How Do You Use It?! September: Brown Paper Bags

It is that time again...how do you use it?!  

This month: brown paper bags!  I buy a pack cheap at any supermarket or Target and they usually last me the entire school year.

One of my favorite ways of using these are for creating "paper bag books."  You can see my previous post when I described how I made them by clicking HERE!

Another favorite way of using paper bags are for sorting activities.  Just grab some bags, write on the outside and take sorting pictures!  I have used them with fishing activities by Super Duper Inc. as well!  See below, we fished for common objects then sorted by category.  I even wrote a sentence strip on each bag to promote expanded utterance length!

Another way to use paper bags are for eliciting stories.  Throw pictures of random objects or small objects themselves into the bags.  Then, students can take turns picking out a picture/object and telling a story with a beginning, middle, and end using that object.  Want to make it more challenging?  You can have them incorporate articulation targets, learned prepositions/curriculum vocabulary/question words/pronouns/any other target you are currently working on!

Stay tuned to next month!

Wondering how other SLPs/bloggers use brown paper bags?!  See below - they linked in!

An InLinkz Link-up

How Do You Use It?! BACK TO SCHOOL EDITION: Paper Clips! (linky party)

Have you been enjoying my "how do you use it?" linky party posts?!  I decided to do a fun bonus one for back to school season.  

We learned in graduate school, that any SLP can do therapy with anything, even a paper clip...so why not have this bonus topic be what we would do with a paper clip in therapy!

If you gave me a jar of paper clips, not only would this SLP be thrilled because she loves organizational materials but I could do some great therapy ideas with it!

What would I do?!

• Following directions: I would give each student a pile of paper clips and make them follow my directions ("put a clip on your head" "put two in the jar").  You can target one step or multiple steps with this!  You can also target spacial concepts too!
• Comparatives/superlatives: you can have students connect them to make various sized strings of clips.  Which one is long?  Which one is longer?  Which one is the longest?
• Use them as a reinforcer or token system!!  For each target sound or answer given correctly, students can receive a paper clip!  If they reach a certain amount they can get a sticker/prize/reward at the end of the session!
• Sorting by color or size!!

Those are just a few examples of what I would use paper clips for if given the chance!  I can probably think of tons more too!  Now it is time to see how other other SLP bloggers would use paper clips in therapy!! See below!!

An InLinkz Link-up

How Do You Use It?! August: Sentence Strips! (linky party)

It is that time again....time for my monthly linky party!!  Check out how I use common objects in my speech room!  Keep reading and view below to see how other SLPs/bloggers use them as well!

This month's object: sentence strips!!  

There are several ways I use sentence strips in my therapy room.  I can use them on post-its, index cards, dry erase boards, on top of worksheets, or even using the following products:


Why use sentence strips?!  They are a great way to encourage expanded utterance length!!  I like to use cloze sentences on them to model how to respond or describe using expanded utterances.  Some samples of teaching the following targets:

• Possessive pronouns: "This is his _____."
• Sequencing/transition words: "First _____" "Finally _____"
• Categorization: "The _____ is a fruit."
• Describing: "The _____ is yellow." "The _______ has a wheel."

I LOVE sentence strips so much, I often include them in my TpT products!!  I often use Boardmaker symbols when I use sentence strips with my nonreaders or poor readers.  Check out below some products that use these sentence strips:

Preposition Picture Scenes (for younger students)

Back To School Early Language File Folder Activities

Cut, Sort, & Glue! Activities for the entire year

I hope you find these ideas helpful!  How do you use sentence strips?!  Stay tuned for next month's post!!

Check out below to see how other SLPs/bloggers use sentence strips!

Note: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links!

An InLinkz Link-up

How Do You Use It?! July: Post-Its! (Linky party!)

It's that time again...time to find out how I (and other SLPs/educators) use common items found in classrooms/therapy rooms!!  I know it is summer but some work summer school, and others just  have fun browsing Pinterest/blogs to get ideas for next school year.  Either way, enjoy!!

This months topic: POST-ITS!!  I LOOOOVE post-its!!  Whether it is to just quickly put a memo, reminder and even use them during speech sessions!!

Here are some ways I have used Post-Its in my therapy room...

Note-Taking:
By cutting post-its into smaller pieces (or purchase them already like that), you can easily make a quick note-taking strategy for students while reading texts.  I like to have students stop after reading/listening to a paragraph at a time.  I check for understanding by asking "what was it all about?" My students know by now that I am looking for the main idea.  Then, they can write the main ideas on their post-its and stick it to the side of the page/paper.  They can easily remove all of their post-its after to help write a summary or use them to locate answers to comprehension questions without having to re-read the entire text!  They love this strategy!

Visuals:
I always have a stack of index cards and post-its near my therapy table.  It is a great way to easily create a visual when necessary.  What would make me pick the post-it over the index card?!  I can easily stick it to a page or table!  This is great for students that want to move it out of the way! Ha!  Check out below some samples of how I've used this:

I recently blogged about how I used these fun Mustache Post-its that I found at Staples.  Click HERE to learn more about it!

How do you use Post-its?!  Do you use them in therapy or more for organizational purposes?!  Check out below how other SLP/bloggers use post-its!!  Also, stay tuned to next months topic!  Gather up your ideas to use for next school year!!

An InLinkz Link-up

How Do You Use It?! June: Clothes Pins (Linky Party)

I cannot believe it is June already!!  Are you ready to learn more about how I use common objects found in a classroom/speech room!?  This months object: clothes pins!  

You can easily find these a craft stores and dollar stores.  Since they are so cheap, I don't mind when my students accidentally break them!

I have posted some of these ideas in the past, but maybe you've missed it!

Butterfly Listening Comprehension:
I created this FUN FREEBIE using a butterfly theme.  Each butterfly has 4 images.  You can work on listening comprehension and following directions with this fun idea.  Do you hate when students scream out answers?!  Are your students having time holding their answers while waiting for the group to respond?!  By giving students clothes pins, they can place the clothes pin on the image being described quietly.  This will not distract others and is just fun!  Click HERE to learn more about this activity and grab this freebie for yourself!

Articulation Insert the Sound!
Working on CVC or CVCV words?  You can write articulation targets on the clothes pins and have students insert them into the CVC and CVCV words written on index cards!  This makes drilling interactive and fun!  You can even create nonsense words too!  You can learn more about this idea by clicking HERE!

Comparatives/Superlatives:
All you have to do is write "er" and "est" on clothes pins!  I made these simple strips using Boardmaker.  My students were able to place the clothes pins on and practice using these concepts!  I started off putting things in the correct order so it was easy for them to see.  Then I mixed them up!

Storybook Sequencing:
Grab a piece of yarn, some clothespins and you can easily do a sequencing activity!  Check out how I used this idea with the book, The Jacket I Wear In The Snow!  Learn more about this idea and my companion pack by clicking HERE!

Do you love clothes pins too?!  It is a great way to win brownie points with your building Occupational Therapist too!!  I've even given some of these activities to the OT so she can incorporate these language/articulation goals while working on the fine motor task of pushing the clothes pin!

Check out how other SLPs and bloggers use clothes pins below!  Also, stay tuned to next month's topic!

An InLinkz Link-up

How Do You Use It?! May: Velcro! (Linky Party)

It is that time again!!  Time to see how I use common items found in most classrooms/speech rooms!  This month's topic is VELCRO!!!  SLPs LOOOOOVE Velcro!!

 I go through Velcro so quickly!!  I buy in bulk at Staples, Amazon, or where I can find a good deal!  I never seem to have enough!  I have special scissors that I use to just cut Velcro (since it always seems to get some of the sticky substance on it!).  I wonder how much Velcro I actually use?!!

There are a ton of ways I use Velcro in my speech room!

Interactive Books:
By adding pieces of Velcro, I can easily create interactive books with manipulatives.  You can build vocabulary, work on sequencing, answering questions, following directions and so much more!!  Below is a picture of a few interactive books I've made using EnchantedLearning.com and other products I've found on TpT!

You can see above, I took the farm book from Enchantedlearning.com and made Boardmaker images of the farm animals.  My students are able to match the animals and then work on their expressive language at the same time.

Sequencing Boards:
All you need is a piece of construction paper (or file folder) and some sequencing pictures!  By laminating and adding Velcro, you can use this idea over and over!

Other ways I use Velcro:

• Organization:  I Velcro labels onto book bins to keep my supplies organized but can easily be changed as my materials increase and change with needs of my students
• Storyboards:  You can Velcro sequencing pictures or items from a story to allow students to retell stories heard/read/narratives.
• File Folder Sorting:  Don't want to look pieces in sorting activities?  Add some Velcro to file folders and you can easily have a sorting activity!

How do you use Velcro?!  I would love to hear?!  Have a blog, feel free to link up below!!!

Stay tuned to next month's topic!

An InLinkz Link-up

How Do You Use It?! April: Popsicle Sticks! (Linky Party)

It's a new month and time for the next, "How Do You Use It?!" linky party!!  I will share with you my favorite ways of using a common product found in most therapy rooms (or able to be purchased cheaply).  Some other SLP bloggers will be linking their posts on the same topic on the bottom of this post!

This month, I will share how I use Popsicle sticks!

There are TONS of ways to use Popsicle sticks in speech therapy.  Have you seen a previous post of mine about a game I created called, "Sports Pick-A-Stick?!"  You can see the original post by clicking HERE!

 I created this DIY game using Popsicle sticks, stickers I found at Target, markers, and an index card!  I took out an index card and markers, same colors as those I used for my Popsicle sticks.  I wrote various vocabulary words on each Popsicle stick!  I created a visual to represent the directions for this game.  I laminated the index card just for safe keeping!

Now it is time to play!  That was it!  Students one at a time can pick a stick.  For each stick they take, they must use the visual so they know what is expected of them for that word on stick.  In order to "keep" the stick, they must accurately define, use in a sentence, draw, or name the category it belongs in.  Whoever has the most at the end, wins!

Once the game was completed, we used all the terms discussed and used our EET strategies to expand our definitions of them.  We used the mini dry erase boards to work together to sort all the words.

What are some other ways I have used Popsicle sticks in my therapy room?

• Calling on random students:  You can write students names on the sticks.  You can put the sticks in a cup or bag, pull out a stick to randomly select students to answer questions or take a turn in a game.  This way students don't think you are calling on anyone in specific.  This only works if all students in the group have the same goals and are working on the same tasks.
• Reinforcers:  Do your students need immediate reinforcers?  Take a clear plastic cup and a batch of Popsicle sticks.  As students demonstrate good listening behaviors and working appropriately, you can reinforce them by placing the Popsicle sticks in the cup.  Once the cup is filled up, they can get their reward.  This is just a quick, cheap, and easy reward system!
• Following directions:  You can have students pick the sticks that you name ("take the yellow stick with the number 5 on it") or they can follow directions by building things with the sticks!

These are just some of my favorite ways to use Popsicle sticks in speech therapy!  I love my colored Popsicle sticks which I have found in the dollar store!!  It makes it so easy to create so many activities and the colors are just fun!

Stay tuned to next month's "How do you use it?!" post!

Check below to see how other SLP bloggers use Popsicle sticks!!

An InLinkz Link-up

How Do You Use It?! March: Dry Erase (Linky Party)

It is that time again!!!  Another "how do you use it?!" linky party post!!  If you didn't know from last month, once a month, I will be posting with ideas on how to use a product that is already in most speech rooms (and if not, easy to find!).  I will also have other SLP bloggers linking up their posts on the same topic that I have provided!  Their posts can be found on the bottom of this post!

This month's topic: DRY ERASE!!!  Who doesn't love dry erase?!  I have TONS of markers in my speech room!  It is such an easy way to motivate students to write!  Even though they are writing, they prefer using these over pencils, so why not use them!!  I have compiled a list of some of my favorite ways to use them!

Making Cards Interactive:

Just by laminating, anything can be made interactive with a dry erase marker!!  I took my sequencing activity from my Baking Up Good Speech: Receptive Language activity pack, laminated it, and grabbed my dry erase markers!  Students were able to number the sentences in the correct sequence!  Then I was able to erase it and use it with another group!!  Another idea?  Teaching context clues or vocabulary, students can underline the unknown words or clues in sentences with dry erase markers!!

Dry Erase Pockets:
Have you seen these pockets?  I know some have found them in dollar stores or at Target in the dollar section.  I got mine from Lakeshore Learning.  But you can also find them on Amazon.
I use these pockets to make writing fun without laminating!!  It is also a great tool if photocopy machines are broken!  Just slip a worksheet in, and now it is dry erase!  You can use the same worksheet with multiple students/groups!!

Above you can see how I used the dry erase pockets to complete the sequencing graphic organizer with my Sequencing For Older Students pack!

Making File Folders Interactive:
Just like my idea with the cards, I like to laminate file folders and use dry erase makers with them!  

See above, I used my Superhero Story Recall activity.  My students listened as I read one of the stories and completed the graphic organizer on the file folder with a dry erase marker.  Then, we were able to play the game on the file folder.  My students were able to easily refer back to the graphic organizer when needed to answer questions!  I love file folders for activities like this because it keeps things together and students can easily visually see that they can use their notes.  By making it dry erase, I was able to erase it and reuse with another group later that day easily!!

Dry Erase Sentence Strips:
If you follow my blog, you will know I absolutely LOVE sentence strips.  I like to give students carrier phrases as visuals and cloze sentences to expand utterances.  I found these amazing sentence strip dry erase boards in Target in the dollar spot section.  I found them so long ago but I did find them on Amazon as well.



These are great for creating easy visuals (instead of index cards or post-it notes).  But you can also use them to have students write one word answers!  I find when I want a one word answer and I give them large dry erase boards, they are easily distracted and will doodle!  This helps keep their attention focused on the task.  When might I want a one word answer?

• Word retrieval tasks: completing cloze sentences
• Grammar activities: you give the students a verb or noun tense and they need to write it
• Guess the vocabulary word when given a definition.
• and so much more!

See below my example of a word retrieval activity using my Ipod Auditory Closure activity.

What Would They Say?
I found these amazing speech bubble images that are suppose to be for a bulletin board.  I laminated a few of them so they can be used with dry erase markers!  When working with social skills groups, fluency, articulation, or even syntax goals, I will give students scenarios and they can complete the speech bubbles with their responses!

Below are similar products I have found on Amazon:


How do you use dry erase?!  I hope you find these ideas helpful and fun!!  Stay tuned to next month's linky party topic: Popsicle sticks!

Disclaimer: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links.

Want to see what your other SLP bloggers do with dry erase in their therapy rooms?!  Check it out by clicking their links below:

An InLinkz Link-up