Making inferences is a key part of skilled reading comprehension and effective communication. Use these 30 books to target inferencing in speech therapy!

Unlock the power of language development with these Expanding Utterances Interactive Books for Increasing MLU. Tailored to facilitate the natural progression of expanding utterances beyond one word, these engaging interactive books serve as a logical next step for children to move towards using two-word phrases. Designed with the aim of increasing Mean Length of Utterance (MLU), these books employ real photos, making them an ideal resource for the autistic population and early communicators alike. Within this set of three interactive books, students delve into forming verb+object and adjective+noun phrases using visual symbols. The two verb+object books showcase real photos and familiar vocabulary, encouraging students to combine verbs and direct objects to craft new phrases. The result is a functional and practical expansion of MLU, with real-life images enhancing the interactive book experience. In addition, the adjective+noun book introduces students to color words and simple nouns, prompting them to describe and differentiate objects beyond basic labels. Through this interactive exploration, students discover the nuances of language, transitioning from mere one-word expressions to more sophisticated two-word phrases. Elevate your speech therapy sessions with these thoughtfully crafted books that not only foster vocabulary development but also make language expansion a dynamic and enjoyable journey for young learners. → What's Included? Book 1: Real photos 18 pages, plus cover (half a sheet of paper each) 4 verb visual symbols 11 noun (direct object) visual symbols Book 2: Real photos 24 pages, plus cover (half a sheet of paper each) 4 verb visual symbols 14 noun (direct object) visual symbols Book 3: 12 pages, plus cover (half a sheet of paper each) 16 adjective visual symbols (two of each color) 8 noun visual symbols for four different nouns You Might Also Like... Animal Action Photos Interactive Books to Increase MLU Expand Utterances BUNDLE Expanding Utterances: Interactive Books to Increase MLU - Winter Expanding Utterances Basic Concepts Interactive Books to Increase MLU The entire collection of resources targeting increasing MLU! ☠ Click here to follow Speech Language Pirates and stay up to date on the latest resources, freebies, and special promotions!

Community outings can help teach students in a natural environment. Grab your free printables for high school students today and start practicing...

Use these speech therapy activities with your infant to encourage early language development.

The What Questions book is a spiral book printed on cardstock, standard paper size, 8.5x11 inches. The 17-page book contains 15 What questions AND comes with 20 laminated flashcards, printed on cardstock and approximately 3 x 4.5 inches. Each page contains 1 question with a correlating picture and 3 answer choices also with pictures. Help your child gain a higher level of comprehension by asking questions. This spiral and flash cards set is the perfect start for your child's language development. This Product is mailed to you and READY TO USE What you will receive: 1 Spiral notebook, 17 pages, containing 15 questions, printed on cardstock 1 set of 20 flashcards, printed on cardstock, laminated. *Please Note- Spiral is not laminated/nor velcro. This is not a busy book. It's purpose is to work one on one with your child, creating conversation, and gaining higher levels of comprehension by asking what questions. And is a great speech therapy tool! ALL products are for personal use ONLY and NOT for re-sale ALL products are for personal use ONLY and NOT for re-sale Permission of use: PCS® by Tobii Dynavox® All rights reserved. Used with permission. PCS® and Boardmaker by Tobii Dynavox® All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Welcome! Bilinguistics is your home for speech therapy materials, ASHA CEUs, and support for you to produce amazing therapy and evaluations.

If you have kinesthetic learners who benefit from movement while learning, try these activities to improve articulation that use simple supplies, but keep kids active and engaged.

Encourage reasoning and logical answers to questions. Clear illustrations, with all the questions provided will help develop the students’ ability to consistently give logical answers.

Sketch notes present your students with a meaningful and engaging activity that they will love. Doodle notetaking activates verbal and visual modalities to capture concepts. The whole brain is absorbed in hearing, synthesizing, and retaining ideas. This high level of engagement not only helps with retention of the content, but it also leaves little room for distraction. WHAT IS INCLUDED? This resource includes a completely unique doodle page for 60 different Greek and Latin roots. These roots are organized in 20 units (3 roots per unit); these units correspond to the units in my Get to the Root of it [Book 1]. You do not need to have my Get to the Root of It [Book 1] to use these Doodle Notes, but if you are looking for more structured word work for your students, you can learn more about it HERE.

Make teaching hygiene fun with these engaging, hands-on, and visually supported activities! This set includes resources to help you integrate reading, writing, and vocabulary into your life skills lessons. Materials are already leveled and include visual supports to help you easily differentiate and meet the needs of your students without extra work. ***HUGE savings by buying the Life Skills Unit BUNDLE*** WHO IS IT FOR? Students who need hands-on practice Classrooms with students on different levels Can be used with students of any age Students who need a high level of repetition and practice in order to learn and retain skills FEATURES Word wall cards for all 30 words  Leveled easy readers Task cards in 2 levels Vocabulary activity in 3 different levels Books with visual supports and follow-up activities WHAT’S INCLUDED: • Word Wall Cards: 30 cards with a picture of the item and the label. • Vocabulary activity: 3 levels • Book about Hygiene • Hygiene easy readers: 2 levels • Write the room: 2 levels of recording sheets • Language & vocabulary concept activities: target receptive understanding of feature, function, and class • Vocabulary clip cards: 2 levels • Hygiene products sorting task: 2 levels of sorting mats • Handwashing center activity: includes book and sequencing task that comes in 2 levels • Handwashing easy readers • Brushing teeth center activity: includes book and sequencing task that comes in 2 levels • Brushing teeth easy readers • Task cards: 2 levels • Hygiene Items flipbook The activities include multiple levels to save you time and help you differentiate within your programs and groupings. TEACHERS LIKE YOU SAID… ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Catherine said, "My students enjoyed this as it was very engaging. I loved the large variety of activities available and all the pictures. Great resource!" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Kaitlyn said, "The differentiated levels in activities was very helpful for the wide range of students in my class. Engaging stories and activities." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Amy said, "Blending life skills with academic skills is perfect. Very well done!!" Other items you may be interested in: Life Skills Interactive Book BUNDLE Interactive Books BUNDLE Connect with me: Newsletter • Instagram • Facebook • Blog Don’t miss out on discounts, freebies, and new products! Simply click the green star under my store name to follow my store. Don’t miss out on discounts, freebies, and new products! Simply click the green star under my store name to follow my store. This product by Pamela Petralia is copyrighted for single classroom or caseload use only. This product may not be resold and can be copied for personal use within a classroom only. If you have questions, please email [email protected]  ©Pamela Petralia

Wordless videos in speech therapy are a fun way to target a variety of goals, including inferencing. Check out these gems I found

The Where Questions book is a spiral book printed on cardstock, standard paper size, 8.5x11 inches. The 17-page book contains 15 Where questions AND comes with 20 laminated flashcards, printed on cardstock and approximately 3 x 4.5 inches. Each page contains 1 question with a correlating picture and 3 answer choices also with pictures. Help your child gain a higher level of comprehension by asking questions. This spiral and flash cards set is the perfect start for your child's language development. This Product is mailed to you and READY TO USE What you will receive: 1 Spiral notebook, 17 pages, containing 15 questions, printed on cardstock 1 set of 20 flashcards, printed on cardstock, laminated. *Please Note- Spiral is not laminated/nor velcro. This is not a busy book. It's purpose is to work one on one with your child, creating conversation, and gaining higher levels of comprehension by asking where questions. And is a great speech therapy tool! ALL products are for personal use ONLY and NOT for re-sale ALL products are for personal use ONLY and NOT for re-sale Permission of use: PCS® by Tobii Dynavox® All rights reserved. Used with permission. PCS® and Boardmaker by Tobii Dynavox® All rights reserved. Used with permission.

This resource is a digital download. No physical product will be shipped.  View a preview of this resource HERE.  These grammar posters focus on Wh- Questions. They provide a clear, easy to read visual for each question word (What, Where, Who, Why, When, How, How often?) These question words are a fundamental part of forming questions in an ESL or EFl classroom. Having a visual example for your students to refer to is such a great helper for both speaking and writing. Use them all at once as classroom decor to display all year or use them according to the unit you are teaching! Each of the 7 pages focuses on one question word and examples. These grammar posters include a visual for some basic ESL grammar concepts. What's included: Wh- Questions - What, Where, When, Why, Who, How Adverbs of Frequency: Adverbs to use while answering the question "How often?" These posters are designed to be printed on US letter size paper or A4. Print, laminate and they are ready to use!  This resource is also available for purchase on Teacher Pay Teachers. If you prefer to purchase it there, follow this link. How to assemble and use this resource: This is a full color pdf file. After printing the resource, I recommend laminating or framing. This increases durability and ensures that you can continue using them throughout the years! How will you receive the resource? After your payment has processed you will be redirected to a download page where you can immediately download the file and save it to your computer. You will also receive an email containing a link to the resource. * Due to the digital nature of this product. Hot Chocolate Education does NOT offer refunds. Once the product has been downloaded, it can't be returned and refunds can not be issued.

Echolalia in autism can be difficult. Find out about the types of echolalia and get practical tips to help your students with autism. Be sure to check out the links to free, important information and research to get therapy started on the right track!

If you target WH questions (who, what, when, where, and why), look at these awesome grab and go WH question materials using real pictures.

Tips to Improve Time Management! Spanish Version Included with Download (pg. 2)! ¡Consejos para mejorar la gestión del tiempo!

"As always, your book selection, target skills, activity ideas and materials are ideal for addressing speech and language needs in the school setting. The kids also stay motivated! Thank you so much for helping to add this valuable resource to my SLP toolbox." Use with upper elementary during science units on wind energy. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Picture Book Edition is based on a true story about a boy named William and his village in Malawi. Find out if William can build a windmill out of junkyard scraps to help his village. Who: For Speech-Language Pathologists working with 3rd – 5th grade level students and targeting language, articulation, and pragmatics goals: Synonyms Antonyms Multiple Meaning Words Figurative Language Grade-Level Vocabulary Character Choices (Pragmatics) Story Elements Middle & Late Developing Sounds Compound sentences Subordinating conjunction – “so that” Reasoning What: This is an 31 page download (86 total pages with title, instructions, answer keys, and credits). Included are 8 narrative-based PRACTICE & PASTE activities and 17 later-developing speech sounds to be targeted with The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Picture Book Edition by William Kamkwamba & Bryan Mealer. This product is designed to be used as a companion to the book, not as a stand-alone product. When: During student science unit on wind, electricity, renewable energy, etc. or spring time. Where & How: Use in individual or small group speech sessions. Can be used across 7-8 thirty-minute sessions, not including the book reading time. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED Activity 1 & 2: Synonyms and Antonyms Practice & Paste Sheets COMMON CORE L.3.5.C Distinguish shades of meaning among related words that describe states of mind or degrees of certainty (e.g., knew, believed, suspected, heard, wondered). L.4.5.C Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical meanings (synonyms). L.5.5.C Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to better understand each of the words. Activity 3: Multiple Meaning Words Practice & Paste Sheets COMMON CORE L.3.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. L.4.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. L.5.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. Activity 4: Figurative Language Practice & Paste Sheets COMMON CORE L.3.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings. L.4.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. L.5.5.a Interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context. Activity 5: Vocabulary Practice & Paste Sheets COMMON CORE RL.3.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language. RL.4.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean). RL.5.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes. Activity 6: Character Choices (Pragmatics) Practice & Paste Sheets COMMON CORE R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. RL.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. RL.5.1Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. Activity 7: Story Elements Practice & Paste Sheets RL.3.3Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events RL.4.3Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions). RL.5.2Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text. Activity 8: Conjunction Writing Sheets COMMON CORE L.3.1.h Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. L.4.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. Language 5.1.a Explain the function of conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections in general and their function in particular sentences. Activity 9: Middle & Later Developing Sound Articulation Practice & Paste Sheets COMMON CORE SL.3.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. SL.4.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. SL.5.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. Similar Listings: Sam and the Lucky Money: Speech/Language Companion A Chair for my Mother: Speech/Language Companion

The What Questions book is a spiral book printed on cardstock, standard paper size, 8.5x11 inches. The 17-page book contains 15 What questions AND comes with 20 laminated flashcards, printed on cardstock and approximately 3 x 4.5 inches. Each page contains 1 question with a correlating picture and 3 answer choices also with pictures. Help your child gain a higher level of comprehension by asking questions. This spiral and flash cards set is the perfect start for your child's language development. This Product is mailed to you and READY TO USE What you will receive: 1 Spiral notebook, 17 pages, containing 15 questions, printed on cardstock 1 set of 20 flashcards, printed on cardstock, laminated. *Please Note- Spiral is not laminated/nor velcro. This is not a busy book. It's purpose is to work one on one with your child, creating conversation, and gaining higher levels of comprehension by asking what questions. And is a great speech therapy tool! ALL products are for personal use ONLY and NOT for re-sale ALL products are for personal use ONLY and NOT for re-sale Permission of use: PCS® by Tobii Dynavox® All rights reserved. Used with permission. PCS® and Boardmaker by Tobii Dynavox® All rights reserved. Used with permission.

My articulation and language screener are quick tools to help determine if a student may need further assessment or where a teacher can begin interventions in the classroom.

Students will learn how to use Prepositions of Place in English . They will look at the provided pictures and read the sentence to choose the correct answer. It will help them master the use of Englis

Do you ever have a time where you find an old activity you forgot about?? I found one this week that I love...and it is available for free here at abcteach.com. They are rebus stories that have pictures incorporated into the stories. My early readers love these, because they feel like they are actually reading! The picture supports not only help them understand, but also encourage them to be independent readers. These particular stories are also great, because they have easy worksheets that correspond to the story. The kids practice answering yes/no questions, matching words to pictures, filling in the blanks of sentences, etc. Below, is a sample worksheet that goes with the story, "I Like Summer." There are 10 different stories available for free at abcteach.com, so definitely check them out! These have been great to photocopy and use with my kiddos as we wind down the last month of school...a nice change in pace! Have you stumbled across any old activities or ideas lately worth sharing?

The first 3 Stages of Gestalt Language Development using Natural Language Acquisition. I have created this easy to understand handout for the first 3 stages of Gestalt Language Processing that offers explanations, strategies and phrases to model! This is a great handout for SLP's, parents, other pro...

When your Kindergarten kids have mastered the skills of blending, spelling, and reading words, you may be thinking, "Where do I proceed from here?" Digraphs or consonant mixes are the following phonics skills you can focus on with your kids. Digraphs are two characters that form the same sound,

We've been learning about the parts of speech in the most fun ways. A parts of speech printable and flip book, writing our own mad libs, and more.

If you like this free S set you might want to check out the comprehensive S Speech Therapy Kit now available in the Testy Shop . Descript...

Great Ideas for Teaching is at it again! They have three new materials that I'll be sharing my review of over the next few days. First up, is Language Stimulation Activities! This material can be used to "provide structured, repetitious activities that will assist students in fully learning very important language terms...". It is intended for children in preK through 2nd grade. Each concept pair includes two student worksheets and two instructor worksheets. The student sheet includes four pictures - two to demonstrate each concept. The pages below show the concepts of hot and cold. The instructor's sheet for the first worksheet includes questions and directions such as: - "Is ice cream hot or cold?" - "Point to a picture that shows cold weather." - "Are frozen things hot or cold?" - "If the hot sun shines on a snowman, what will happen to it?" - "When it snows, is the weather hot or cold?" - "Is the word chilly more like hot or cold?" - "On a cold day, does a coat keep you warm or cold?" In all, there are 20 questions on this first instructor worksheet that can be used and/or tailored to the individual needs of students. The second student worksheet includes six concept pairs. According to the instructor's worksheet, students must circle, underline, or mark the picture in another way to appropriately follow the directions that are given. Additional questions are asked as well, such as "Circle the one that has flames. Is it hot or cold?" What I love about this material: - It targets lots of different concepts - hot/cold, happy/sad, wet/dry, new/old, open/closed, inside/outside, front/back, high/low, top/bottom, through/around, big/little, long/short, narrow/wide, fast/slow, push/pull - to name just a few! - It provides tons of practice with the same concept. Often, I feel as though students with language impairments don't receive enough exposure to targeted goals. In this case, students can repeatedly work on the same concept area. - The pictures represent the concept they are portraying very well, so as not to confuse young children. You can find this awesome material to target concept acquisition in a variety of ways for $29.50 HERE! Disclaimer: This item was given to me for review. No other compensation was provided. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.

A Kindergarten/First Grade blog

We've been learning about the parts of speech in the most fun ways. A parts of speech printable and flip book, writing our own mad libs, and more.

How to teach regular and irregular past tense verbs! Verb tenses are a difficult concept that are taught best by pattern.

Resources, tips, and materials to help you, help children with autism

This lap book is a fun and practical way to not only practice the R, S, Z, L, SH, CH, J, and TH speech sounds, but also learn about the way we produce them. This product is similar to the Early Sounds Articulation Lap Book, but adapted for an older age group. This product also comes in a money-saving bundle. Articulation Lap Book BUNDLE It includes more than just coloring and word lists. Students will learn about the articulators, placement and voicing of their target sound, review goals, and can even track their progress. Of course, there is also a word list so students have a resource from which to practice their sounds. Pages are as simple print-friendly as possible, with directions typed right on the page with the cut-out elements. Plus, elements are organized so most pages are not sound-specific, meaning easier prep for you, the SLP. **FAQs** 1. Do these use a standard manila folder? -Yes. I used a standard "letter size" manila folder for these with my students and also in the photos on the covers and thumbnails. 2. Are these designed per student or per sound? -These are designed for each student to create their own, specific to their target sound. Many of the elements are open-ended and students will write or assemble their own specific information, while some elements already have the sound printed on them. **Customer Tips** Become a Follower!: Simply look for the star by my logo to follow me and be the first to hear about new products, freebies, and sales. Find Me!: Find me on social media for updates and ideas! Facebook and Instagram (@kiwi_speech) are great places to start! Earn Credits!: Don’t forget to provide feedback for your purchases to earn credits for future purchases.

This pack of opposite activities is full of variety! Get opposite bingo, opposite matching cards, and more in this fun bundle. The pack is perfect for young learners as well as students learning English or older, struggling learners.In the bundle you will find20 large opposite cards - with real phot...

My kids and I LOVE this Reading Rainbow book: The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash. I really wanted some extra activities to go along with it, but couldn’t find any free ones online. So….I made some! And some awesome news: I have it here to share with you guys for FREE!! Like my other book packs, it is a small set of consumable and re-usable printables to help expand your child’s experience with the book. I’ve included lots of extra ideas as well. It went along perfectly with our farm unit, and we even threw in an impromptu Boa Constrictor lesson too. Here’s a look at what we did: Click for Free Printables: The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash We read the book every day during our circle time, focusing on a different part of the story each time. For example, one day we talked about farms, another we talked about snakes, another we talked about cause and effect, and consequenses too. On the last day we talked about illustrations and how we can tell a story and expand on a story idea through pictures. We also checked out this video of the story. I let Elaina choose what part of the pack she wanted to do each day. She was perfectly challenged with the Beginning and Ending Sounds Clip Cards. She was so proud of herself for being able to complete these simple math equations: Throwing Eggs and Corn. I came up with a few scenarios (Jenny threw three eggs at Jimmy and Lisa threw one egg at Tommy. How many eggs where thrown?) She used the cut-outs to help her count and then found the numbers to mark her answer. Then she made her own word problems, and tested me! We did this one each day. She drew her own boa under the wash… And did some Spelling Words from the story on our own little "clothesline". We went over the Golden Rule for her memory work this week: Treat others the way you want to be treated. She knows this well, as it is part of our family mantra. She is still learning how to apply it though…. This provided a natural way to discuss the children in the book, and how they acted towards each other and the animals on the farm. And that lead us to talk about Cause and Effect. This book is perfect for illustrating this concept. The cow was crying….because the haystack fell on her. The haystack fell on her….because the farmer knocked it over with his tractor. We planned to visit a farm, but with our upcoming move, that has been put on the back burner. She drew a picture of one though and narrated to me her memory of last years trip to the farm. (I love the pig and sheep she drew!) Elaina surprised me and asked to do a KWL chart on Boa Constrictors! Yes we can! We used National Geographic for our animal facts and also watched this YouTube video and some others. I was totally creeped out with with all the snakes…but she loved it! Ewe… After that we created our own masterpieces and painted some boa’s. The girls both did a ton of other fun farm activities that we own including String-A-Farm… Listen and Learn Farm Sounds Bingo… Farm Fun Magnetic Learning Set and sound blocks… And a lot of imaginary play with Little People Farm set. Even Duck the cat got to play! They both enjoyed the Farm Felt set… Farm animal lacing… Leap Frog Fridge Farm…. And lots of puzzles! We used this set of story prompts for the Farmer In the Dell and played a fun dice game called Roll-a-Barn. We could have easily expanded this theme for another week, but alas, everything is now in boxes at the new place. Tomorrow I am hopeful to start unpacking and setting up the school room. You'd never believe how much stuff I have....hopefully I can find a place for it all! For other fun book packs click here! All of the Book Packs are provided free of charge, and I hope that they enrich your homeschool experience and make your planning a little easier! I would love to hear from you if you have used these book packs. Please link back directly to my blog, not the document link provided. Thanks!

These three activities use Semantic feature analysis (SFA). Students use a grid to help students see how topics are related to one another.

I use adapted Fairy Tale books in my classroom so my visual learners can access and understand the story in a simplified way. Each page of the story Ive added detachable visuals so young learners i…

This is a back cover I had the privilege of doing for Highlights for Children (click to get a subscription!). I've never illustrated a "What's Wrong" for them so this was very exciting for me. I was asked by the Art Director to deliberately pull back so we could see more people and things going on, that way the viewer has more things to search for. I have to say this was much easier than making hidden pictures since I felt that I could kind of let loose and show my humor a bit more. The only difficult part about this one was the odd layout of the back cover that you can see below. It's just a matter of making sure everything fit comfortably but it really wasn't too hard to deal with. Gratefully I am currently working on another "What's Wrong?" I think this one will be published on the October 2009 back cover but I am not entirely sure. Meanwhile, here's something completely different... My sister-in-law, Kelsey, interviewed me a few years ago for a school paper about art in elementary school: 1. What do you do?(what is your "art") I consider myself a cartoonist and an illustrator. I mainly work in ink and color most of my work with watercolors or Photoshop. I am also an instructor at my alma mater the Hussian School of Art in Philadelphia. I teach the computer programs Photoshop and Quark as well as the more traditional classes like Figure Construction and Introduction to Fantasy Art as well as Experimental Workshop. 2. What is your educational background? The answer you're probably looking for is that I have an Associates Degree in "Specialized Technology" but that sounds about as boring as Al Gore. I attended 4 years of intensive commercial art training at the Hussian School of Art. I studied mainly illustration but cartooning and design were always entwined in my work. In this field it doesn't matter what degree you have so long as you can do the work. One of my favorite Children's book illustrators, Stephen Gammel, never had an art lesson in his entire life and he produces some of the most wonderful illustrations I have ever seen. 3. Why do you do your art, i.e. what kind of enjoyment or fulfillment do you get out of it. First, why do I do it? Honestly, because I have to, I want to, and I need to. I can't imagine living my life doing something other than drawing. I know beyond a question of a doubt that I was born to draw, as to what specific genre can change but I know that I will always be drawing. Even when there isn't a pencil in my hand I am almost always mentally drawing. It can be distracting at times. As for enjoyment, it really depends on what I'm working on or who I'm creating it for. All artists are affirmation junkies. We live on it. Not that we need a, "job well done" all the time, we just need to know someone sees it and more importantly understands it. The enjoyment I find is when someone sees a specific detail that I went out of my way to include. The only real fulfillment I get in creating my work is when I'm doing it solely for God. I firmly believe God is the creator, and I feel closest to him when I'm trying to reflect what he has already created. There are times, and I mean this in the most humble way, when I can honestly say it feels like an act of worship. I wish everything I did put me into this state of heart, but like any job there are also days when it just feels like a job that just has to get done. 4. Define creativity? Each of us has seen or experienced something for which we have no words, creativity is our response. I think creativity is also a problem solving process. 5. What were your creative outlets as a child? My Mother would occasionally bring home a small ream of copier paper for us to draw on. My brothers and I would draw for hours. 6. Who encouraged you most in your early years? I think the best part about my upbringing was that I was neither encouraged nor discouraged. After my parents separation, my Mother had to go right to work so there wasn't much time for her to spend with us each day. She just kept supplying the paper and we kept drawing. My brothers were always drawing so I figured that's just what you do when Mom is working. It wasn't really until 8th grade that my family started to take my interest in art seriously. 7. How were they encouraging to you? (e.g.words, exposing you to art, taking you places?) Everyone had their way of encouraging me but I don't know if it was intentional all of the time. My neighbors were always the ones who insisted I'd be an artist when I grew up. Occasionally my brothers brought home comic books and we always had the newspaper lying around were I would get my daily dose of comic strips. Whenever I was out with my Dad he would often make me draw on cocktail napkins that he would show off to his friends. That always made me feel special. Aside from that the most encouraging thing my parents did was buy me an art table for my 12th birthday which gave me a place to focus my energies. I still use that table to this day. 8. How important was it for you to have support? As a kid, I never realized that I needed any kind of support so much as more paper to draw on. I just drew and that was what I did. I had a great group of friends that shared my love of drawing which challenged me to strive harder. As an adult I now realize just how important support and community are as an artist. Being an illustrator is an extremely lonely job. You spend the majority of your time alone with a scary intimidating blank piece of paper and your thoughts. To have someone to bounce ideas off of or just talk to about what you're trying to accomplish is extremely comforting. 9. What is your inspiration? My inspiration is nothing in-particular as much as it is a combination of things. It can depend upon where I am, who I'm with or what mood I'm in. As a young artist inspiration was something that I depended on. After years of training inspiration is something that I have learned to control. Simply put if I've got a tight deadline I don't have the luxury of waiting for inspiration to strike, I've just to to get drawing. Still, there are those times when I see something so lovely that demands to be drawn. Other artists work is also an inspiration, which is one of the benefits of teaching aspiring artists. 10. Who discouraged you the most? I can't recall anyone in particular being overly negative toward me on a consistent basis. I've always been very hard on myself because I always wanted to be better than I was, which is probably why I am where I am. Van Gogh once said that he could only get better if he surpassed himself. Even as a professional I still strive to be better than I was a year ago. One of the hardest things to deal with in the art field is rejection. You try not to take it personally, but since your art is so much a part of you it's hard to make that separation. Fortunately at Hussian I had honest and straight forward teachers who taught me to take that rejected art and improve on it. If you think it can only get better, than there's hope. 11. When did you discover you were an "artist"? One day at nursery school we had a project in which we had to glue a leaf to a piece of construction paper and draw on a face, arms, and legs. Later, when my Mother arrived to pick me up, the teacher excitedly showed her what I had done. Apparently I had drawn more than the face, arms and legs. I drew the private parts. All of them. The teacher thought it was amazing because I was noticing things that the others were not. She insisted that I was going to grow up to be an artist. For the rest of the year that perverted leaf man hung on her locker for all to see. I wish I could see that again. 12. Did you ever want to do anything else? I've always wanted to be an astronaut and I still do. 13. What was the influence of elementary schooling on you as an artist? Being a small Catholic school in Philadelphia we didn't have much in the areas of an art program. Because of this our art classes were never consistent, but when I got word that we were having one I looked forward to it more than Christmas. I loved and did the best I possibly could with each project. Most of the time the projects would challenge me enough to go home and try it again and again. It's a funny thing with art, just when you think you've got something nailed down, along comes someone who shows you something that alters your thinking and it opens up another avenue you never imagine existed. Suddenly you look at something as routine as pencils and paints like you never have before. 14. Did you encounter problems (e.g. how you were received/treated by teachers)? For the most part I was appreciated for my talent and even at a young age my teachers often times asked me to create art for the school or the teacher's classrooms. There's only one teacher I can think of that discouraged me and I wasn't even in his class. I was waiting in the Deans of students office because my Mother and the Principal were having a meeting in another office. The Dean was having a meeting with another parent and the student's teacher, Mr. Franchino. I was minding my own business sitting in the corner drawing away as usual. For no reason what so ever, Mr. Franchino walked up to me and inquired about what I was doing. I told him I was just drawing. He scoffed and proceeded to yell that I should, "do something useful with my life, like homework." Everyone in the room got a good laugh and I felt humiliated. 15. What is your opinion about the teaching of art in elementary school? I think art is the most important subject in school today. With all of the distractions that kids have (TV, video games, internet,etc.) it's a wonder that they have time at all to do their homework let alone discover the joys of being creative. A structured art class can allow children to try and imagine things they never have before. Part of the problem with adults is that most of them have lost that kind of imagination at about the age of 12 and easily forget how important art is. The more I teach the more I observe how art is literally everywhere. Our society depends on it. When most people think of art they automatically think of paintings or illustrations but a creative person is responsible for nearly everything we use everyday. From lightbulbs to buildings to clothes to our own written language, a creative person first had to imagine it before it became reality for us all. 16. What suggestions do you you have for... a) a budding artist (The following has some quotes from Michael Card's Scribbling in the Sand of which I agree wholeheartedly) First, fill your day and your mind with curiosity. Always remain teachable; ask questions of everyone and don't hide your ignorance. Second, your art skills will only improve with practice. Your talent is not a license to be lazy. I know it is difficult at first, but in time you will see results. Draw as much as you possibly can. Draw everything you see and experience. Search for the beauty in the ordinary and interpret it for those who cannot. Third, on a spiritual level, please remember that only God can imagine and make something out of nothing. He is the only one who deserves the title of creator. We are merely creative. Be simple and straightforward about your art. Don't mysticize your relation to it. Love it, yes, just as God loves a zebra. But don't outstep him by saying that you are your art when he can't say that he is a zebra. Remember that the greatest work of art is infinitely less worth in God's eyes than the person who made it. Your growth as an artist is not in being able to impress others, but rather it comes by understand how limited you are. Humble yourself before God and the talents he has blessed you with and use them to respond to his beauty and the love he has for you. b) a future elementary school teacher I firmly believe that the best way to teach is visually. Whenever possible do everything in your power to teach visually. If you need to take the extra time to make models or props to teach a lesson please do so. Visual aids transcend any language and provide images for a child to remember which will last longer than any words spoken. A child's mind is immeasurably imaginative and as teachers I believe it is your responsibility to respond to it's beauty and not quiet it with mere words.