Fun Finds: Mustache Post-Its! (and how I used it in speech therapy!)

I am always browsing Staples, Target, and Dollar Stores for fun therapy finds.  This week, I was in Staples, and I found these adorable Mustache Post-Its!  Students are LOVING mustaches these days so I knew I had to grab them!

I knew right away how I could use them!  I have a Mustache Main Idea activity!  I usually make students verbally express the main ideas while they read or listen to each passage on the cards.  I decided to change it up!  Depending on the group/goal in mind, I used the post-its in the following ways:

• Some students got to write the main ideas on the post-its to get practice with written expression.
• I wrote "main idea" and "not the main idea" on the post-its and students got to stick them onto the cards as I expressed various correct and incorrect answers.
• We used the post-its as a follow-up activity with a full page story.  Students wrote the main ideas on the post-its after each paragraph read to help with note-taking.  Then they transferred these main ideas onto a graphic organizer and created their own test questions using their main idea mustache post-its.  Learn more about this strategy by visiting a previous blog post by clicking HERE!
• Instead of raising their hands, they got to put the mustache on their face!  How fun?!

We had so much fun this week playing with mustaches and reviewing main ideas because of this awesome Staples find!  How can you use these post-its?!

Nonfiction Comprehension Fun!!

I am always looking for better ways to work on nonfiction comprehension with my older students.  The teachers are always complaining that the students aren't carryover the skills into their classrooms.  But if you can tell my style by now, I don't like to do things traditionally!

I will show you how I took one motivating nonfiction story and targeted multiple goals over several sessions!

Have you heard of the book, "Hi-Lo Nonfiction Passages for Struggling Readers: Grades 4–5: 80 High-Interest/Low-Readability Passages With Comprehension Questions and Mini-Lessons for Teaching Key Reading Strategies?"  I definitely recommend it for those working in a public school with school aged students.

I found this great story on the  history of video games!!  Hi, motivation!!  Even the title of the story targeted goals: past and present!  We started off using this story by comparing/contrasting past and present, using the different verb tenses (2 goals right there!!).  We generated a list on my dry erase board with what my students thought video games were like in the past.  They got to predict what they would learn in the story.  We left this list up as we read the story.  They got a kick out of who was closest to the truth and who was very far off (I threw in some silly responses just to make them think and laugh like "I think only 6 feet tall men could play video games").  

I have many students working on expressing main ideas, recalling details, and using note-taking techniques/graphic organizers to organize thoughts/help recall/express summaries/etc.  I took some post-it notes and cut them up into strips.  I placed the pile of post-it strips in the middle of my therapy table.  As we read the story, we stopped after each paragraph and my students had to generate a main idea of the paragraph read.  We used my strategy "what was it mainly about and what happened to it?"  This helped guide them to narrow down all of those details into ONE sentence!!  We wrote these sentences on the post-its and they stuck them onto their papers next to the paragraph it went with.

Once we were done reading and writing/expressing main ideas, my students had fun verbally telling summaries using their "notes," expressing sequences, and answering recall questions.  They loved that their post-its helped them locate the answers in paragraphs they couldn't automatically recall on their own.  It definitely reduced the "I don't knows" and "I can't find its."  My students even got a chance to come up with their own comprehension questions and challenge each other!!

We then used my dry erase board and completed a Venn diagram to compare video games from the past to today.  My students did great pulling out the details from their story and using their own knowledge of video games!  They felt so successful!!  We also had discussions about what we think will happen to video games in the future!  Some got to draw and write about it too!  It was a great way to work on descriptive writing and using future tense verbs!

The stories in this book come with comprehension/vocabulary/grammar questions.  But who wants to answer questions with boring pencils?!  I took out my fun Crayola Stamper markers and let them stamp the answers!!!  So much more fun and motivating!!!  They didn't mind doing boring worksheets!

Since I used this story over several sessions and we read this story over and over and reviewed our post-it notes over and over, we focused on a different comprehension skill each day.  One day we worked on answering higher level thinking questions.  Students knew they had to use their notes and their own knowledge to generate answers, they couldn't just look back to find it!  Another day, we worked on using context clues to generate word meanings.  We looked at what the paragraph was about, what we knew about the topic, looked for clue words before and after the unknown word, and substituted all of the multiple choice answers into the sentence to see which makes the most sense!  My students did great using their strategies!!  

So, let's recap, how many goals did I target with this activity?

• Past, present, future tense verbs
• Sequencing
• Main idea
• Recalling details
• Inferencing
• Compare/contrast
• Predicting
• Descriptive writing
• Generating questions
• Context clues
• Expressing summaries
• Note-taking
• Conversational skills

WOAH!!! Now that is a lot!!  I am a huge fan of this book and recommend it!  I also recommend some of these strategies to target these common core skills that correlate to speech and language goals!  I hope you can use some of these ideas if not ALL in your therapy rooms!!

Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.

Mustache Main Idea!

I don't know about you but my students are loving mustaches!  I think it is hysterical!!  Why not use an activity to motivate them with this theme!  The best part about this theme, NO COLOR INK REQUIRED!!  

In this activity:
-Visual aid to assist students in understanding concepts.

-2 ways to play!!!  Card games for practicing skill. Print and laminate (or back on index cards, construction paper, or card stock). 

-Version 1: Students must pick a card and read/listen to the passage on the card.  They must use their strategies for expressing the main idea.  Once they respond accurately, they can hold onto their cards.  If they pick a BONUS card, they get an extra turn.  If they pick a LOSE A TURN card, they lose a turn!  The student with the most cards at the end of the game is the winner.

-Version 2: Students must pick a card and read/listen to the passage on the card.  They must use their strategies for expressing the main idea.  Once they respond accurately, they can hold onto their cards.   There is a point value visual that has a point value for each mustache.  Once all of the cards are used, students can use the point value sheet to tally up their points to determine the winner.

-Review worksheets.  

You can access this activity in my TpT store by clicking HERE!

Main Idea Flip Flops!

Are you looking for activities to work on reading/auditory comprehension over the summer?!  Keep reading!  I have created a summer themed main idea activity!

Using this activity:
-Visual to display while using activity

-Card game with paragraph level passages.  Students must read or listen to the passages and express the main idea.

-Two ways to play!  

-Either when students respond accurately, they can hold onto their card.  If they get a “bonus turn” they get an extra turn and if they get a “lose a turn” card they lose a turn.  The student with the most cards at the end of the game is the winner.

-Board game is provided to use as well.  Students can take a turn in the board game after they respond accurately with the main idea.  You can even use the “bonus turn” and “lose a turn” cards with the board game as well!

-Review worksheet is provided!

You can access this activity in my TpT store by clicking HERE!

Main Idea Games!

I know many of you have students working on main ideas!  I am always trying to find fun ways to address this skill so it never gets repetitive and boring!  I have created three different games to help work on identifying, understanding, and expressing main ideas!

In this file:

-Visual to assist

-Main Idea Matching Game:  Each card will have a paragraph or a main idea.  Print, cut, and glue cards onto index cards, card stock or construction paper and laminate.  Students will use these cards in a memory matching game.  They must match the paragraph to the corresponding main idea.  The student that locates the most matches is the winner!

-Main Idea BINGO:  Print and laminate the BINGO cards for each student.  Then print and cut the passage cards.  Read to or have student read each passage card.  They must listen and locate the main idea on their BINGO board.  Keep going until a student gets 5 in a row!

-Main Idea Jeopardy:  Print and laminate the Jeopardy board.  Print and laminate the “candy cover tokens.”  Use the candy tokens or BINGO chips to cover up when a point value has been used.  Print and laminate the task cards.  You can keep them in piles by color to help locate them when students request them.  Students can take turns picking a “color” category and a point value.  Locate the corresponding task card.  Students must express the main idea in order to receive the points.  You can keep track of points on a separate paper or board.  As students respond, students on both teams can complete the “note-taking sheet with the main idea answer.”  Students can go back and forth picking and responding until all cards are used (or time runs out).  Once the game is completed, you can challenge your students (wager points, bonus points, etc.) to see if they can use their note-taking sheet to guess the main ideas of each “color” category.

-Review worksheets: One worksheet contains two paragraphs and students must identify the main idea from the choices provided.  The second worksheet require students to write the main ideas on the lines provided based on the paragraphs read.

I hope you love this one as much as I do!  I know I am excited to start using it with my students!  These are great ways to keep all students in a group engaged and thinking!  You can access this activity in my TpT store by clicking HERE!

Ready, Set, Go! Comprehension Fun!

My Ready, Set, Go Vocabulary Pack has been such a hit that I had to create one for comprehension skills!!

Have fun practicing listening and/or reading comprehension skills with this race car themed activity!

Using this file:
-Print and laminate the race track page.
-Grab a dice and game pawns/pieces.
-Print and laminate (or glue onto index cards/card stock) the game cards and keep them in separate piles next to the game board.

-Students can start at the “starting flags.”  They can roll the dice and move along the race track.  If they land on:
**A traffic light: Students will answer a question from the traffic light pile.  These cards require students to express main ideas based on paragraphs read or heard.

**A stop sign: Students will answer a question from the stop sign pile.  These cards require the students to express causes or effects based on statements heard or read.

**The starting flags: Students will answer a question from the flag pile.  These cards require students to express predictions based on paragraphs heard or read.

Students will keep going until all cards are used, time runs out, or you decide the game is over.  As they answer question cards accurately, they can hold onto these cards.  At the end of the game, students will count the cards they have collected to determine a winner!

You can access this activity HERE!

Technology Fun! Receptive & Expressive Downloads!

I found this adorable technology clip art and new I had to make an expressive and receptive downloads with them!

Technology Fun: Receptive language!

-Listening for Main Idea & Supporting Details: Students will pick a card and hand it to a teacher/SLP/peer.  They will listen to the sentences provided.  The students must express the main idea and one detail heard.  If students pick the “iPod” card, they get an extra turn!  The students with the most cards at the end of the game is the winner.

-Typing Up Inferences:  Students will pick a card and hand it to the teacher/SLP/peer. They will listen to the paragraph.  Then the student will be provided with a question requiring inferencing skills.  Once the student responds accurately, they can hold onto their card.  Each card has a point value.  At the end of the game, the students will add up their points to determine a winner. 

-Calling For Good Grammar:  Each card will have a sentence with a noun or verb tense that is incorrect.  Students must listen and identify the incorrect word and correct it in order to take a turn in the board game.

-Computer Complex Directions: Students will pick a card and hand it to a teacher/SLP/peer.  They will listen and follow the directions heard.  If they pick the card, “Computer Crashed!  Lose a turn” the student will lose a turn.  The student with the  most cards at the end of the game is the winner!

-iPod Auditory Closure:  Students will pick a card.  They can read it themselves or have it read to them.  They must determine how to finish the sentence provided.  Use the cards with the board game provided.

Grab this download HERE!

Technology Fun!  Expressive Language:

-iPad Conjunctions:  Each card has two sentences that need to be combined with either and, or,  so, or but.  Students must express the combined sentences using the visual provided.  Each card has a point value.  Students may hold onto their cards once they respond correctly.  At the end of the game, students can add up their points to determine a winner!

-Headphone Asking Questions: Each card has a statement.  The student must turn the statement into a question.  If students pick the “iPod” card, they get an extra turn!  The students with the most cards at the end of the game is the winner.

-Describing Cameras:  Each camera has a picture of a common object.  Students must describe what they see.  Then they can take a turn in the board game provided.

-Compare/Contrast Computers:  Each card has two items.  Students must express how they are similar and different.  Once the student has responded correctly, they can hold onto their card.  If they pick the card, “Computer Crashed!  Lose a turn” the student will lose a turn.  The student with the  most cards at the end of the game is the winner!

-Expressing Cause and Effect:  Students pick a card and read the statement provided.  They must verbally express the cause and a possible effect.  Students can use be visual provided to assist in understanding cause and effect.  Each card has a point value.  Once all the cards are  used, the students can add up their points to determine a winner.

You can access this download HERE!

I hope you find these activity packs useful and fun!

Winter Graphic Organizers for SLPs! (plus freebies!)

This HUGE download is filled with graphic organizers and activities to practice using them with a winter theme!

In this file:
-Basic Sequencing Chart

-Listening for Wh- Questions

-Cause & Effect:  Either use the sample provided or the blank form to use with stories or own concepts

-Main Idea & Supporting Details:  Use the two samples provided to teach determining a main idea and details based on information provided.  A blank form is provided to use with own stories

-Key Story Elements

-Venn Diagram:  Sample compare/contrast for winter items/stories are provided and a blank for own use

-Vocabulary Frayer Square:  Sample pages provided and a blank for varied use as well

-Inference Chart:  Use to help use schema and clues

-Winter Word Hunt:  Students can try to determine a winter word that starts with every letter of the alphabet.  Can be used as a game, vocabulary practice, or even articulation.

-Words That Describe Web:  Some sample pages are provided with winter nouns.  A blank form is provided as well for varied use.

-Author’s/Speaker’s Purpose

-Asking Questions During Reading Process: This will help encourage students to express questions  based on what they have read/heard and develop their own answers.

How do I plan on using this pack to reduce usage of colored ink?  I was going to make 5 laminated books for each skill and one of just the blank forms.  I will make 5 since that is my largest group size.  This way, I can easily grab and use these graphic organizers and they become dry erase!!  Easy to reuse with various groups!  But yes, I can also just print some in blank-and-white ink too if I want students to use pencils!  Grab this HUGE and helpful download HERE!

Not sure if this pack is for you?!  Try out this freebie HERE!