CCSS you will see addressed in this packet include the following: SL1, SL4, SL6, and L5. This packet comes with one assessment for middle school students and one assessment for high school students. These assessments gather data on the following areas and use real life stock photos: ♦eye contact ♦turn-taking ♦active listening ♦participating in group work ♦literal vs. nonliteral ♦initiating and maintaining conversations ♦speech adaption to various conversation partners I find these especially helpful during a student's first week in speech/language therapy or prior to writing a student's IEP. They provide a picture of how my students are performing on each standard and what areas to target. On each assessment, the questions are labeled by which standard they address. My recommendations: ♥Print off the student handouts and laminate them to be used again and again ♥Periodically assess skills to determine growth and to gather data for a student’s IEP. ♥Keep multiple copies of each assessment on hand to quickly pull out when needed. Check out my YOUNGER version to assess skills in grades K-5! Looking for ways to teach social skills? Check out my Social Group Curriculum for Elementary School Students and Social Group Curriculum for Middle and High School Students And...if you're REALLY into assessing, check out this money saving BUNDLE HERE About Nicole: Nicole Allison, is a speech language pathologist who currently works with preschool through high school students. She holds an MA and has presented at local, state, and national conventions on topics related to speech and language pathology. She loves creating engaging resources for students and saving busy SLPs time with data collection and assessment materials. Nicole is the author of the blog Speech Peeps™ where she shares activities and ideas. She lives in Ohio with her husband and 3 little ones.
Free speech therapy worksheets and activities (articulation, receptive/expressive language) for speech-language pathologists, teachers, parents.
One of my older clients with high functioning autism is working on identifying the topic of a conversation and contributing an appropriate response to the conversation. This worksheet contains 6 scenarios where two people are already talking, and the client has to identify the topic from a choice of 3 and generate an appropriate response. Click here to download!
This is always a fun goal to target. I usually pair it with a board game, and before each turn the client has to answer one question. Some of these have only one possible answer, and others are more open ended. Fall Themed Flash Cards: Click here to download! Worksheet Version: Click here to download!
One question I am asked a lot is, "What are your favorite games and activities to use with middle school students in speech-language therapy?" Today, I would like to share with you my top 13 favorites! One
Across the country, there’s been a push to better measure teacher effectiveness. This has resulted in several new evaluation systems (including the Danielson model) being developed and implemented in states across the country. While SLPs
I fell in love working in speech therapy for middle school! Don't let this awesome group intimidate you, but read about the pros and cons!
What is the difference between ALS and MS? ALS only affects the motor functions of the body but MS affects both motor and sensory functions.
As speech language pathologists, we have a wide variety of tools and materials we use to help us facilitate effective speech therapy. But, sometimes those tools aren't the most effective. This blog post shares 21 tools that every school-based SLP should keep in their speech rooms. Click through to find out all of them!
If you use the intensive articulation intervention service delivery model, a speedy speech basket is a must-have! It makes everything grab-...
Learn about the brain and create your very own printable brain hemisphere hat perfect for a human body and brain study.
The pencils are sharpened, your classroom is clean and the bell rings…gulp…here they come! My feelings on the first week of school are conflicted. On one hand, it’s one of the most important weeks. Explaining and practicing the class procedures and expectations sets the tone for the rest of the school year. Success is vital. On the other hand, I’m so excited to start teaching my historical content that waiting until all the expectations are explained requires a lot of patience! Every teacher has their own plan of action for that pivotal time. Here are 5 things I can’t live without during the first week of school: One: An Icebreaker. I aim to try and make kids feel comfortable in my classroom on day one. One of my favorite little activities is Fact or Fiction. Each student receives a small slip of paper and they’re instructed to write one fact and two fictions. Then each person (including myself!) introduces themselves and we all try to guess which statement is the fact! It’s a great way to quickly learn about each other. Two: Classroom Information and Expectations. This is every teacher’s staple, I know, but it had to go on the list because it’s a must-have! When you’re making your own, spell everything out – from the obvious grading procedures and late work policy to how to pass back papers and when to sharpen pencils and go to the bathroom. Trust me, leave no stone unturned. Your classroom will function much better if you set the tone from day one. (Oh, and don’t forget a seating chart!) Three: Fun and Games. On the second day of school, I love to start class with a little game. It’s a great way for the kids to start practicing our classroom procedures and expectations while getting familiar with their teacher and classmates. Here are some of my favorite games that I use during the first week of school: (P.S. Some of these activities can be found in my Back to School Activities resources! Click the grade level you’re teaching to check them out: Sixth, Seventh, Eighth) InstaFriend: This activity gets students moving around the room and interviewing fellow classmates! Their InstaFriend paper has a series of descriptions and characteristics. When they find a student who matches the description, they write their name in the box. Each name can only be used once! Right or Wrong: I love skits. LOVE THEM. I like to introduce students to the idea of skits during the first week by allowing them to create their own based on our class expectations. I first divide students into small groups of 2-3. Each group then randomly receives one of our class procedures or expectations. As a group, they have to work together to create two mini skits – one showing the RIGHT way to follow the expectation, the other showing the WRONG way. They get to be silly and I get to reinforce my class expectations. After each skit I happily point out all the positive behaviors as well as each time a class policy was violated. It’s a light-hearted way to grab their attention and create a positive atmosphere all while practicing the laws of the land. Classmate Bingo: I love to play this game at the end of the first week. I give each student a blank bingo board with a large selection of personal characteristics, hobbies, etc. at the bottom. The students choose 16 off the list and create their customized board. Then, I randomly select characteristics from the list. If a student has that characteristic on their board, they have to write down a student’s name that matches the characteristic – but no cheating! They have to use what they’ve learned about others during their first week of school to try and win the game. Four: A Pre Test. After a few days of class information and fun, it’s time to start getting down to business. Each year, I make a short pre-test on the information they’ll learn about that year. It gives me a chance to see what the kids already know and gives them a feel for what subject matter they’ll be learning about in the coming weeks. FYI: Your pre-test probably won’t take the whole class period. Make sure to have plans for other activities, too, on the day you give your pre-test! Five: A Writing Activity. True fact: when I tell kids they’re going to do a writing activity, they groan every time. It’s a signal that the “real work” is about to begin. Luckily, they’re always relieved when I assure them that this activity will require very little research because it’s about a subject they’re experts in – themselves! I have a few different activities to choose from each year. Here are some suggestions: Student Survey: What are your strengths? Weaknesses? What do you hope to learn in this class? These are just some of the questions I ask students in the survey. The more I know about my students, the better I can help them achieve success in my class. Write Away: A staple of many: write a letter to a future you! I ask students to write goals for the year, dreams they wish to see realized, and questions they want to ask their “End of the Year” self. I tuck these letters away and revisit them during the last week of school. I’m Ready: Like every middle school history class, we do a lot of writing and students always have to back up their reasons, statements, etc. with evidence to support their claim. In this writing activity, students have to identify which class rule or expectation they believe is most important and provide evidence to support their claim. This activity both reinforces my classroom policies and secretly gives me a preview of their writing proficiency. Have I left anything out? If you have any fun plans for the first week of school, share them in the comments. I’m always looking for new ideas for my classroom!
Manage your middle schoolers during speech therapy with my 10 best strategies for behavior management to encourage and motivate!
In the time of ever increasing caseloads, time pressures and a focus on percentile scores the more informal assessments can sometimes be pushed aside. I'm here to encourage you to continue (or start) to do
I'm officially now in my senior year of college and because of that, I'm sharing 5 pieces of advice I wish I could tell every college freshman out there...
I wanted to hop on real quick and share a quick, cute, and simple long a freebie with you all. Last week we worked on long a. On Friday we sorted snowballs by long a and short a. We used all the long a snowballs to create a winter scene. I usually do these every …
Your materials are prepped for the session and you look at the clock and start the waiting game. Five minutes go by and you are getting annoyed, they're not showing up again! You weed through the mound of schedules to locate where your students may be. You wonder if you should call and disrupt the class, and decide against it so not to embarrass your students. The session is half way over by the time you get your group together. ...If you work with middle or high school students you know this common scene all too well. I'm happy to share with you some tips and tricks to get your students to speech and/or special ed services during their scheduled times! Before I provide specific tips, I want to share a few broad pointers. Be Mindful of Stigma: SLPs and Special Educators are considered cool to students in the younger grades. Students grab us in the classroom and ask to come to speech even when they are not on our caseload. This usually comes to a screeching halt when kids enter the pre-teen stage. Don't get offended. It's typical for students in middle and high school to not want to be seen as different. The stigma of special ed is real and we should not take it personally when our students avoid us like the plague. For more on this, check out my most popular blog post: Special Ed Stigma. Be Age Respectful: On the other hand, our space and expertise can extend a welcome mat for students to decompress and have fun while learning communication skills. Remember to be age respectful and empathetic to students at this critical time of development. Use materials and techniques that are trending and cool. Check out my Emoji Freebie as an example. Try using Siri during speech sessions (blog post- Get Siri-ous in Speech), bring in You Tube videos of favorite pastimes, and try Pixar clips for inferencing. I promise, you'll see increased motivation and participation. Ask Your Students: From special ed stigma to deficits in executive functioning skills, there are many reasons why students don't show up for services. Ask your students why they aren't showing up. Try this approach, "Hey Johnny, I've noticed you have trouble getting to your speech session on time, what's up?" We SLPs love to talk, but keep it quiet. The gift of the pause is golden. You may be surprised by your students' responses. Educate Your Students: Do your students understand themselves as learners and know why they come to work with you? Educate them on their strengths and weaknesses and help them to see why this work is important for their future. My IEP and Me product may help your students take ownership of their learning and increase attendance. Now to some of the more specific tips and tricks. 1. Pass it on: Many SLPs and special educators use appointment cards for students. Once again, make it age respectful. Include service time, teacher name, and location, but leave out the cutsie pictures. You could also develop a hall pass for teacher classrooms. Students simply bring the pass with them when they transition to your service location. 2. Classify it: Our local high school has the special ed services as an actual elective class called study skills. Students receive credit for their specialized instruction and it's built into the schedule. I really wish we had this model at the middle level, but there is no reason we can't write our service times onto our students' academic paper schedules. Students reference their schedules daily. You may also make a copy of this schedule in a reduced size for students to tape into their lockers. Write speech in the schedule as an actual class. Call it Communication Skills- ain't it the truth? 3. Make it Natural: Okay, I know that scheduling is the hardest part of our jobs, but think about how awkward it feels to leave, say, in the middle of a meeting. Imagine being a middle school student and having to leave smack dab in the middle of math class and then having to return 10 minutes before the class is over. I let students have some input into when they would like to come see me. Try to make the service start or end time during a transition or when the student doesn't mind leaving his/her classroom. 4. Technology Time- Do your students have a 1:1 laptop program, iPads, or are they allowed to use their iPhones in school? These are some favorite tech tips that give students more independence while using reminder alarms. There are a lot of favorite apps for reminding and Remind App or Remind 101 are on top of the list. You may also set up reoccurring emails for students. Use Mail Conductor and input your information only once. Students can use Google Calendars to input their schedules as well. Have your students bring their technology to their session and spend a few minutes setting up reminder alarms. They may even teach you something. 5. Code the Call- I call the classroom as a last resort, which may be your best option for some students with severe organizational challenges. Set up a code system with the teacher and student. I let the phone ring once and the student and teacher know that it's my specialized instruction time. Your success will increase when you have more people involved in remembering service times. It's taken me years to get a steady flow of students arriving to speech and language services on time. I hope these tips and tricks are useful and that you see a huge improvement in attendance this year. You may also like my FREE Incentive Punch Cards for Attendance and to reduce tardiness.
Echolalia- Learn strategies for your Autism classroom. What echolalia is and how to reduce it with activities to decrease repetitive speech or non-authentic communication.
FREE Getting to Know You Activities for Middle & High School SLPs
Speech therapy compare and contrast examples, worksheets, and teaching tips, plus my best speech therapy IEP goals for classroom success!
I know many of you have told me that you struggle with finding age-appropriate materials for your middle school students. I know, because I struggle with this too! You can check out some great paid
I know many of you have told me that you struggle with finding age-appropriate materials for your middle school students. I know, because I struggle with this too! You can check out some great
Fun and Engaging Craftivity and Print and Go Language Worksheets Fun and Engaging Craftivity and Print and Go Language Worksheets Need something for early finishers, homework, or for distance learning? This language pack will give you something for every student on your caseload! ******************************************************************** Themed Print & Go Worksheets are included for... ♦ Object Function ♦ Verbal reasoning ♦ Vocabulary ♦ Categorizing ♦ Plurals ♦ Picture Sequencing ♦ Retelling an event ♦ Compare and Contrast ♦ Social Skills Scenarios ♦ Following Directions ♦ Antonyms ♦ Multiple meaning words ♦ Articulation ******************************************************************** Activity Ideas are also included to use these packets for... ★ articulation ★ following directions ★ sequencing activities ★ vocabulary ★ verb tense ★ basic concepts ★ asking & answering questions ★ social skills ******************************************************************** As an SLP I am always looking for craft activities that won't distract my students from their targets yet will still allow them to have fun. When I couldn't find what I needed, I created my own! To extend your themed unit with a craft activity to target language goals I have included... ★ printable template and instructions ★ Instruction visuals ★ Vocabulary cards and more! ******************************************************************** Buyers Say... "Really cute activity that engages learners!" "This resource was utilized with my lower-level language groups at the MS level. It was adaptable for a variety of students. We were also able to use the language extension pages for a few days worth of work! :)" "Love all the activity suggestions! Provides such a variety for a range of students ages and levels." "Activities like these make my life and work just a little easier. Thank you. The fresh new ideas are so welcome by the children too." ******************************************************************** If you are considering purchasing this pack, you should check out my Craftivity and Language Worksheets Bundle - a money-saving Value Bundle containing this pack and 11 other themes suitable to use throughout the year!
Here is my version of a getting to know you facebook worksheet. I am planning on using it the first week of school. Get your copy here . or...
Data: our careers revolve around it. Here's what you should know about the top three data collection options for speech therapy.
Foster a growth mindset in your upper elementary and middle school students this year with these four FREE learning activities! They can be set up as stations around your upper elementary classroom! Topics include the brain, positive self-talk, dealing with mistakes, and accepting feedback.
Getting dismissed from speech therapy can be scary for parents. But dismissal is a good thing and here's why...
Older speech students have been through it for a long time and sometimes lost motivation. Learn how I keep them engaged and motivated in this blog post!
Download these free inference pictures to help your students work on building their inferencing skills during reading workshop.
In speech, we often work on compare and contrast in basic ways, but in classrooms, it's more rigorous. So, I try to do more rigorous work in speech, too!
Working in a preschool with speech therapy can be challenging. Keeping students motivated and actively engaged doesn't have to be!
Winter therapy ideas for middle school that they will like. Easy ways to use a winter speech therapy theme with older students.
Speech therapy compare and contrast examples, worksheets, and teaching tips, plus my best speech therapy IEP goals for classroom success!
