Respect

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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.