AAC Activities for Beginners

 

Here is my first AAC product for Core words: Included in this pack are ideas and activities for:

• Go

• Stop

• Help

• Put

This pack is for parents or teachers who have little to no experience using AAC. The core vocabulary is meant to start with straightforward, daily activities.

 

The first page is core board, and pages 4-7 are printable so that you can use them throughout the class and home. 


Pages 8-11 are for colouring and playdoh mats. 

 

You can make the other pages into a book and model the core words. You can also use them as ideas of how and when to model the core words during activities.

 

Cheers,
Mindy 

 

Phonological Awareness with CVC Centers

  

Here are 3 centers- 6 pages each. This is a quick, low prep product! I have included ideas on how to use the centers, but if you have another idea, great! Change it up.

1. For the first center, you need magnetic or foam letters to build the cvc words. Alternatively, you can use it to identify the beginning, middle and ending sounds. 

2. The second center is for writing the word and colouring the pictures.

 

3. The last center- you can cut apart the pictures and have the student match them, or you can fold the word and have them unfold it once they’ve read it. 

 

And it's only $0.50 this weekend!

Any questions email mindy@creatingcommunicators.net
Cheers, Mindy

AAC Implementation Toolkit

 

I work with aides who have little to no experience with using and implementing an AAC. I bought this product to help teach them. It is a great comprehensive resource that walks you through step by step.

In her words... 

 

One of the most important parts of AAC implementation is making sure that the entire team (family members, staff) is consistently using simple but effective AAC strategies such as consistent AAC access, modeling, and core vocabulary. This resource will help you educate others about four foundational, research-based, strategies (or "best practices") for implementing and teaching AAC.
This resource includes five sections as follows:

1. AAC Basics: Get familiar with AAC, what it is, the different types, and who uses it.
2. Access: Make sure the system is out and available at all times.
3. Modeling: Consistently model using the system.
4. Core Vocabulary: Focus on core vocabulary and keywords.

This resource is so comprehensive and helpful. I definitely encourage you to take a look if you have anyone on your caseload that uses an AAC. :)

Thank you, Speechy Musings for making such a wonderful product!!




 

CVC Centers

 

Here are 3 centers- 6 pages each. This is a quick, low prep product! I have included ideas on how to use the centers but if you have another idea, great! Change it up 

1. For the first center, you need magnetic or foam letters to build the cvc words. Alternatively, you can use it to identify the beginning, middle and ending sounds.

2. The second center is for writing the word and colouring the pictures.

3. The last center- you can cut apart the pictures and have the student match them, or you can fold the word and have them unfold it once they’ve read it. You can have them do this one with a partner.

Any questions email mindy@creatingcommunicators.net
Cheers, Mindy 

  

 

Holiday Freebie!!

 

Hey

Are you looking for a quick freebie to use in therapy that is low prep and cheap?

Here it is!

  

  

There are so many things you can do with this freebie!

• sort items
• name category
• list attributes
• talk about the beginning sound or ending sound
• segment the wor
• talk about the plural of the word-1 truck or many trucks
• pronoun practice- give it to a girl- she has a .....

 

Respect

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cr8comm (@cr8comm) on Oct 6, 2019 at 11:20am PDT

 

This package is a starting point for children (aged 5-10) that targets traditional teachings and language targets. The first of the seven sacred teachings, also known as the Grandfather Teachings, is the Buffalo (a symbol of respect). In this pack, I use traditional items to teach language skills that we target in speech therapy. These targets are useful to know for the classroom as well as at home. 

•This pack is meant to be used in conjunction with your traditional teachings and beliefs with the help of your elders. Feel free to change/add/modify the lessons to accommodate your beliefs are and the beliefs of the people in your area. It is important to seek out an elder to help teach students your language and to share stories.

This 69-page pack targets Respect- the Buffalo.

Included in this pack are activities on:

• categories- traditional and non-traditional items
• sorting vehicles, food, animals and clothing
• prepositions
• sensory bin items
• Respect- what it looks like, how we can show it in our home, school and community. 
•  

And much more

Visual Supports

 

Visual Schedule

Recently I purchased a new product to help kids and their EA's with a visual schedule. I found this one from the Print Path, and it was so much more than a visual schedule. There are self-regulation supports, and they are editable! Love it. It can be used in so many ways and in so many different classrooms.

14 Sample IEP Goals and Objectives
☞ Self-regulation goals
☞ Classroom participation goals
☞ Recess goals
FIVE Schedule Boards
☞ First - Then
☞ 1ST - 4TH, 1ST - 5TH
☞ Left to right [horizontal], Top to bottom [vertical]
54 Self Regulation Visuals
☞ Strategies
☞ Incentives or breaks
70 Emotions and Associated Behaviors.
☞ Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue
58 School Behavior Supports
☞ Positive classroom behaviors
☞ “Don’t ___” behaviors
13 Self Help Tasks
54 Elementary School Schedule
☞ classroom routines
☞ school routines
36 Preschool Classroom Routines
53 Recess Visuals
☞ Activities
☞ Communication supports


Thank you, Print Path OT, love this product!
 

The Snowy Day

I love Tara West! Her products are amazing if you've ever read this blog, you know I am in love with her and totally jealous of her talent & creativity! I want to be like her when I grow up!! As someone who has a store, I have no idea how she has the time to put out the number of products with such high quality, she mustn't sleep :P

I love using her products for speech therapy in groups.  The Snowy Day includes so many activities and topics that I need for my caseload. 


The Snowy Day pack includes:

•  Retell pieces (of different sizes for different activities) to help with comprehension and sequencing.
• There are vocabulary words.
• Phonological and phonemic awareness ideas.
• Comprehension questions that have visuals to help your students understand.

In her words: Each week I have planned out the; big idea, focus standard, essential questions, comprehension focus, story element focus, writing genre, phonemic awareness piece, vocabulary, and so much more!

Check it out for a nice freebie to help with treatment :)

Thanks, Tara!

Executive Functioning Skills

I had some kids that were struggling and some co-workers!  I was having a hard time pinpointing why some staff weren't being successful. I would schedule everything, plan all activities, basically make their day fool-proof and they still weren't getting things done. They would go off on tangents and start other activities and not finish them. They wouldn't be able to get the caseload all finished (all the required kids treated in a day), and their stuff was all over the place, lost and totally disorganized. Needless to say, it was driving me, batty! I just couldn't' get why they couldn't keep it all together. Now I'll back up a bit... I have about a 4 hour or 400km commute each day, I have 3 kids, get all of my work activities planned and prepped for all of my caseloads (some at different locations, I have 3 SLP's, 3 OT's and 2 aides that work with me. I coordinate it all... without any secretary ( I think I need one!!) So being Type A (in specific ways) I couldn't get how you couldn't carry out a plan, with prepped materials, and go see kids on the caseload... Penny, an OT that works for Creating Communicators mentioned that she was the difficulties happening and said that maybe that person has Executive Functioning difficulties. I asked, ok, what's that?

She explained and I had an AHA moment!  That is precisely what is happening here! I went out and found some info....


What are Executive Functioning Skills!

 
Executive function and self-regulation skills depend on three types of brain function: working memory, mental flexibility, and self-control. These functions are highly interrelated, and the successful application of executive function skills requires them to operate in coordination with each other.

There are 8 Exec Functions:

• Impulse control, 
• Emotional Control
• Flexible Thinking
• Working Memory
• Self-Monitoring
• Planning 
• Prioritizing
• Task Initiation
• Organization

After I learned what the 8 areas were, it was glaringly evident that this is what the problem was. There was no self-monitoring- if I mentioned anything, she would be defensive and blame others and had no self-perception of her abilities or her actions. And then the flexible thinking...  if I said that we had to do something she wouldn't be able to monitor the times it was ok, not ok and totally not important. It was very discouraging. 

 I found some resources that are intended for my caseload, but I thought it can't hurt to have some more information. 

Pathway to Success has some really helpful resources. 
Click here for her store and on the pics for a link to the resources.

This freebie:

 

And for a more indepth this Workbook: 

 

 

 In her words:
Executive functioning skills are the basis for planning, organizing, initiating, and following through will all tasks, assignments, and problems inside and outside of school. Many students who forget assignments, are disorganized, can’t complete long-term assignments, have trouble focusing, and experience difficulty with change often have weak executive functioning skills. These are the students who need to be taught explicit skills in order to become successful in school and in life after school. Simply put, executive functioning skills are necessary life skills.

Classifying from Super Duper Inc.

Goldilocks for a week!

 

 

Everything you need for speech therapy! 

Goldilocks for $4!

Read the story to your students every day 

and then follow up with one of the activities.

Monday- name the category

Tuesday-concepts

Wednesday- opposites

Thursday-story sequence
2 versions

Friday-comparative and superlatives
Bonus-articulation for /g/ & wh questions.

Basic AAC Ideas

Comparative and Superlatives

Higher Level Language

 

Everything you need to support your students that are in grade 5+ in the classroom. The skills they will practice here will help with their writing, describing and comprehension.

To see what is all included, take a look here!
This 108-page bundle includes skills on
**Fast Drawing- when students draw out their writing idea to plan for essays, paragraphs, sentences, and stories.
**Observing and Describing

This observing & describing product is an excellent way for students grade 4 and up to practice essential skills in reading, observing, comprehending and making inferences. Observing, describing and making inferences are crucial skills for all readers. This product teaches this skill in 5 steps: choose words that describe the picture, generate your own describing words, creating descriptive words that are relevant to the picture to make the sentence more descriptive, then describe who, what, where, when and eventually why based on pictures, and then making inferences about pictures.

Step 1- choose from a series of words to best describe the picture.
Step 2- generate their own describing words based on the picture.
Step 3- add adjectives and other describing words to make the sentence (already provided) more exciting and descriptive.
Step 4- describe the pictures using what, where and when, then eventually why. Then they can use their words to create a descriptive sentence that describes the image.
Step 5- making inferences about pictures. Explaining what happened or will happen based on information from the picture.
**Visualizing and Verbalizing

Step by step directions to mastering visualizing and verbalizing.
Includes the 12 structure cue cards, and individual practice on each of the cues using real pictures.

 

 

Fine Motor Kits

 

OT and Speech go hand in hand! The more I learn about OT, the more I learn that you can incorporate so many language goals in simple OT activities.
Many kids we work with also have multiple areas to work on, especially OT. So I made a Fine Motor kit. It is excellent for preschool. Preschool is a great time to start with fine motor- before they start printing and holding those little pencils. We need them ready to go to kindergarten. :)

Here is a Fine Motor Pack that you can use with very simple tools that you probably already have around your desk.

In this pack are nine fine motor centers that you can use for your class or speech therapy. They will work as centers or group activities. The center's target: cutting, colouring, dabbing, lacing, hole punching, play-doh and tracing. These kits target the fine motor skills of students that are suitable 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 nine packs, and you can put them in small plastic containers to keep them organized. Some of the kits can be printed on card stock and laminated. Then you can use them over and over; others can be printed on standard paper, stapled and given to students as booklets. Very low prep! You can also place extra copies in your class for students to work on as early finishers.
Print all activities on standard paper except activities 3 and eight on card stock and then laminate those.  You can also laminate the label and instruction pages.
What you need: bingo dabbers, play-doh, scissors, pencils, handheld hole punches, crayons, cotton swabs (cut in half), liquid paint, a small container for paint, shoelaces and container or large zip-loc 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.
There is also a pre-test and post-test page so you can track progress!

 

 

Fall Products for under $5!

 

 This book contains 3 in 1!

In this 40 page book, you will be able to target
prepositions
associations
and
opposites
with your preschool or special ed students.

 

Orange Shirt Day-Every Child Matters

What is orange shirt day?

Orange shirt day is a day when we honour the Indigenous children who were sent away to residential schools in Canada and learn more about the history of the schools and the children that lived there. 

The Story behind the Orange shirt:

   "I went to the Mission for one school year in 1973/1974. I had just turned 6 years old. I lived with my grandmother on the Dog Creek reserve. We never had very much money, but somehow my granny managed to buy me a new outfit to go to the Mission school. I remember going to Robinson’s store and picking out a shiny orange shirt. It had string laced up in front, and was so bright and exciting – just like I felt to be going to school!

When I got to the Mission, they stripped me, and took away my clothes, including the orange shirt! I never wore it again. I didn’t understand why they wouldn’t give it back to me, it was mine! The colour orange has always reminded me of that and how my feelings didn’t matter, how no one cared and how I felt like I was worth nothing. All of us little children were crying, and no one cared."


Visit Phyllis' Story here!  


I am appalled that this could happen and that the last residential school closed in 1996! As an Indigenous woman, who has had relatives live in Residential schools, I think it is so important to get the word out.

 

Ideas for School Activities

1. Watch the Shaw video of Phyllis’s story.
2. Discussion around “Every Child Matters.” 
3. Watch
4. Simple activities, eg. Children trace their hand, then write in hand something they can do to help others feel like they matter.
5. Make Attachment Hearts to share.

At my schools, I plan on using this freebie to provoke conversation, healing and bring awareness to the staff, and students at the schools I work at.

 

Preschoolers- What to Use?

 

 

 

 

Need something for Preschool? Here is a fun center that you can work on with all preschoolers!

 

Vocabulary- Categorizing and Labeling

Print off all of the pictures in colour and laminate for durability. For an activity center, have the children place the items from each group on the corresponding mat.
This will help to teach labelling category names and how to categorize items into their different groups.
After the students can put the items from each group on the correct mat, you can have them play a memory game. Place even numbers of cards from each
group (food, clothing, transportation, etc.) and lay them face down on a table. When the student chooses 2 cards that are related, they have to name the group or tell that
the items belong to or explain why the items are related.
For example, a shirt and shoes are both clothing, a car and a motorbike both have wheels. For the last page, you can place 3 items from a group and have the student name the category.
Enjoy!
Mindy

Severe Langauge Delay

 

 

 

 

When you are getting ready for your caseload, you need to get prepared for those severe kids- in Alberta, they qualify for Program Unit Funding. Here is a good resource for those kids.

Included are the instructions for teaching one, in, dirty, clean, and associations.
There are over 30 pages of instructions and resources for the entire week plus step by step daily, instructions on how to use the resource.
Contents:
The book that targets concepts in, and one which can also
be used as a home reader and colouring pages.
Posters
Worksheets
Printing practice sheets
Concept folds (some in bw and colour)
Robot puzzles containing associations.
Week 2!
Included are the instructions for teaching all, off, soft, and hard.  What Doesn't Belong.
There are over 40 pages of instructions and resources for the entire week plus step by step daily, instructions on how to use the resource.
Contents:
Book that targets concepts all, & off which can also
be used as a home reader and colouring pages.
Posters
Worksheets
Printing practice sheets
Concept folds (some in bw and colour)
Robot puzzles containing What Doesn't Belong
Week 3!
Included are the instructions for teaching none, on, big and little and categories.
There are over 40 pages of instructions and resources for the entire week.
Contents:
Book that targets concepts none, on, big and little which can also be used as a home reader and colouring pages.
Posters
Worksheets
Printing practice sheets
Concept folds (some in bw and colour)
Category Mats

Week 4!
Included are the instructions for teaching Negation (not), out, wet/dry and opposites.
There are 39 pages of instructions and resources for the entire week.
Contents:
Book that targets concepts not, out, wet and dry, which can also be used as a home reader and colouring pages.
Posters
Worksheets
Printing practice sheets
Concept folds (some in bw and colour)
Opposite Mats and Clip cards

And best of all it targets Fine and Gross motor skills by including cutting, colouring and playing.

You can get all 4 weeks for $10 that just 2.50 a week and your entire month is planned :)

Dont' forget to follow me here
 

 

Observing, describing and inferring are all critical goals for our older caseload. 

This Observing & Describing product is an excellent way for students grade 4 and up to practice essential skills in reading, observing, comprehending and making inferences. Observing, describing and making inferences are vital skills for all readers. This product teaches this skill in 5 steps: choose words that describe the picture, generate your own describing words, creating descriptive words that are relevant to the picture to make the sentence more descriptive, then describe who, what, where, when and eventually why based on pictures, and then making inferences about pictures.
Step 1- choose from a series of words to best describe the picture.
Step 2- generate their own describing words based on the picture.
Step 3- add adjectives and other describing words to make the sentence (already provided) more interesting and descriptive.
Step 4- describe the pictures using what, where and when, then eventually why. Then they can use their words to create a descriptive sentence that describes the picture.
Step 5- making inferences about pictures. Explaining what happened or will happen based on information from the picture.

 

Associations

 

 

Associations

Here is a great activity to teach associations. You can have the children use playdoh to cover up the 2 items that go together, or the item doesn't belong with playdoh! Great idea to keep little hands busy and promote vocabulary. Printer-friendly- uses less ink!
***The answers are not included. You can use your professional judgement to decide if the answer is appropriate or not. For example, there is shampoo, a hat and soap. The child could answer that soap and shampoo are both items that wash, or they could say shampoo and a hat are both used on your hair/head. Some mats have apparent answers, and others are more complicated.
There are colour and black and white copies which you can send home for extra practice at home.
Note ** there are some variations between the coloured and black and white version simply due to the clip art I have :)