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Tuesday 29 August 2017

Presentation Time

Do you ever go to presentations, or have training days at work? If you work in health or school you probably do. Although I do like presentations and learning new stuff, I get all my handouts and put it all together in a nice little file folder in my desk and it... sits there... forever. Then months and even years later I go back to find all these neat ideas and information that I never tried. What a waste of the presenters time and mine!
I wanted to change that so I made a 1 sheet template that I can write down the great ideas, and info I’ve learned. I can also write how I plan to implement the new idea(s), what I need to make it work, rate how it went, and finally what I would change for next time. And best of all, it’s written by me and it’s on 1 sheet where I can keep it handy. Then all the info I learn isn’t wasted.



 

 I hope you like it!
 
I have it free in my store. Take a look and happy learning!  


Presentation Template


Sunday 27 August 2017

Fine Motor Centers in Speech Therapy


 Fine Motor Centers 
I've been telling you how I want to incorporate some occupational therapy goals into speech therapy sessions and I came up with a great idea. I will be using these Fine Motor centers at the end of each session. There are 9 centers and I plan on using 1 each week so that is over 2 months of ideas.

 Fine Motor Centers
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fine-Motor-Centers-3359353

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fine-Motor-Centers-3359353

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fine-Motor-Centers-3359353
       
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fine-Motor-Centers-3359353


https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fine-Motor-Centers-3359353


https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fine-Motor-Centers-3359353

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fine-Motor-Centers-3359353

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fine-Motor-Centers-3359353

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fine-Motor-Centers-3359353
In this pack are fine motor packs that you can use for your class or speech therapy. They will work as centers or group activities. The centers target: cutting, coloring, dabbing, lacing, hole punching, play-doh and tracing. These kits target the fine motor skills of students which are good for all students to work on and perfect. In addition to fine motor skills, there are also opportunities for learning number and letters, as well. 
 

There are 9 packs and you can put them in small plastic containers to keep them organized. Some of the packs can be printed on card stock and laminated to be used over and over, others can be printed on normal paper, stapled and given to students as booklets- low prep! You can also place extra copies in your class for students to work on as early finishers.
Print all activities on normal paper except activities 3 and 8 on card stock and then laminate. You can also laminate the label and instruction pages.
What you need: bingo dabbers, play-doh, scissors, pencils, hand held hole punches, crayons, cotton swabs (cut in half), liquid paint, small container for paint, shoe laces and container or large re-sealable plastic bags for your centers.
Lacing kit- cut and laminate and then hole punch where ever you like and have the students use laces to practice.



Monday 21 August 2017

Speech Therapy and OT ~Part 2

http://littlemindsatwork.org/blog/ 



Gross Motor and Speech Therapy

I have learned a lot this past year working with an OT and attending OT workshops. I am turning over a new leaf this coming school year. Instead of just targeting speech, I am going to incorporate some OT activities, to help my students. Using OT activities is especially great for students struggling in their classroom settings. 
"Occupational therapy is the treatment, which focuses on helping people to achieve independence. This independence is to be achieved throughout their lives and not solely in one area. Through fun activities students are taught many important techniques by their therapists. Teachers are not equipped in most instances to deal with emotional and developmental needs, unless they've received special training."

What I've learned:
1. First a lot of kids (some have not been identified) need help with their gross and fine motor skills.
  Some of the kids we work with in speech may have special needs or have been diagnosed with a disability.These kids, in particular, need extra practice working on pencil grasp, cutting, pincer grasp, and other OT related areas. 
2. We can target both in Speech, easily.  I have recently learned that adding a few, easy and fun activities we can turn an ordinary therapy session into a multidisciplinary approach to speech therapy. It is easy for you, and beneficial for students! You can do this with play-doh, crayons, bean bags, scissors, and blocks!
 

Recently, I purchased KinderGrossMotor cards to help get my speech therapy students moving, but I realized it can help with so many other things. 
The cards target five main areas: strength, core, stretching, balance and jumping.
 Not only does it get the kids up and moving, but it helps them concentrate and use some muscles in speech.
 


This is what Tara says:

"Research shows us that core strengthening for young students is the building block for not only gross motor but several developing skills. The students’ core muscles are those in their abdomen, back and pelvis. Those core muscles are the ‘control center’ for everything the body does. These core muscles give the students the ability to balance and ability to perform coordinated movements on both sides, and they will effect several tasks the child is required to make throughout the school day. The students lacking in any of those areas might struggle with: sitting in their chair, holding a pencil, controlling their scissors and jumping. These lacking skills stem from a majority of outside factors but the leading cause is the decline in physical activity for young students. More and more students are living a sedentary lifestyle through the use of technology devices. By performing gross motor activities in the classrooms, teachers are able to provide a type of engagement that the students might not have experienced at all or little exposure to..." 

If you've ever been on TPT you've definitely heard of Tara West or her Little Minds at Work blog. She is awesome and her products are amazing. If you want to check out her blog click here!

The Kinder Gross Motor pack is so easy to make.
You can make it into full sheets or half, and it's really that easy: just print, laminate and cut. This all sounds good to me and I can't wait to implement it this fall!

I also have some free OT fine motor bins in my store that help with pincer grasp, and letter recognition.









** I am not trying to take the place of any OT therapy, just trying to give the kids who need extra help a boost, plus any extra help will benefit everybody :)

****This does not replace any occupational therapy, treatment or assessment. If you have concerns please have your child assessed by an OT. 
Information obtained from:  https://www.uvm.edu/~cdci/iteam/documents/IntegratingTherapyIntoClassrooms1.pdf
http://healthcareathome.ca/southeast/en/care/Documents/Tips%20to%20help%20teachers.pdf

Friday 18 August 2017

SPEECH GRAB BAG

I am going out on a limb here... and I am trying something new! I was thinking back to when I was a kid. I would go into a store with my grandma and she would say, "ohh look grab bags!" I loved buying them with her, you were never sure what you were going to get and it was so exciting ripping open that bag to find out your goodies! I love those memories. 

 Speech Grab Bag

I was thinking about putting that excitement back into my products in my store. I have made a product that links to my google drive where you will have access to 6 of my newer and best selling products. You won't know what you are getting and that's why its exciting. There are products to cover your caseload for the month of September. In case you've been putting off getting ready as long as you can. There are products for pronouns, vocabulary, articulation and concepts plus a few extras!

It is $10 and you are purchasing $18.50 worth of products. 

Money back guarantee! If you are not completely happy with the products or you have already purchase them, email me and I will send you products of equal value for free! mindyopcc@gmail.com.

Tuesday 15 August 2017

Back to School Speech Freebies

https://creatingcommunicators-mindy.blogspot.ca/2017/08/speech-back-to-school-freebies.html


Remember I told you I was going to have a flash freebie for back to school with a bunch of my speech related products for free!
Well....Here it is! My Back to School Speech freebies!! Use these freebies in your speech tool kit!!



March Speech and Language Package   

Carnival, Carnival What Do You See   
Making Verbs FUN!  


School Vocabulary Book

Play-doh Association Mats  

 Multiple Meaning Words 



Did you know if you download all of these products you are getting over $10 for free!!!
Please leave feedback!


 

Sunday 13 August 2017

Followers Freebie!

I have giving away a flash freebie of my Goldilocks Pack to all of my Shop Followers!

 



 





Check it out here!!





Friday 11 August 2017

Speech Therapy and OT - Part 1




http://creatingcommunicators-mindy.blogspot.ca/2017/08/speech-therapy-and-ot-part-1.html




Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy

I have learned a lot this past year working with an OT and attending OT workshops. I am turning over a new leaf this coming school year. Instead of just targeting speech I am going to incorporate some OT activities to help my students.

What is OT: 

Occupational therapy is the treatment, which focuses on helping people to achieve independence throughout activities in their daily lives. Occupational therapy helps students perform particular tasks necessary for participation or learning in their home life and at school. 

 




Why OT:


  • children don't miss out on any classroom activities or learning opportunities.
  • to help students sit and are able to concentrate in order to learn in class.
  • to help teachers learn what OT is and how they can incorporate it in their teaching to expand their skills.
  • focus on skills that are immediately useful for students.
  • some children become distracted in the class and traditional lesson plans may not work.
  • A lot of kids need help with their gross and fine motor skills like working on pencil grasp, cutting, pincer grasp, and other OT related areas.   
  • We can target both areas in Speech.  I have recently learned that adding a few activities such as cutting, play-doh, coloring, building with blocks, and jumping are just a few ways that we can turn an ordinary therapy session into a multidisciplinary approach that can work on many areas at once. 
  • OT is especially important to students on the Autism Spectrum.
 
How:

What I plan to do this upcoming school year is to incorporate some fine and gross motor activities during my therapy sessions. I want to do this not to take the place of OT's (I have OT's that work for me!) but to help students learn in class and therapy. These students may not have been identified yet by professionals, many only need help in 1 or 2 areas, may not need direct treatment but just a little indirect targeting and it will help the student with learning in class and in therapy. 
 


I plan on using my fine motor kits, and letting the kids use them during therapy. I also plan on doing crafts that involve cutting and coloring during therapy.  Stay tuned for more OT ideas! 
Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills require the use of our small muscles in order to manipulate objects like cutting, printing and writings. 

I have a FREE kindergarten fine motor Kit that you may find useful in your class or therapy!!!


 Kindergarten Fine Motor Kits

****This in no way is designed to take the place of an Occupational Therapists treatment or assessment.If your school has access to an Occupational therapist, ask them for permission and ideas for implementation.



 

Wednesday 9 August 2017

Freebies



https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Creating-Communicators


Back to School Creating Communicators Freebies!~
Well it's almost that time... Back to school. It might be coming soon for some of you, it's three weeks today for me! It happens to be on my husbands birthday. I told him, his gift is that his kids are going back to school. :) I love them but being a full time stay at home mom is not for me. I applaud all of you that can do it!! 

I am making some of my non-speech related items free for a week!!

There are math, writing prompts, task cards, easy home readers and even a syllable center!!

Grab them now while you can and give me some feedback!!!



How Many Muffins? Syllable game 

 Real Photos- Writng prompt task cards 




 Mindy's Math Book 1
Summer, Summer What Do You See?

 Keep an eye out because I am going to put my speech related products on freebie....soon!!


 

Thanks!!
Cheers,

Mindy

Tuesday 8 August 2017

Wrting Prompts in Speech!


  Journal Writing Prompts for the School Year




I re-vamped my Journal Writing Prompts product. It is good for the whole school year! I have added about 40 pages. It targets months, seasons, holidays, and other fun topics like "when I'm old."

Journal Writing Prompts for the School Year
 
You can use it in your class for writers, or you can use it in speech to get the conversation going and increase vocabulary. For articulation, you can target specific sounds and they can take their sheet home for practice. :)

It may be a little "above" grade 1's (at the beginning of the year) in Alberta and may be more appropriate for grade 2 however, it may be perfect for American Grade 1's. We target different skills at different times ;) (Depending on your student's skill level(s).




 The best part is it is no prep! You can print it in color or black and white. I even have blank pages you can use to target any area/idea you want.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Journal-Writing-Prompts-for-the-School-Year-1410033


Check it out here!