S'more Language Please

My students had a great time with playing S'more Language today. 

I was able to target various student goals of sequencing, following directions, auditory processing, describing, naming, and answering "wh" questions.

The product was just created over the weekend and available for purchase below.  Hey, you can even make some microwavable S'mores after the game.  Have fun!!!

Get it HERE!

A different cause of speech, language, and learning issues

I've been reminded from personal trials of the impact of health on the above stated areas. You see, I have a 3 year old with severe sleep apnea and chronic ear infections. Thankfully, we have her surgery scheduled for next Thursday and looking forward to getting some sleep in our home again.

My little girl has a severe speech delay secondary to her ear infections. She had ear tubes which relieved the pressure but the infections continue. Each time she gets a cold, it stays for weeks and she can't hear. Her tonsils and adenoids are very large and stop her breathing as soon as she hits REM sleep. This wakes her up crying and leaves her tired and moody throughout the day.

In my years as an SLP in the schools, I've noticed students who are nasal, chronically tired, and/or have attention problems. During the evaluation or screening process I always inquire about sleep by asking if the child snores or suffers from ear infections. A referral to an ENT may be indicated and may be life changing for these children.

Being a mother of young children, I will never underestimate the impact of sleep deprivation. There are several studies that link it to poor school/work performance, behavioral issues, ADHD, health problems including weight issues, and depression.

The health aspect of our school age students can often be overlooked. Because of this personal reminder, I will be more deliberate in screening for medical problems which may contribute to learning, speech, and language deficits.

Thanks for reading. Jen

Full of Joy

I'm a busy mom of 3 little girls as well as an SLP. This site is amazing and offers everything for FREE! It has beautiful and creative activities and ideas. Check out imom.com http://www.imom.com/tools/

It's been a busy week off for April break and I've got a ton accomplished: Started this Blog, created 6 products on Teacherspayteachers, began planting veggies, and had some nice time with the family. Off to work tomorrow for the head spinning last 2 months of school. I'll post some good organizational materials when I get my hands on them.

Hands-On Language

We don't usually hear these two words go together, why not?  Most of our students with language needs are hands-on learners.  Providing kinesthetics into our speech and language sessions will add fun and excitement to our students' day.  The movement mode of learning will also increase memory retention.  

Here are a couple of ideas to get you started.   

Leap Frog Language:  Print out lily pads found free on http://www.mycutegraphics.com/. Student takes a turn completing his/her target task and then is able to hop on the lily pads which are spaced on the floor throughout the room.  

Hopscotch Speech:  Section off a hopscotch board on your office floor.  You can use colored tape, colored paper, or even go outside and use chalk on your playground.    Student completes a speech or language task (i.e. artic. cards, problem solving cards, idiom cards, naming cards) and tries their turn at hopscotch.

Hopscotch is included in my new 54 page May Speech and Language packet. Click on my TPT site to the right of the screen.