As school Speech Language Pathologists, we’re always looking for engaging and effective ways to help our students improve their language skills. One timeless resource that is effective is using Aesop’s fables. These classic tales, dating back to ancient Greece, offer more than just moral lessons. They provide rich language and storytelling that can be incredibly beneficial for learners. Let’s explore using Aesop’s fables in speech therapy. Easily Adaptable to a wide range of ages and developmental levels Aesop’s fables can be easily adapted to a wide range of ages and language levels.  Y ..read more

Having a variety of speech cards can help tailor your speech therapy to your students and help stave off boredom during speech therapy. Here are different ways you can use mini artic cards in speech. Use them in crafts. Use them in crafts. Have students glue them to different pictures or crafts, such as these woven books. Have students say their words as they glue the cards to the craft. If you need a quick activity, put out various craft materials and cut out mini artic cards. Have the students create their own crafts. Still have the children say the words if they are attaching the cards. Ti ..read more

Working as a push-in SLP therapist in a preschool classroom can, at times, seem very overwhelming but also very rewarding. Here are four SLP preschool push-in therapy tips to help you and your students have a successful year. Relationships versus Compliance Children, especially at this age, will have difficulty listening to or doing what you say when they don’t trust or know you. Take some time to get to know your students and them you. It does not mean that the children can do whatever they want. You still need to set some boundaries but know that it might take some time as you build a relat ..read more

The start of every school year can be crazy.  I have worked in different organizations and have had various roles within those organizations, and every position had different unique needs as far as start-up went. Here  is the list of activities that I currently do. Take what you can from my list of organizational tips for SLPs, change them and adjust it as needed.. My hope is that we can all get a little more efficient with the back-to-school crazies.   1. Get an up-to-date list of students on my caseload. Students (at least here) tend to move around, so knowing if anyone has l ..read more

Working as a push-in SLP therapist in a preschool classroom can, at times, seem very overwhelming but also very rewarding. Here are four SLP preschool push-in therapy tips to help you and your students have a successful year. Relationships versus Compliance Children, especially at this age, will have difficulty listening to or doing what you say when they don’t trust or know you. Take some time to get to know your students and them you. It does not mean that the children can do whatever they want. You still need to set some boundaries but know that it might take some time as you build a relat ..read more

The start of every school year can be crazy.  I have worked in different organizations and have had various roles within those organizations, and every position had different unique needs as far as start-up went. Here  is the list of activities that I currently do. Take what you can from my list of beginning of the school year organizational tips, change them and adjust it as needed.. My hope is that we can all get a little more efficient with the back-to-school crazies.   1. Get an up-to-date list of students on my caseload. Students (at least here) tend to move around, so kno ..read more

It’s that time of year when classes are starting to wrap up. Many parents are asking, “What can we do over the summer?” Here are some ideas and considerations for summer home programs for speech therapy,  but really they can be used at any time of the year.   Considerations In my experience, the most effective home programs are the ones that are convenient for the parents. Make it too big and complicated, and it will likely overwhelm the parents. Keep the activities short. Parents are much more likely to use activities that only take a few minutes. Use equipment that parents most li ..read more

So we’ve learned about word-finding and how it can impact our students (go here for more info) so now what? Good news.  There are word-finding strategies and activities that you can use in the classroom to help your students with word retrieval difficulties or for your students who have weak vocabulary.   Use Visuals When introducing new topics or concepts, use visuals. Sometimes seeing a picture will help the student retrieve the word. Also, if the student can’t retrieve the word, they can point to the picture. Have a Variety of Alternate Materials Available When learning materials ..read more

Children with language disorders often struggle with understanding and using prepositions.  Prepositions are an important group of words. Understanding prepositions (aka spatial concepts) will help children follow directions. Being able to use them will help children answer questions and make longer more sophisticated language. As such we tend to work on targeting those prepositions in speech therapy. Where to Start? Children learn prepositions easier when they can physically experience the preposition. For example, standing between two chairs. Children with vision and mobility difficult ..read more

With SLPs being involved in social communication, we should be involved in anti-bullying initiatives in schools. So I thought I would talk about activities SLPs can do for Pink Shirt Day. These are also excellent activities for Autism Acceptance Month. Really we should be addressing these needs throughout the year and not only at specific times.   What is Pink Shirt Day? Pink Shirt Day occurs on February 22nd in Canada. It is a day to talk about bullying. Staff and students come to school wearing pink shirts in support of stopping bullying in school. For more information about Pink Shirt ..read more