Show Me The Data! Linky Fun!

Jenn over at Crazy Speech World is hosting a new linky paty and I of course  had to join in on the fun!  This linky's theme is data!  

I find data collection is a love-hate relationship.  I HATE collecting it (rather be focusing on my lessons) but I love using it to help justify decisions and monitor progress in my students.  In the school setting, it can be hard to see obvious changes in progress with our students.  But with data, it is right there in front of ya!  

I have posted several blog posts with freebies in the past on ways I collect data.  View the links below to learn more about those methods that have worked for me:

Data Collection Book

RTI Update form
Data, Data, Data

Do you use iPad apps in your sessions?!  Are you familiar with Smarty Ear's Therapy Report Center?  It is an easy way to link up all of your Smarty Ears apps and collect data for all of your speech students! Click HERE to learn more!

For this data linky I wanted to do something different!  How about forms ready to go for collecting baseline testing?!  Since it is summer it is the perfect time to gather your baseline materials so you can use it once your schedules are set (or even while creating them!  Collecting baseline can help you make appropriate speech groups).

I created a packet of probes to collect data for receptive and expressive language.  

Using this packet:
-Prepositions: You will need a cup, table, chair, and two pencils.  Receptive: they must follow the directive.  Expressive: you complete the task and ask them the question to elicit the preposition underlined.

-Following directions: read the directions to the students to determine how many steps and how complex they can achieve.

-Answering Questions: Probe to see if students can respond to the various question forms.

-Which One Does Not Belong: read the 4 words to your students and they must express which one does not belong (not in category).

-Category naming: provide category and have student name 3 items in category to get credit.

-Synonym or Antonym?: Read the two words and students must determine if they mean the same/different or synonym/antonym to get credit.

-Syntax:  Use the probes to elicit the various syntactical structures.

-Auditory Memory: read the various pieces of information (lists, sentences, words) and students must repeat it verbatim to get credit.

-Multiple Meaning Words: students must express the 2 meanings of the word provided to get credit.

Listening for Main Idea: read the short passages and students must express the main idea in order to get credit.


-Expressing Sequences:  for each scenario provided, students must express the stories or steps in a correct sequence in order to get credit.

You can access this packet for collecting baseline data in my TpT store by clicking HERE!!

Don't forget to click the link at the top of this post to visit back to Crazy Speech World's linky party and see what other SLP bloggers are using for data collection!

5-Minute Kids Therapy Program!! ((Product Review!))

I am always looking for new and efficient ways to provide services for articulation students.  I find with my older students, it is difficult for me to justify pulling them out of academic classes to work on only articulation goals.  It is also hard to work individually with students (which is what they deserve) in a school setting because I am always pressured to work with larger groups (to fit more students in).  I finally stumbled across a program called 5-Minute Kids.  

I knew I had to learn more!  I am so glad I did!  The generous folks over at 5-Minute Kids provided me with a chance to check out their program overview materials and one of their articulation target books.  Keep reading to learn more!

What is this program?
The idea of this program is to schedule students for 5-10 minute sessions.  How is that possible?!  Just pull them into the hallway!  Or take your group of 5 students and schedule them for 35 minutes and work with each student 5 minutes each!  The creators of this program even suggested using chairs in the hallways!  The point of this program is to practice targets as much as possible in a drill structured setting.  

How many responses will I get per student per 5 minute session?

• Naming pictures: 117 
• Repeat words: 157
• Repeat phrases: 125
• Create sentences: 35

The materials in the 5-Minute Therapy Series book provides the framework to make this program possible!  

What does this book include?

• Information and implementation
• Baseline testing forms
• Pictures and sentence cards for testing
• Data forms
• Lesson plan and homework sheets
• Attendance calendars

The introduction of this book goes into all of the data and explanation behind this program.  It describes how to create IEPs using this method of service as well as scheduling.  It describes a typical therapy session which helps you create one for your students.

What instructional materials will you need?

• A copy of all word/sentence lists and/or pictures.  You can also add your own lists from other resources/lists.
• Combine all pages for each individual sound into separate folders or binders.
• You can use different colored paper as the cover to help designate the different sounds.
• You can store all books with targets together in a ready to grab location!
• Folders for storing student data.  You can also keep these forms in their student files or in a data collection book.  If you decide to create folders.  This book tells you how!

Baseline forms

Do you hate creating lists for baseline?!  No need!  This program has the lists and the forms ready for you!!!!!!!  On each page contains a sound target and baseline lists for initial, medial, and final as well as sentences and places to mark baseline and end results.  There is a blank page if you wanted to create your own lists.  Sounds included: /s, r, l, k, g, sh, ch, th, f, v/.  How amazing!

Pictures and Sentence Cards for Testing:

Students can't read?  How are you suppose to test for baseline without saying the words on the data sheets to your students?  Well, there are pictures for you!

There are pages of the sentences this way students can read them without seeing the data sheets.

Data Sheets

Data sheets...oh boy! Creating those that work best and most efficiently can be time consuming!  No need, this program does it for you!  The book provides an example on how to use their forms too.

What forms?

• Ways to document data over the course of a school year for each sound in all positions and levels
• Articulation in reading and conversation data and way to document which words were said correctly and incorrectly in conversations/reading

Lesson Plans and Homework Sheets

The program states there is no correct way to create a 5-minute lesson.  However, they provide you with the tools to make your job easier.  Now that it is summer, you can take their forms and plan ahead.  How can you plan for the school year.  Where will you start? End?  Don't want to be plan too much ahead?  How about just September?  

How are the forms provided?

• Week by week plan for each month (September-June and August-May forms provided)
• Week by week without months labeled
• Homework log: date, assignment, and place to document if completed (this will help with justifying progress or lack there of and whether or not to discontinue program with a student that is not carryover and practicing at home.)  Are you being rated on student performance?  This can help you!

Attendance Forms:

Want a separate attendance form for your 5-minute kids since 5-minute sessions in hallways don't fit in your usual template?  The book has forms for you for the school years 2011-2012 through 2022-2023!!  YES THAT MANY YEARS READY TO GO WITH MONTHS AND DATES AUGUST THROUGH JUNE!!!  It provides a key to easily document attendance, consult, snow day, or other reasons a session may or may not be held.

Are you loving this program yet?!  Now that you learned about the program, the forms, and the baseline probes provided, how about learn about the program for each individual sound.  Each sound program can be purchased separately for $18 or as a complete set of all 6 for $99.  

Volumes for purchase:

• R
• S/Z
• L
• SH/CH
• K/G
• F/V/TH

I was provided with the /r/ book.  It seems like all books follow the same format just with a different target. 

What does this book include?

• Introduction
• Data sheets (word, phrase, sentence, and fill-in pages)
• Word bank lists (initial, final, medial, blends)
• Reading lists (word, phrase, sentence)
• Games for 5-minute therapy (open-ended but can be used with target)
• Envelope games (open-ended using target)
• Homework activities (directions, word of the day, sight word flashcards, bookmarks, homework sheets)
• Percentage charts

Once you have identified students that can benefit with this program and scheduled them in, and now you have collected baseline and determined where to start, it is time to start!

Lists for drill practice

This book provides lists for each position and level of /r/ and on each page there is a place to document progress 6 times for each word.  The words are already on the forms!  There is one page of 50 words for each position at the word level including multi-syllable words.

There is a page of 25 phrases at each level with the phrases provided so you know exactly which ones the student can and can not produce.

Complete word banks are provided so you can create your own activities.  There is also lists of words for students to practice reading with the sounds.

Speedy R Words

Ready for rapid productions?!  There is a page with 12 words and pictures with /r/ in the initial position.  Have the student name the pictures as quickly as possible for one minute.  The student should repeat the list as many times until you as the SLP says STOP!  How many correct/incorrect?  Record it!  When they are working quickly are they able to recall their strategies for correct productions?

Games and Homework

There are 9 suggested games to target sound.  These can add variety to drill session while still drilling.  It is recommended at you ensure the student produces probe several times when taking a turn to maximize about of responses.  Recommended to be played in an individual session with SLP as the second player or you can play them in small groups.

One such game is tic-tac-words and the book provides the boards for you.  The book provides a "good speech score sheet" which can be used while playing a game.  Minimizes the "look" of drilling but still collecting data.

Envelope Games

These games are adapted to target word, phrase, and/or sentences.  All you have to do is copy the pages, cut cards apart, paste directions to the front of an envelope, and place cards into envelope for safe keeping.  Feel free to laminate if desired (you know I like to laminate!).

The responses in these games can be at any level and students can create their own sentences with their target sounds.  The book even provides techniques for using the EET with these games!  Connecting two loves!  The book goes into more detail on how to play these games to ensure fun and drilling.

7 games are included with adorable themes.  Target words, phrases, and sentences are provided for EACH game using the /r/ target!  Do you see above  PIRATES!

Homework activities

There is a sticker page which can be copied and printed on address labels.  This makes it easy to attach to envelopes which will include practice words.

There are sight words lists that can be cut apart, bookmarks with lists at each level, and half pages with lists of 10 words and a place for a homework helper to mark down how many times the student practiced the list (2-10 times).  Great way to get parental/guardian involvement!

The last thing this book includes are percentage charts based on all of the lists/calculations provided to easily document data percentages.  This will be helpful if IEPs are written with % progress markings.

What do I LOVE about this program/products?

• Easy to photo copy and use
• Gives step-by-step from setting up lessons, collecting baseline, and activities
• Leaves flexibility to incorporate own word lists and activities
• Will be great for working with students at the Tier 3 level of RTI and document if interventions are working
• COMPREHENSIVE and easy to understand/implement

Only challenge I see with this program?

• Change!  Change to 5-minute sessions vs. 30-minute group sessions may be difficult to design and explain to an administrator.  But if I show all of the data to prove it works, how can they stop me?!

I really look forward to implementing this program into my speech program this year!  How do I plan to use it?

• RTI for articulation only students.  I plan on setting up a time in my day for RTI articulation.  Teachers will know I will be coming around to pull student in hallway to quickly drill.  I will have my "tote" filled with forms, a mirror, and drilling games/activities.  Maybe I'll add reward stickers!
• If I am able to schedule a group with articulation only goals for my IEP kids, I will use the forms and philosophies to create their program for the year.  MORE DRILL, MORE PRACTICE, MORE PROGRESS!

Want to learn more?

View their website HERE!

Order forms and prices can be found HERE!

RTI Pre-Referral Speech/Language Materials

My RTI Strategies packs have been so popular, I decided to create a pre-referral pack to assist SLPs to gather information prior to working with students and giving strategies to teachers.

What is in this file?

Pre-Referral Speech and Language Checklist
This document can be provided to teachers before you go into a classroom to observe or screen students.  This can give you an idea of the level of functioning of the student.  It also helps teacher focus in on the speech and language skills.

All teachers have to do is check off skills they have observed.  It also may benefit to send this form home and see what parents have to say.  Can send same form home after time to see if parents note changes.

RTI Data Collection
This form can be presented to teachers to help instruct them on collecting RTI data for speech & language strategies.  I find in my district, many teachers are not well trained and want a way that is easiest as possible.  This form helps them focus on the one behavior that needs to be address and establish a strategy to utilize and document.

Request for Speech & Language RTI Classroom Strategies
When I presented my Strategies based on Common Core Standards at my RTI meetings, I found I did not have enough with me to provide to all teachers.  I created a form for teachers to complete at those meetings or get from my office if necessary to request more strategies, new strategies, or information.  It helped me stay organized and on top of who needs what!

Speech-Language Screening Consent Form
This letter I created to send home to gather parent permission.  It is important with RTI to keep parents informed and aware of what steps are being completed in school to assist their child.  I modified my form to be as generic as possible for you to use to easy fill in and photocopy when necessary.  It has a slip on the bottom for parents to complete and send back. 

This packet is available at my TpT Store!  I hope you find it useful and a huge time-saver!

Speech & Language RTI Strategies based on Common Core - Grades 7-12

My elementary RTI packet of strategies based on common core has been a huge hit.  Many of you have said such nice words about it.  It means a lot that my hard work can helps so many of you!

I asked when I posted the elementary pack if there were SLPs interested in one for the older grades.  Since there seemed to be an interest, I created one!!  It has been a while since I worked with the older grades but I collaborated with some of my colleagues to create it!  I used the same references in order to create it and used the same format.

I again used standards for Speaking/Listening and Language.  Each standard or cluster of standards has about 3-5 strategies to be used to help students achieve those standards.  The chart can be used to document progress in all tiers.  There is also a place to mark pre- and post- testing for progress monitoring. 

I hope you can find this useful!  Let me know what you think!  You can grab this one as well at my TpT store!

Speech/Language RTI Strategies for Common Core Standards

My school holds RTI meetings once a month as an avenue for teachers to come and get strategies and discuss student progress.  Our first meeting is shortly approaching and I have been working hard to prepare differently this year.  The classroom teachers in my building have been working hard to make sure they are targeting the common core standards along with their already complex curriculum.  Many have approached me and shared that they see more students struggling because they have yet to master earlier standards but are expected to handle the standards of their grade level.

With this in mind, I have used the common core website, and a reference book I recommend TO ALL, the Pre-Referral Intervention Manual Third Edition to prepare strategies for the common core standards that relate to speech and language.  If you do not have this book, check the office of your director of special ed!  Many have them and are willing to let you borrow it (I borrowed mine and made copies of the speech and language related pages).

I made a packet (64 pages long) for grades K-6 and for each standard or group of standards, I went through this book and took strategies plus added many of my own.  I only used the standards for Speaking/Listening and Language.  I decided to make each page ready to go for classroom teachers (Tier 1 or 2) or for my own use (Tier 3) with instructions and a chart to complete. 

As you can see above, I tried to make it easy for all involved!  Teachers hate extra work!  I numbered the strategies so that all they have to do is write the number of the strategy they are using.  I only included 3-5 strategies to make it easy to decide which one to start with.  I incorporated a box for pre-testeing and post-testing for data collection to assess progress monitoring.  I also indicated for teachers that they do not necessarily need to use tests, they can just question the student or monitor behavior.

Easy to use:  I included instructions and ideas for use in the packet.  Since 64 pages is A LOT, and I wanted to make it easy to navigate, there is a table of contents to easily find the pages you need!

How do I plan on using this?  I plan on bringing this packet to my RTI meetings.  We always get the information on the students ahead of the meetings so I can prepare which pages to bring and present to the teachers.  These charts will be included in the students' RTI packets which will help determine plans for the future. 

I know I am looking forward to trying something new this year and collect more efficient data.  This packet is available at my TpT store!

I would love feedback!!!  Feel free to comment or email me at speechtimefun@gmail.com.  This project took A LONG TIME to put together!  I am proud of it and hope many can find it useful. 

If this packet seems helpful for many, I will try and put one together for middle/high school.  I do not currently work with that level but you never know what the future holds!  Feel free to let me know if you are interested in that age level.