/S/ Loaded Paragraphs for Winter and Christmas

I've been using my /R/ Loaded Paragraphs all week long and have been really pleased with the results.  They are jam-packed with /r/ words to practice, and are perfect for practicing auditory memory skills.  One of my readers suggested that I make a set to target /s/, so I did!  Here they are, four more little stories, two about Christmas and two about winter.

Each story includes targets in the initial, medial and final positions of words, and an open-ended question for expanded discussion and opportunity for carryover.  The worksheet includes four questions for comprehension about each story.  I have used this worksheet in two ways:  one, for my own data collecting purposes, and the other as an assist to the students who need the questions in written format to aid in comprehension.

These great little stories are a FREEBIE in my TpT store!  Grab them here and please let me know what you think. Your feedback is invaluable!


Enjoy!

One Idea from Pinterest Turned into Multi-purpose Fun!

A couple of weeks ago I pinned this cute  What's in the Stocking activity from Pinterest:

It comes from a blog called Little Wonders Days and is such a great idea that I just had to try it!

Of course, everything I make or plan depends on the needs of my current caseload, so this one started as an activity to do with my s-blend kids.

I found 22 different objects whose names started with an s-blend and put them in a Christmas stocking. The kids removed them one at a time and used the carrier phrase, "I found the _______ in my stocking," giving them the opportunity to say two s-blend words in one sentence.

The kids enjoyed this activity, and I could have just left it at that, but I had to change it up a little.  I put all 22 objects in a mayo jar and filled the jar with rice.  I made a list of everything in the jar and gave it to the child with the instructions to find each item on the list by rolling, turning and shaking the jar.  The one firm rule was that they could NOT remove the lid.

This has been quite the hit, I have to tell you!  EVERY kid on my caseload is completely enthralled with it, and it's use has expanded way beyond /s/ blend articulation!  Yesterday I used it for the following purposes:

        *  /r/ sound carryover:  "I'm looking for ....", "It's right there.", "Here is the ....."

        *  Categorization:  How many things are Christmas Things, Winter Things or Other?

        *  A distraction activity for a girl with tongue thrust to practice her resting posture for 5 minute
             segments

        *  Improving processing time/speed of task completion:  I have a couple of kids on the spectrum who take a lot of time to execute the steps necessary to complete a task.  We used a stopwatch and raced to see how many objects we could find in 3 minute segments.

        *  Following steps of a process:  I used the list worksheet and added category boxes.  We found an  item on the list, crossed it off, and then recorded it in the category box.  Sounds easy, right?  It wasn't for this particular second grader.  He needed to be reminded to complete the last step in almost half of the opportunities.

        *  My littles liked it too.  We worked on action words like shake, roll, and tip.  We just named things that we saw.

These are the worksheets that I made to go with the jar.  The first one is the list...

...and the second one is the list with the category boxes.  I'd share them with you, but your list will be different then mine.

These activities were actually very easy to put together.  Finding all the objects was the hardest part!  I hope you'll try it.  If  you do, please share with me how you used it.


Pam

/R/ Loaded Paragraphs for Christmas

Today I'm sharing my /R/ Loaded Paragraphs for Christmas with you.  I have several kids working on their carryover skills and couldn't find any /r/ packed paragraphs to send home for practice, so I made some!  This download has four paragraphs for you to cut out and use individually or as a set.  Each one describes an event that commonly occurs at Christmas, and finishes with an opportunity for conversation about the event.  I don't know about you, but I find making that leap from saying the /r/ sound correctly while reading to using it correctly in spontaneous conversation is very difficult for many of my kids.  I'm hoping giving them a structured topic will help.

I am also planning to use these paragraphs with my kids who are improving their auditory memory skills.  Each one describes a sequence and is packed with details to remember.  I can think of several who, what, where and when questions to ask about each one!  *Update:  I've added a worksheet for details/sequencing to the download.  I plan to use this worksheet for data collection.

Would you like a copy? You can download them from my TpT store.

Using YouTube Videos in Treatment: A Toy Train in Space

I stumbled upon the most wonderful video yesterday on YouTube.  It's called A Toy Train in Space.

It's a wonderful little video made by a father about his son's favorite train, Stanley.  Together, father and son attach Stanley to a weather balloon and launch him into space.  A video camera captures Stanley's journey to the stratosphere and back to earth, while father and son track him on their computer.  There is very little dialog, if any, but the fabulous video footage and editing/animation tell a very engaging story that's sure to delight kids young and old.  I've used it several times already this week with great results.  After viewing the video, my kids have asked wonderful questions, such as "What is the stratosphere?" and "How did they make Stanley's face move?" which lead to rich discussion and research.  View this video for yourself here:

I can see using this video with my youngest to oldest kids on my caseload.  One way I used it this week  for my older kids working on the /r/ sound was to make a list of words that might be used to retell the story in the video that contain the /r/ sound.  Then, I made a template for them to use to generate the story sequence and to use the target words in sentences.  It looks like this:

You can download my worksheet here.

I've got some more ideas of ways to use this video, but I've got to create the materials before I share them with you.  Check back in a few days!

Nice chatting with you,

Pam

A Great Game for Practicing Final R Words

I just had to share another one of my favorite games.  It is called One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish Memory Game, and I use it for working on the Final R sound.  The game box has five hidden windows on it with removable panels that are labeled "near", "far", "here", "there" and "somewhere".  Objects are hidden below the panels in a sea of tiny blue beads.  To play the game, the player spins the spinner which tells him or which panel he can remove.  The player turns over a card which tells him which object to look for.  If one of the objects hiding behind the panel matches the card, the player keeps the card and draws another.  Play continues until a player collects six cards.

The spinner tells you where you can look; If you land on "Wave", you need to shake the game to mix up the hidden objects.

Example of hidden objects once a panel is removed.

This game is great for working on the following words:

     here     there     near     far   somewhere     there   anywhere   for    or     more

If we are at the sentence level, I have the student say a sentence including two location names and the object before he removes a panel.  It might go like this:  "Look near or far for a red fish."  If he finds what he's looking for, he gets to look for more items in the same location, so I have him say, "Look for more."  Sometimes I write out the target phrases/sentences on a card with the "r's" highlighted as a prompt to remember to say all those "r's" correctly.

This game can take up to 15 minutes to complete, but it provides numerous opportunities to practice those "r's".  The kids request it repeatedly, so I know they like it, too!

Have fun!

Pam

Move and Talk: Story Templates for Tapikeo HD

Last month, I shared with you how I used the Tapikeo HD app to create an interactive activity in one of my treatment sessions.  Many of you showed interest in that particular activity, so together with Takikeo's developer, Jean-Eudes Lepelletier, I created a couple of free templates for treatment activities to share with you.  These templates have been made available on Jean-Eudes' website and Facebook page and right here on my blog!

The first is called Move and Talk: Colors.  It is a little story that incorporates following directions, colors and movement, and can be customized to target specific speech and/or language goals.  This is how I use it:

Move and Talk: Colors Template as it appears when you download it onto Tapikeo HD

After downloading the grid from the server and opening it in my Tapikeo app, I am ready to make it my own.  First, I find it in the "Your Exports" section of the Grid Manager.  I select "Import", which moves a copy of the template to the "Your Grids" section of the Grid Manager.  I select the template then go to Grid Settings to rename this story.  Then I press "done" and am ready to create my story.  Next, press "Select and Play, and then press "edit", which you will find at the bottom of the screen.

Cell 2 - Customization

Cell 1 - Direction for the Child

I show the child the first cell, and read the text.  While the child finds a red object, I touch the second cell.  (By the way, I usually collect objects of various colors beforehand and keep them in a large basket that is accessible to the child.  This saves a bunch of time!)  I touch the "new" button to take a picture of the child performing the action.  This photo will become page 2 of our story and will replace the text or photo that appears in this cell as a template.  I then ask the child to say a target word, phrase, or sentence, and record him or her saying it.  For this example, the child said "Red on my head", because we were working on using the final /d/ sound.  We play it back to review, and if we are satisfied, I touch "done", which takes us back to the main grid.  I repeat this sequence for each of the colors in the story until it is completed.

Example of a  template cell in Play Mode

Example of a customized cell in Play Mode

When all the cells are completed, you are ready to play back your story.  Touch "play" at the bottom of the screen, and touch the blinking cell in the upper left corner of the grid.  That's it!  Easy!  And completed in less than 15 minutes.

The second story is one I use with my /r/ kids, to increase the level of difficulty while they practice saying target words in phrases and sentences.  It is called Move and Talk: Final AR.  This is what it looks like:

Move and Talk: Final AR Template

 Use this template in the same way as described for the Move and Talk: Color story, except record the child saying the target phrase or sentence as directed in the story.

Move and Talk:  Final AR grid with photos added

Template text disappears when you add a photo to the grid;  Add your own text by typing it in during the customization process.

So what do you think?  Do you like these?  If so, you can download one or both of them here (once you purchase the Tapikeo HD app):

Move and Talk: Colors
.tpk file:  http://bit.ly/MoveWithColorsTpk
web version:  http://bit.ly/MoveWithColorsInternet

Move and Talk: Final AR
.tpk file:  http://bit.ly/MoveTalkFinalAR_Tpk
web version:  http://bit.ly/MoveAndTakFinalAR_Web


If you don't already have the Tapikeo HD app, now is a great time to get it, because the 3.0 version is just being released.  You can purchase it through the App Store today!

I'd love your feedback on these templates.  I've been enjoying using them with my kids, and their parents absolutely love them!  I've got some other ideas in the works too; let me know if you want me to share them.

By the way, can you tell I just love Tapikeo HD?  It can be used SO MANY different ways with every child and family on my caseload.  The possibilities are endless!  A HUGE thanks to Jean-Eudes for creating this fabulous treatment tool!

Nice chatting with you!

Pam