Five Simple and Engaging Ideas for Teaching "The Group's Plan"

During the last two weeks in social skills, we learned about what it meant to "follow the groups' plan."  We used the book, "The Group Plan " from the We Thinkers! curriculum from Social Thinking© to start our learning.  Following the book, we used several other activities to extend our learning.

Follow a simple recipe.  We decided to make a fall-themed trail mix.  Since none of the students had allergies, picking a recipe was easy!  The students determined that the group's plan was to make the trail mix.  To make it, they each had to contribute by adding an ingredient to the mix.  The favorite part of the group's plan was to enjoy the snack!  (The speech-language pathologist in me couldn't resist creating few directions that included sequential and temporal directions 😉)

Watch For The Birds.  The students watched this video several times.  I wanted them to just enjoy it the first time without any demands.  After the first viewing, I asked the students to watch it again nd think about the groups' plan.  The students enjoyed this video because the group's plan did not go as planned!  This was a great opportunity for talking about why the plan didn't work and the birds' thoughts and feelings throughout the video.

Play a game.  The students played their favorite game Candyland (a group favorite).  The rule was changed so that the person on the left drew a card for the person on their right's turn.  It sounds complicated, but it was just a big enough change for them to work in improving their flexibility AND following the group's plan.

Watch MORE videos about the group's plan.  We watched a series of three short videos about following the groups' plan. 

Create a Not A Box.  This activity was by far the students favorite!  We started by watching an animated video that goes with the book Not A Box by Antoinette Portis. (The video is posted below.)  I split the students in to two groups, giving them a box that I grabbed from the cafeteria earlier that morning.  I gave the students tape, glue, markers, beads, scissors, popsicle sticks, construction paper, and other random supplies that I had in my room.  Their direction was to create a group plan to make the box not a box.  I was surprised at how well they worked together!  They were so creative and had so much fun!

A robot with a necklace!

A castle!

Emotions Review

It's definitely February in my room.  You know, the time of year when the students are beginning to wear on each other just a bit, especially in a smaller-size classroom?  As one parent shared with me this week, "It seems like cabin fever is hitting your room."  I couldn't agree more, but with a Minnesota winter, one never knows if winter really ends in March or May!  With that looming thought, I decided it couldn't hurt to review emotions, which led me to this fun mood bear download.

We set out to make these; it took waaaaay longer than I anticipated, but isn't that the way it always goes?  We had to make a few modifications to get them to stand upright, but the students were excited about them.  I think they turned out cute!

We used the mood bears with this Peanuts video:

I asked questions how the characters felt after a particular incident.  I also asked students to make predictions about how the characters might feel before a situation ended and how they might feel.  They nailed it!  I was so proud, but now I need to work on them understanding how they impact others' feelings.  Looks like our theme for February will be kindness!

Online Stories: A Small Little Treasure

We LOVE books.  We LOVE stories.  We LOVE sharing our favorite books and stories.  (If you aren't familiar with our Book of the Week, check them out!  There are lots of ideas for you!)  We use them constantly in therapy whether with articulation, language, pragmatics, and even fluency.  We use them A LOT.  Sometimes we enjoy taking a break from reading and treating our students to other narrators, which is why we like Storyline Online.  It includes approximately 30 online books; you will recognize many of the titles if you are a book lover as well!

Storytime Online also provides about 100 books online, some of which link to Storyline Online.

We hope you find these sites as awesomely useful as we do!

Social Skills and Videos: Making the Most of Your Videos

Last week we posted about five of our favorite series to use with students when teaching social skills. It's challenging  for us to find a good series with characters who use only nonverbal communication that are also student-friendly.  We often find the one-shot fabulous short film, but then we are left trying to find something else the next time.  (If you'd like to check out that post, you can find it here.)

So now that you've found your perfect video. What next?  

Decide how you are going to present it.

Will you be using a SmartBoard?  iPads?  Personally, we love to use Zaption, which is a video editing tool that allows you to create a "tour" with a video.  You can add captions, questions, other clips or pictures to create a tailored learning experience.  (If you'd like to learn more about Zaption, click here.)  

Decide which skill(s) you want to focus on.

This is HUGE for us.  If we do not stay focused, we become tangential because there is so much that can be done (and because we are a tad bit passionate about what we do).  We target a variety of skills, which often lend to Social Thinking® vocabulary and the Zones of Regulation®:

• predicting and inferencing
• "thinking with your eyes"
• identifying thoughts and feelings in multiple characters (perspective-taking)
• "me thinking" versus "thinking about others"
• identifying emotions through facial expressions
• identifying emotions using the Zones of Regulation®
• "following the groups' plan"
• "brain and body in the group"
• identifying problems
• discussing solutions, why they did/did not work, and generating alternative solutions

Brainstorm questions.

This may seem like common sense or a pain when you are in a hurry, but it really only takes a matter of minutes.  Getting a few questions down on paper will help you to start your lesson; you will begin to improvise very quickly.  It never hurts to have a simple guide because, as we all know, things never go as planned!

Make it a big deal.

Get excited.  If you're excited, your students be excited.  Our students become so eager when they know they get to watch videos.  Just saying the word YouTube with our students resonates enthusiasm.  Why? Because we make it a BIG deal!


Explain the skill.
Share the skill you will be working on and why it is important.  Let the students know what you expect them to know by the end of the session.

Encourage students to take the lead.

Our students LOVE when they get to play the role of "teacher;" they love to have a voice.  It really helps to involve all students, even those who are quieter.  We find students participation increases as they are able to build on ideas presented by others.  Their thoughts trigger other thoughts, and they begin to have a shared understanding of a certain skill or skills. (The hidden benefit to this is that you can informally asses students, too!)

Wrap it up.
Ask the students to make a connection whether it is a personal experience, a fictional scenario, or whatever it is they may have to share.  By doing this, you are making their learning experience authentic.

We hope you have found a helpful nugget of information.  Please share anything that you have found helpful, too.  We'd love to hear it!

Good luck with your video venturing!

Social Skills and Videos: Our Favorite Series

Videos and social skills go together like coffee and creamer, at least in my world!  They are fun, engaging, and a great way to teach social skills, which we already know, but how do you choose the right ones and use them effectively?  Over the the next few weeks, we will have a series of posts about how to do just that!

The first part of having a successful social skills lesson is having great videos.  I know it's not an "aha" moment, but it's important nonetheless.  When you're scrambling to pull together a lesson, it's not always easy to find what you're looking for, and when you do, it's often one video and then you're left scrambling again the next time.  We have a few favorite series that we'd like to share.

Wallace and Gromit
We were first introduced to these British clay animation characters from a colleague who was introduced to them years ago by Michelle Garcia Winner.  Wallace is an absent-minded inventor whose dog and best friend, Gromit, often exceeds his intelligence.  Gromit is a kind-hearted dog with a bit more sense than Wallace.  Gromit does not talk, but he uses an abundance of facial expressions and body language to communicate.

Shaun the Sheep
This animated series features a Shaun, a mischievous and confident sheep who often gets himself and others into a series of conundrums but manages to find ways out of trouble.  This series does not include dialogue, so similar to Gromit, Shaun's use of facial expressions and body language, paired with his vocalizations and diagrams help him to communicate.  This series was a spin-off of Wallace and Gromit, so if you like that series, you're sure to like this one, too!

Masha and the Bear
I came across this series as I was watching Netflix on a rainy afternoon this summer with my daughter.  Within the first few minutes, I knew this was a great series to use for my social skills groups!  It is based on a Russian folk tale with relatable characters.  Masha is a sweet, happy, and curious girl.  Bear, a retired circus performer, tries feverishly to keep Masha out of trouble.  Masha, her father, and her cousin are the only characters who talk.  Bear and his other friends use great facial expressions and gestures to communicate.

Zig and Sharko

This French animated series includes a number of characters, none of whom speak.  There are four main characters: Zig, a hyena, who tries to capture Marina; Sharko, agreat white shark, protects Marina from Zig; Marina, a mermaid, is naive and unaware that Zig is after her; and Bernie, a hermit crab, is Zig's best friend.  I have not spent much time watching or using these videos, but I plan to this year!  The crazy chaos of who is after who sounds absolutely comical.

Mr. Bean
Yes, Mr. Bean.  His over-exaggerated facial expressions are great for students to interpret.  Mr. Bean often finds himself in lots of trouble, trying to solve every day problems.  This series is great for problem-solving and understanding others' perspectives.

There they are: five of our most favorite short series.  If you find one you like, you're in luck because there are more!  Our students get so excited when they know that we are watching a social skills video, and their learning is amazing!  As always, please be sure to view the video before showing it.  You never know what may pop up!  Please check back to read our upcoming post about how to use the videos during social skills.

Following Directions with Music

The end of the year is winding down, and the students' attention to typical academic learning is dwindling...fast. In actuality, ours is too, so who are we kidding?  We're trying every trick in our book, and we have finally found success: following directions with music!  The students are really enjoying this.  In a time when they are easily distracted by thoughts of summer fun and a break from homework, we are finding that this holds their attention.  The best part?  They don't even realize that it's a goal-driven activity.  They think we are just the "fun" people!

Here are a list of a few of our favorites:

The Cha-Cha Slide by Mr. C The Slide Man


If You're A Kid (Dance Around!)


The Sid-Shuffle - Ice Age: Continental Drift


Following Directions with Exercise


Hand Clapping Game "Bim Bum"
This one is TOUGH but the students love it!


Follow Me (Children's Song) by Patty Shukla


Twist-Learn Right and Left by Patty Shukla
Patty has a lot of videos that teach children concepts while following directions.  Check them out on YouTube!


Just Dance Kids 2 - Hokey Pokey


Just Dance Kids If You're Happy And You Know It


These are just a few of the many songs out there.  Please share your favorites with us!

Book of the Week: Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin and James Dean

Summary: 
Pete the Cat has a contagious attitude, and it's no different in this book!  Pete's brand new white shoes seem to stay anything but clean, but he doesn't let that bother him.  Find out how Pete's shoes change color in this fun and engaging book.

Story Questions:
Are you allowed to wear new shoes outside to play as soon as you get them?  Why or why not?
Why did Pete's shoes turn red?
Why did Pete's shoes turn blue?
Why did Pete's shoes turn brown?
Why did Pete's shoes get wet?
Have you ever worn wet shoes?  If so, how did that feel?
Share a time when your shoes got dirty or wet.  What happened to make them that way?  What did you do?  Did you have the same attitude as Pete?

Want more Pete?  We have a free cause and effect activity at our TpT store!

Don't have the book?  Check out this great video!

Our Top 5 Seasonal Clips for Social Language

It is that time of year again-Elf on the Shelf, Reindeer, Stockings and Trees. This week in social skills our students are continuing their social detective work, by identifying if a character leaves a "thumbs-up" impression or a "thumbs-down" impression. We thought we would tie our social learning to the season with some great Winter and Christmas themed videos. As we go through these clips, we will ask our students to take the detective work one step farther, by inferring information about the situation and thinking about how the character can change other's thoughts and feelings. Please note that we use YouTube as our source for the videos and while we have previewed the videos, PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH LETTING STUDENTS WATCH THE ADVERTISEMENTS AND PICTURES THAT LOAD AT THE END. Here are our top picks:

1.) Buddy the Elf -Discovers New York



Questions to ask the students as you watch the video:

-Why does buddy think the man in red is Santa?
-Buddy is waving to a man, what is the man actually doing? What kind of impression is buddy making?
-Why does buddy run into the coffee shop and yell congratulations?
-What is the woman thinking when she sees buddy running in the revolving door? What will he do next? What impression is he making?
-What can he do to change the weird thoughts about him?

2.) Elf-  Talking about Santa

 

 Questions to ask the students as you watch the video:

-Buddy is arguing about the North Pole and Snow? What impression does this leave?
-How does the boss feel about him arguing? How can you tell?
-How does the boss feel about Buddy smiling? Why?
-What impression is buddy making about smiling with nothing funny going on?
-Why is Buddy screaming? What impression does he make?
-Buddy is only thinking about Santa? Would you want to still be his friend?
-How can he change the boss's weird thoughts?


3.) The Grinch- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppWrbYC3WwQ

Questions to ask the students as you watch the video:

-During this clip does the Grinch think about himself or others? How can you tell?
-The grinch's heart is two sizes too small? Does that affect his feelings?
-What is your impression of the grinch? How could he change it by what he says and does?
-Do you think the Grinch is lonely? Why or Why not?


4.) Frozen- Olaf, Anna, Sven-First Impressions

 

Questions to ask the students as you watch the video:

-Olaf does not remember Anna and says,"Hi I'm Olaf, I love warm hugs?" Is that a good first impression? What could he say instead? 

-Anna introduces herself is this expected or unexpected? What are the clues you notice? 

-Sven tries to eat Olaf's nose? Is that expected or unexpected behavior for a Elk or Reindeer? 

-What is Olaf's reaction? 

-Is it ok to get mad or feel frustrated when someone is in your space like that? 

5. ) Peanuts- Christmas Play Practice

 

Questions to ask the students as you watch the video:

-What is Snoopy doing that is unexpected? What is your impression? 

-What is Lucy doing that is unexpected? What is your impression?

-Would you want to be in Lucy's play if she is the director why or why not? 

-How can she change her words and actions to be a "thumbs-up" impression? 

-Thanks for reading, please share any clips you use for seasonal social language or let us know your opinion on our picks!~

Book of the Week: Pete The Cat And The New Guy

Pete The Cat And The New Guy by Kimberly and James Dean

Summary: Pete has a new neighbor, but who is he?  After Pete and Gus finally meet, Pete introduces him to his friends, who all seem to have something they are good at.  Gus tries to fit in but soon realizes he can't do what the others do, until Pete helps him find his talent!


Vocabulary:

• view - an area that can be seen from a certain spot
• imagine - think about
• shy - quiet and uncomfortable around other people
• leapfrog - a game where one person bends down while other people take turns jumping over that person
• leap - jump
• juggle - to throw and catch three or more objects, one at a time
• groovy - cool; neat

Questions:
Who was the first friend to see the new guy?
Where was Owl sitting when he saw the new guy?
What was the new guy wearing?
What was the new guy's name?
Who was the first friend Gus tried to play with?
What did Gus try to do when he met Squirrel?
What did Gus try to do when he met Grump toad?
What did Gus try to do when he met Octopus?
What instrument did Gus play?

Supporting Emotional Awareness

We are big fans of The Zones of Regulation® by Leah Kuypers and have used her curriculum for the last several years.  We constantly find ourselves modifying the curriculum to meet the needs of the students in each of our groups.

Right now, I am introducing the Zones of Regulation® to the students in our school's Setting III ASD Program, and while the concept is fantastic, the activities do not hold their attention for this particular group of students.   So, I used two great books to introduce the zones, Today I Feel Silly and Other Moods That make My Day by Jamie Lee Curtis and The Way I Feel by Janan Cain.

I gave each student colored popsicle sticks (the fabulous multi-purposeful and multi-colored ones from Michaels!) that correspond with the Zones.  It seemed to work great for all of five minutes until they realized that "cheating" (i.e. looking at others' sticks) was super easy!  (Egg on my face…how did I not see that coming?)  So I created these visual supports for them.  I told the students that there were more feelings in each Zone than what was shown, and that it was okay to share them.

We used the one on the left yesterday during our group, and it was a huge success!  The students were able to use them independently when paired with the Pixar: Monsters, Inc. Mike's New Car which can be found at the bottom of this post.    The video was a perfect fit for this activity.  I left several of these visual supports in the classroom for the students to use when they are having a difficult time sharing how they are feeling, especially when they are upset.  It will allow for them to begin to generalize this tool into other social situations. 

Both supports are easy to assemble.   Simply print, laminate, and cut out the parts.  The visual support pictured above and on the left requires you to punch a hole at the top and the bottom, add a pony bead to the piece of string, place the string through the two holes, and tie in the back.  Voila!  The visual support pictured on the right is even easier to assemble.  Join the color wheel and feelings wheel together using a brad (i.e. fasteners).  (FYI...I was razzed by my colleagues when I went looking for brads.  Apparently I dated myself in asking for one, so be careful what you ask for!)

We use these supports with our social skills groups to improve their own emotional awareness and to identify feelings in others.  They have been especially helpful when students become upset and cannot express how they are feeling.  We have also shared them with the OTs, DCD teacher, EBD teachers and school counselor in our building. Aside from social skills instruction, they can also be placed in "take a break" areas, used to improve expressive language, and when talking about character traits.  If you'd like to check them out, you can find them here at our TpT store.

As promised, here is the video that I used.The students love, love, love short cartoon films (and yes, this will be a future blog post!).  I hit the jackpot with this one!

The Zones of Regulation® curriculum (Kuypers 2011) is published by Think Social Publishing, Inc. and is available for purchase here.

Whole Body Listening with Howard B. Wigglebottom

Isn't it funny how nothing ever goes according to plan?  I was so ready for today's social skills lesson: a review of Whole Body Listening Larry at School (by Kristen Wilson & Elizabeth Sautter) and then a video of Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen (by Howard Binkow) to reinforce the concept and give the students a chance to make applications of their learning.

I stumbled upon the video several years ago, and used it with success.  I was excited to use it again this week with a few modifications.  Before watching the video, the students identified the components of whole body listening with surprising enthusiasm.  "Just wait until they see the video," I thought to myself.  "They're going to rock this!"  I explained to the students that they would be using their whole body listening smarts and applying them to Howard B. Wigglebottom.  We hooked the computer to the Smart Board and started the video.  (It worked even with the intermittent wifi service at school this week!)  It didn't take long before I needed to pause the video for the students to have time to process and analyze what happened.  What?  The video didn't pause?  That just wasn't going to work for the lesson.  (Insert huge sigh here.)   That's when the ASD teacher and myself decided to search for a new video.  Not necessarily a stroke of genius but we felt like it in a moment of panic.  A quick google search landed us this video of Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen.

We couldn't have been happier!  The video includes a pretty catchy song and pictures from the book for students to identify what listening does and does not look like.  Even our least attentive students were engaged.  It was a successful lesson, and we wanted to share it with you!

Let's Do This!

Tomorrow, nearly 2,000 students will walk through our building doors.  For the next next nine months, 170 days, 1, 275 hours, and 76,750 minutes, I am responsible for student learning and achievement.  It is a daunting, challenging, and most rewarding task ever, and I am ready to take it on!  I always feel energized at the beginning of the year.  There is so much comaradery, the excitement of new possibilities, and the anticipation of making a difference.  But sometime around November/Decemberish, I start to feel a little less energized, which is the reason I want to post this now.  When that time of year rolls around, I can remind myself of my purpose and why I am important.

Sir Ken Robinson is from Liverpool, England, currently residing in Los Angeles, CA  He is an author, speaker, and international advisor on education, and his educational vita is beyond extensive.   He shares his thoughts about student engagement, suggesting the learning process can be individualized by offering a diverse curriculum and implementing creative teaching through the use of highly qualified teaching and teacher development.  We appreciate his way of thinking in that avoiding conformity and compliance we can foster creative approaches to learning.

"Education is personal process.  It's a human heart, it's a process to learn, it's a human mind that is responding their own personal experiences."  And he goes on to share more, much more in only two minutes.  We hope you are intrigued with what he has to say as much as we are.

2SpeakRight's ALS (Minus the Ice) Challenge!

We did it…without the ice :)  We took the challenge and donated. We laughed at our friends and colleagues dowsing themselves in freezing, cold water.  We laughed a lot. We still laugh at the new posts, but after the laughter, there is still the underlying fact that ALS is a devastating disease, which led us to this post.

ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain.  Motor neurons that run from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles in the body begin to degenerate.  Initially, individuals with ALS have variable symptoms, with nearly 60% having some type of muscle weakness such as tripping, dropping things, arm/leg fatigue, slurred speech, and twitches.  As the motor neurons continue to degenerate and die, advanced stages of the disease include shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and swallowing.  Eventually, the brain is no longer able to control muscle movement, leading to possible paralysis and eventually death.  According to the ALS Association, nearly 5,600 people in the US are diagnosed with ALS each year with a life expectancy averaging from two to five years from the time of diagnosis. 

If ALS is a degenerative disease, then what role does a speech-language pathologist play?  ASHA shares that direct speech intervention is not recommended due to fatigue (and resulting difficulty in using communication in other settings after therapy), the possibility of quicker advancement of deterioration, and a reminder of the ongoing loss of skills.  Instead, they share that augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is a means for people to maintain their lines of communication.  In general, individuals in the initial stages of ALS prefer using light tech AAC aids to communicate basic wants and needs and as the disease progresses they prefer to use high-tech aids to express more detailed wants and needs.

What can you do to help?  Donate.  We challenge YOU!  And if you want to do the ice thing too, go for it!  Here are a few of our favorites!

Jambo!

I stumbled upon the show Tinga Tinga Tales last year, and it was an instant hit in my book.  I'm not sure if it's the catchy introductory tune, the vibrant colors and patterning, or the animals' spunky and sassy personalities, but I was hooked.  I'm still hooked!

Tinga Tinga Tales are based on African Folktales and geared for audiences of 3-6 year-olds.  It was named for the Tingatinga art of Tanzania.

The show includes main characters: Red Monkey, Elephant, Lion, Hippo, Tickbird, Orange Monkey, Yellow Monkey, and Tortoise, and a long list of other African characters.

There are more than 60 episodes, each of which run approximately 10-12 minutes.  Each episode wittingly shares about how an animal came to be how we know it today,  focusing around a central question, such as, "Why can't parrots keep secrets?" and "Why do zebras have stripes?" Each episodes concludes with the Red Monkey and Lion discussing what was learned from the animal's story.

In our language groups, we have used these stories in a variety of ways:

• Story Retell: We ask students to retell the story using story elements of characters, setting, events, etc.  These stories lend well to discussions about character traits.
• Identify Theme and Lesson: Given the Red Monkey and Lion's discussion at the end of each episode, they are easy to identify.  We stopped the video before the end so that students could determine the theme and lesson on their own.  We continued the discussion further by asking them to explain how the theme/lesson applied to the story and to share a personal connection to the theme/lesson.
• Persuade: We used QR codes for students to watch a video that they were assigned.  After they finished watching the movie, they shared three reasons why their video was best.  The group voted on which video they wanted to watch based on the three reasons.  They loved it!

Go ahead and explore the website: Tinga Tinga Tales.  There are countless videos online.  Here is one of my favorites!

Kicking Off The School Year: You ARE Awesome!

In a little over two weeks, we will be returning to our classrooms to work with the most important younger people of the world.  Among meetings, workshops, meet and greets, technology, the new list of "news," organizing the classroom, there is so much anticipation.  But, we love that our job allows us to start fresh every year with a new and refreshed excitement!

Throughout the next few weeks, we will post different videos to inspire you.  To make you smile.  To let you know that you are have one of the most important jobs…EVER.  You are patient and persevering.  Innovative and inspiring.  Creative and committed.  Delightful and devoted. Compassionate and compelling.  YOU are an educator and YOU are invaluable.

Here is one of our favorites, and a very popular one too.  (We're guessing you've probably seen it!)

Wishing we could have as much pep in our step as the Kid President!

Unique Dining Experience

While browsing Facebook our dear friend had posted about a unique restaurant in Toronto. In college and grad school we both took some ASL and thought this was touching. Please click the link below to watch.

Your Inner Coach: Positive Self-Talk for Kids

Everyone has their inner voice. This voice is either cheering and coaching or is a critic voice that says you will never make it. For kids their self esteem often is dependent on their inner voice whether negative or positive. Since this is a big concept for kids to understand, this summer in social skills we are working on personifying the inner voice with two characters, the "The Coach" and "The Critic"


Here is an inspirational video we use to introduce the concept of your inner coach:

Please also check out our lessons at our TPT Store here.

An Initial Plan for Learning Letters

I'm the kind of person who perseverates.  I stay up late working on whatever is on my mind.  I lie in bed thinking about it.  I can't attend to conversations because I'm planning everything out in my head.  In essence, I'm a little bit of a mess, but that's how I roll!

I've been giving more thought to my recent post about learning letters and some of the research behind it.  (Actually, that's all I've thought about.)  In my previous post, I mentioned that the 2001 article by Wood and McLemore shared instructional strategies for teaching early literacy.  I'd like to share a few of them with you.

Sing songs that target the alphabet or specific sounds.  DLTK has a list of free letter songs and rhymes.  Heidi Songs is a DVD that has a song for every letter of the alphabet.  It also includes the sound of the letter and letter formation.
Read alphabet books.  There is no shortage of alphabet books!  Katrina Lybbert  and Anna from The Measured Mom share lists of books by letter.  A few that we love to read in our house include Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault; Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC by June Sobel; Peanut Butter and Jellyfishes by Brian P. Clearly; Alphabet Mystery by Audrey Wood; and  and Dr. Seuss's ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book.
Focus on letters that have special meaning.   Letters in your child's name, the beginning letter of a
favorite animal or food are great places to start.
Use games that focus on letters and sounds.  Games such as Boggle Jr., Spell It Out!, Spot It! Alphabet, Super Why or Eric Carle's ABC games, puzzles, or anything you already have at home are perfect!  I also found some great online resources: PBS Kids, ABCya!, and eLearning Industry which provides a list of 14 free alphabet iPad apps for kids.
Keep plastic, magnetic, or wood letters available for your child to manipulate.

After reflecting on everything the last 24 hours, I've decided to begin with the letters in my daughter's name.  I'm collecting my thoughts and resources for the letter B: babies, bubbles, books, balls, bananas, and yes…bacon (one of her favorite foods)!   We'll see where the first day takes us!

Now to end with a little humor...

The Future of Articulation Therapy?

Last evening I was reading about The SmartPalate System from CompleteSpeech which uses biofeedback to help articulation clients with appropriate tongue positioning. The system consists of a custom retainer with sensors that track both tongue and palate contacts. After a dental impression,  the CompleteSpeech firm creates a mouthpiece that can be connected to special software to show articulation movements in real-time. This technology is available for the clinical setting and with the support of speech therapy may also be available for home practice in between speech sessions (through their student membership program.) It may be one of the only ways to quantify exact placement of articulators when talking and may assist with the effectiveness of therapy and help with carryover. Biofeedback may in fact be the future of Articulation therapy! If you want to know more, Check out a video here.

From their website Completespeech links to Speech Therapists throughout the United States who use this technology:

http://www.completespeech.com/speech/slp_near_me/