May is Better Speech and Hearing Month!!! BIG things planned!!

Better Speech and Hearing Month

To me the month of May means flowers beginning to bloom, birds chirping, sunny, warm weather, the school year is coming to an end, and of course BETTER SPEECH AND HEARING MONTH!!

Retrieved from http://www.asha.org/bhsm/

I have many different things planned for the entire month of May which I hope you will all find exciting and informative.  Throughout the month, there are many SLP bloggers that will be featured on my blog.  A huge THANK YOU goes out to all of the bloggers who have volunteered to take the time to create guest posts to share with all of you!  Some of the amazing topics you will see are large group language activities, fluency, behavior management, DIY articulation activities, and more!  Some of the SLPs may even have a few new activities to share with you.

To kick off BSHM, I wanted to share some fun facts, articles, websites, and TpT sources with you.  So here we go….

ASHA has an entire section on their website dedicated to BSHM which you will find HERE.  While you are checking out the website, be sure to download the awesome poster (similar to the logo seen above)  to display in your classroom, office, or school.  There are also products available for purchase, resources for your practice or school, and more! 

Below are two short articles/information pieces about Speech-Language Pathologists jobs and Speech Facts!

Did you know? retrieved from http://www.speakingofspeech.com/uploads/Week_1_BSHM_did_you_know.pdf

Did you know that delayed speech development is one of the most common symptoms of developmental delay in children? It occurs in 5-10% of all children.

Did you know that there are many factors that contribute to or cause communication disorders or deficits? A hearing loss, illness, injury, and congenital or psychological conditions are just some examples of such contributing factors.

Did you know the impairments that a Speech Language Pathologist can treat include voice, fluency, language and articulation disorders?

Did you know that because the structures used for speaking are the same structures used for chewing and swallowing, an SLP can also treat various feeding and swallowing disorders (often referred to as dysphagia)?

Speech-Language Pathologist Job Facts retrieved from http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/speech-language-pathologist

In the USA there are currently 117,000 therapists working in hospitals, schools, private offices, and nursing homes, devising treatment plans that involve such things as vocal lessons, muscle and swallowing exercises, or teaching someone how to communicate using alternative methods.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts a hiring boom for speech-language pathologists.  The BLS expects approximately 28,800 new openings in this field before 2020 to accommodate the aging population.

Speech-language pathologists have seen a pretty good spike in pay just from 2010 to 2011. In 2011, the average salary for therapists was $69,100. Generally, jobs within healthcare pay more than schools pay for speech therapists.

Be sure to check out the full article (LINK) for more information regarding salary, training, reviews & advice, and more.

Next up is a list of websites, blogs, and TpT sources that I think you will find useful for BSHM:

Websites

http://www.speakingofspeech.com/May_is_BSHM_Materials.html

http://pinterest.com/ashaweb/better-hearing-speech-month-ideas/

http://www.asha.org/bhsm/

Blog sources

http://www.speechguy.net/may-is-better-speech-and-hearing-month

Thank you notes for things won during BHSM:http://consonantlyspeaking.com/posts/2012/05/making-sure-to-say-thank-you-for-bhsm-app-donations-giveaways-and-sales
BHSM coloring page with homework:http://consonantlyspeaking.com/posts/2012/05/better-hearing-and-speech-month-coloring-page-with-suggested-homework-activities
Free BHSM printables:http://consonantlyspeaking.com/posts/2012/05/free-printables-for-better-hearing-and-speech-month
What Does Better Hearing and Speech Mean to You? worksheet:http://consonantlyspeaking.com/posts/2012/05/what-does-better-hearing-and-speech-mean-to-you-worksheet
ABCs 4 SLPs: B is for BHSM:http://consonantlyspeaking.com/posts/2012/08/abcs-4-slps-b-is-for-better-hearing-and-speech-month

TpT Clip Art

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Better-Speech-and-Hearing-Month-Subway-Art

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/SLP-Clip-Art-Freebie

TpT Speech Language Pathology Brochures/Checklists, Powerpoints, and Information Packets

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Role-of-SLPs-in-Schools

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Language-Processing-Disorder-Powerpoint-for-Speech-Language-Pathologists

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Speech-Therapy-Speech-Language-Pathology-in-the-Schools-Brochure

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Explanation-of-Speech-Language-Therapy-Powerpoint-For-Inservices-Etc

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Recognizing-Speech-Language-delay-in-school-age-children-A-Tutorial

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/K-5-Common-Core-Standards-Supporting-IEP-Goals-for-English-Language-Arts

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/6-12-Common-Core-Standards-Supporting-IEP-Goals-for-English-Language-Arts

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/PreK-Speech-and-Language-Checklists

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kindergarten-Speech-and-Language-Guidelines-Checklists

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/May-Better-Speech-Hearing-Month

Be sure to click on the side of my blog to follow me!!  There will be tons of posts with valuable information and fun activities all month long!  A huge thank you again to all the SLP bloggers who volunteered to write guest posts during the month of May.  You don’t want to miss them!!  Thanks so much for your continued support.

Kristine

Live Love Speech

Articulation Flowers!

Here in NJ we are finally getting nice, warm weather!  It is actually starting to feel like Spring.  The beautiful weather has inspired me to create some new activities for the speech room.  The first one I want to share with you is articulation flowers.  

Here is what I used for this activity:

Different colored die-cut flowers, construction paper, glue sticks, articulation pictures (according to your student's goals), and crayons.

Above are two of my students working on their adorable articulation flowers.  I gave them 3 pages of pictures with their speech sounds and had them choose around 10 pictures.  They chose to color their pictures.  My students each glued 5 of the die-cut flowers on a piece of construction paper.  Next, they each cut out all of their pictures.  They glued some of the articulation pictures in the center of the flowers and the rest all over the paper.  

Here are some of the finished projects!  I think they came out absolutely adorable.  Such a cute project for spring!!  I hope you can use this idea in your very own speech room.

Kristine 

Live Love Speech

NEW Cause and Effect Pirate Island!

Happy Friday!  I am so excited to introduce my newest activity which targets reasoning and comprehension!  This activity includes a total of 110 cards.  Your students will love this adorable pirate theme. 

Included:

•Game board

•Cause and Effect Poster

•Set 1: 32 cards: Determine if the underlined part of the sentence is the “cause” or the “effect”.

•Set 2: 32 cards: Matching the “cause” (Pirate cards) with the correct “effect” (Treasure chest cards).

•Set 3: 24 cards: Students will come up with either their own cause (12 cards) or own effect (12 cards).

•Blank cards in each set to create your own phrases or sentences

•Set 1 Answer key

How to play:

Set 1: All game cards should be placed in a pile. Students take turns choosing the top card from the pile and read or listen to the sentence.  Students need to decide whether the underlined part of the sentence is the cause or effect.  If answered correctly, the student rolls the die and moves on the game board.

Set 2:  Place all “pirate” and “treasure chest” cards on table.  Students take turns matching the correct cause to its effect.  Once correctly matched, students should combine the two phrases into a sentence. The student with the most correct matches wins!

Set 3:  All game cards should be placed in a pile.  Students take turns choosing the top card from the pile.  They will create their own cause or effect.  Once answered correctly, the student rolls the die and moves on the game board.

You can grab this activity HERE.  I hope you all enjoy =)

Spring Into Speech Blog Hop!!!!

Spring Into Speech Blog Hop

I am so excited to be a part of another amazing “speechie” giveaway filled with tons of freebies and many prizes!  The SLP community is absolutely amazing and I am so honored to be a part of it!!  This is set up differently than the giveaways in the past, so be sure to read all the directions carefully.  You don't want to miss the chance to win amazing prizes AND 17 awesome FREEBIES!

There are 17 speechie bloggers included in this “Blog Hop” which means 17 Spring-themed FREEBIES for all of you!!!  The overall idea for the “Blog Hop” is put together all the letters featured on each blog post to solve the “spring” phrase.  Once you have figured out phrase, you may enter the giveaway for a chance to win AMAZING prizes!!!

Prizes

1st Prize - $50 Gift Certificate to TpT 

2nd Prize - $30 Gift Certificate to TpT 

3rd Prize - $20 Gift Certificate to TpT

Here is how it works:

Each blogger in the hop has a flower graphic featuring 1 or 2 letters.  You will need to “hop” from blog to blog and “collect” all letters in order to solve the “spring” phrase!!  Each blogger has included an image in their blog posts which directly links to the next blog in the “hop” to make things easier.  Once you have collected all letters and solved the phrase, you can then enter the giveaway.  You will enter via Rafflecopter on Sublime Speech’s page (which is the final blog in the hop!).

As promised, here is a FREEBIE for all of you!!  You can grab it HERE.

Buzzin' True or False
This activity challenges students to decide whether they think statements are true or false. 

To Play: Students take turns choosing and reading cards.  Once answered correctly, the student collects the card. If a student draws a “bee hive” card, he/she gets a free turn! The student with the most cards wins!
CHALLENGE:  Students will explain why they think the statement is false. 

Thank you all for the continued support!  Be sure to follow my page on Facebook, check out my TpT store, and most importantly subscribe (right on the sidebar) to my Blog to get the most up to date information, therapy ideas, and activities from me!!  Good luck!!  

Fun and Creative Spring Activities!!!

I hope you all enjoyed or are currently enjoying your Spring Break!  As always, it went by way too quickly for me; however, I am excited about some of the upcoming spring activities I have planned for my students.  Scroll down to see what supplies are needed and how to make each project seen in the picture!  Hopefully you will be able to use some of these activities in your own speech room or classroom.

Watercolor Butterflies

Supplies needed:  

Coffee filters, pipe cleaners (cut in half), "do a dot" stampers, water bottle, disposable tin trays, and paper plates.

How to make:  

You have probably seen several different versions of this project on Pinterest.  I believe that is where I found the idea last year and just changed things slightly.  First, each student should get a paper plate and coffee filter.  Have the students flatten their coffee filter as best as possible on top of the plate.  Next, I allow the students to take turns choosing "do a dot" colors (approximately 4) and start stamping away!  Remind students to cover as much "white" with color as possible to make for a beautiful/colorful butterfly.  You may need to help your students with this next step.  Carefully pinch the center of the coffee filter and slide on half of a folded pipe cleaner.  Once in place, twist the pipe cleaner 2 or 3 times and separate the ends to look like antennas.  Once the little butterfly is formed, students place them in a disposable tin.  Next is the fun part!  Students take turns using the water bottle and gently spray their butterflies to start blending the colors together.  *Be sure you supervise the last step and make sure the coffee filters do not get too drenched!* 

Here are some of my last year student's butterflies hanging up!  They turned out absolutely adorable!

I Love Bugs!

Supplies needed:  

Any "buggy" book (last year I chose to read I Love Bugs! by Emma Dodd), printable leaf or leaves, crayons, different shaped foam pieces, and glue.  

How to make:  

Each student gets a "leaf", 4 or 5 foam pieces, crayons, and glue.  Students should color their leaf and glue on their foam pieces.  Next, they should make their foam pieces look like "bugs" by drawing stripes, spots, faces, legs, etc.  That's pretty much it!  Super simple and super cute!

Ladybugs

Supplies needed:

Paper plates (cut in half), black pom-poms (small or large), circles and strips cut out of black construction paper, shredded pieces of red tissue paper, glue, and any "ladybug" book (I chose The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle).

How to make:

Each student will glue on pieces of red tissue paper to cover as much white as possible.  Next, flip the plate over and glue on the circle and 2 strips to make it look like a head and antennas.  Once that is done, flip it back over and glue on a few black pom-poms to look like the ladybugs spots.  Last year a few of my students glues on a few black strips around the sides of the plate to look like legs as well.  

Mother's Day (or just for Spring) Flowers

Supplies needed:

Cupcake liners, "do a dot" stampers, construction paper, paper plates, green strips (for stems), green "leaves", crayons, and glue.

How to make:  

This project is similar to the butterflies mentioned earlier minus the spray bottle.  Each student will stamp two cupcake liners (these will be the tops of the flowers).  Next, they will glue on two long strips of green paper (as the stems) and leaves.  *I free handed the leaves but feel free to trace and cut out if you would like*  The tops of the flowers get glued on top of the stems.  Finally, students can address their flowers to whomever they would like (mom, grandmom, sister, etc.).  You can certainly eliminate the personalized part and just use this project as cute spring flowers!

Thanks for checking out these spring activities.  I'd love to hear from you if you use any of them in your own classroom or speech room.